Changing perceptions of family: A study of multigenerational households in Australia

Many people around the world live in households with multiple generations of related adults (multigenerational households). Amongst certain cultures - in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe in particular – multigenerational living has formed an important part of the cultural fabric. But multigenerational living is also an important part of the lives of millions of people in societies where this family arrangement has not traditionally been seen as ‘the norm’. This is the case in Australia, and yet approximately one in five people in Australia currently live in a multigenerational household. While some of these multigenerational households have moved to Australia from countries where multigenerational living is common, many have not. How then do people who live in multigenerational households understand their own experiences of living together, and what might this tell us about changing social expectations regarding the form and role of families in Australia? This paper presents findings of a multi-year research project on multigenerational households in the cities of Sydney and Brisbane in Australia, including a survey of 377 people, 18 follow-up diaries and 21 follow-up interviews to explore this issue. The findings of this research highlight that the stigma associated with living in a multigenerational household in Australia has lessened, and that normalised ideas surrounding the form and function of family are shifting. The paper concludes with a discussion of some potential explanations for this important cultural shift