Household Arrangements of Young Adults

Abstract

This chapter examines the living arrangements of young adults in Latin America in the mid-1970s. Young adulthood is a time of life when many end an educational career, begin full-time employment, and start a family of their own. Most young adults marry, whether formally or not, and become parents (even in societies with high rates of never-married individuals). Some engage in military service to their country, join a youth-oriented group, begin voting, and/or (in some countries) leave the parental home. There are so many transitions in the life of young adults, in fact, that some people talk of young adulthood as being a transition-dense period. While all the facets—and more—are important, here I focus on the living arrangements of young adults, a possible expression of a combination of past and future.