Young Adults and Household Formation in the 1990s

This paper provides an overview of recent research and theorising relating to contemporary patterns of household formation amongst British youth. The first part provides a necessarily brief summary of current trends, focusing on both the initial process of leaving home and on the different outcomes of that process. The second part considers the theoretical models which underpin research on household formation, highlighting first the defining characteristics of dominant models of constraint, before moving on to examine the potential relevance of recent sociological theorising on the changing nature of social relationships in the context of late modernity. The paper concludes that whilst economic factors have undoubtedly acted as powerful catalysts for recent demographic trends, serious consideration should also be given to the importance of changing attitudes towards traditional forms of household and family living prevalent amongst contemporary youth.