Equity
Increasing numbers of Australians are living in households where more than one generation of related adults live together. This is especially the case in our major cities. At the time of the last Census (2011), one in five Australians lived in a multigenerational household; for Sydney, one in four Sydneysiders lived in a multigenerational household.
The aim of the research is to determine the principal drivers of the emergence of multigenerational households in Australian cities and how these affect the day-to-day lives of families.
The research focuses on:
The project will demonstrate the dynamic relationships between the financial, political, demographic, social and cultural factors influencing the nature and extent of multigenerational households.
The project will also provide insights into intergenerational family relationships and individuals’ understandings of family and home; challenge and extend understandings of intergenerational dependency; and provide valuable information to enable policy-makers to better plan for urban development and forecast demand for services and subsidies.
The research draws upon census analysis to verify the extent of multigenerational cohabitation in two Australian cities (Sydney and Brisbane) and includes a survey of multigenerational household members, follow-up diaries and interviews about their decision to live in a multigenerational household and the influence of these drivers on their understandings of identity, family and home.
The project will demonstrate the dynamic relationships between the financial, political, demographic, social and cultural factors influencing the nature and extent of multigenerational households.
The project will also provide insights into intergenerational family relationships and individuals’ understandings of family and home; challenge and extend understandings of intergenerational dependency; and provide valuable information to enable policy-makers to better plan for urban development and forecast demand for services and subsidies.
Liu EY; Easthope H, 2016, 'Living with the Family in Australian Cities', in Liu EY; Easthope H (ed.), Multigenerational Family Living: Evidence and Policy Implications from Australia, Routledge, London, pp. 1 - 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315596266.
Easthope. H., Liu, E., Judd, B. & Burnley, I. (2015) ‘Feeling at Home in a Multigenerational Household: The importance of control’, Housing, Theory and Society, 32(2), pp. 151-170, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2015.1031275
Burnley I; Liu E; Easthope H, 2015, 'Geographies of Adult Multigenerational Family Households in Metropolitan Sydney', Geographical Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12168
Liu EY; Easthope H; Judd B; Burnley I, 2015, 'Housing multigenerational households in Australian cities: Evidence from Sydney and Brisbane at the turn of the twenty-first century', in "Dufty-Jones R; Rogers D" (ed.), Housing in Twenty-First Century Australia: People, Practices and Policies, Ashgate, Aldershot, pp. 21-37, http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781472431134
Easthope H; Liu EY; Burnley I; Judd B, 2014, 'Changing perceptions of family: A study of multigenerational households in Australia', in Changing perceptions of family: A study of multigenerational households in Australia, The Australian Sociological Association Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, presented at The Australian Sociological Association Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 25 - 27 November 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1440783316635850
Liu EY; Easthope H, 2014, 'Companionship, familial relationships and individuality: Sense of (be)longing in multigenerational households', in Companionship, familial relationships and individuality: Sense of (be)longing in multigenerational households, Seminar on local belonging, University College London, presented at Seminar on local belonging, University College London, 17 - 17 July 2014
Liu E; Easthope H; Burnley I; Judd B, 2014, 'Multigenerational households in Australian cities: Evidence from Sydney and Brisbane at the turn of the twenty-first century', in 7th Australasian Housing Researchers' Conference, AHRC 2013: Refereed Proceedings
Liu EY; Easthope H; Burnley I; Judd B, 2014, 'Negotiating multigenerational bonds: Financial and non-financial outcomes of living in multigenerational households in Australia', in Negotiating multigenerational bonds: Financial and non-financial outcomes of living in multigenerational households in Australia, The Australian Sociological Association Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, presented at The Australian Sociological Association Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 25 - 27 November 2014
Liu EY; Easthope H, 2013, Multigenerational households on the rise, Shelter NSW, Sydney, http://www.shelternsw.org.au/publications/doc_download/345-around-the-house-no-92
Easthope, H., Liu, E., Burnley, I. & Judd, B. (2013) ‘”We're a family - it makes sense to live together": Multigenerational households in Sydney and Brisbane', State of Australian Cities Conference, Sydney, 26-29 November http://www.soacconference.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Edgar-Liu.pdf
Liu EY; Easthope H, 2010, 'Young Australians in multigenerational households: trends, drivers and implications', in Young Australians in multigenerational households: trends, drivers and implications, New Zealand Geographical Society Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand, presented at New Zealand Geographical Society Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand, 05 - 08 July 2010