Date of Award
12-2020
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Human Sciences
Department
Human Sciences
First Advisor
Mrs. Sally Ann Swearingen
Second Advisor
Mrs. Leisha Bridwell
Third Advisor
Dr. Ray Darville
Abstract
Multigenerational households in the United States are more prevalent now than they have been in the last forty years. In part, aging, illness, job loss, saving money, and even tradition are factors that contribute to the idea of multiple generations living together in one home. Given the health of the individuals, size of the home, and number of dedicated bedrooms and bathrooms, living multigenerational can have both positive and adverse effects. Many family groups fall into the category of multigenerational living. However, this study investigates the relationships between adults and senior family members in terms of privacy in the home. Factors affecting privacy include crowding, territoriality, autonomy, physical, and psychological privacy. Additional stressors that were studied include the current state of affairs in the United States—COVID-19. These topics were analyzed in relation to home design strategies to alleviate privacy concerns and reduce household tension.
An online survey and phone interviews were used to gather research data through a variety of social media sites. In regards to COVID-19 and the multigenerational home, statistical analysis indicated that concern over spreading COVID-19 to seniors in the home has kept individuals more socially isolated. Data also supported a relationship between the number of hours worked from home due to COVID-19 and stress in a multigenerational household. Pertaining to crowding and privacy in a multigenerational home, data support that adult children in homes without a dedicated space, other than a bedroom or bathroom, are more likely to believe noise is a problem. Data also support there is a relationship between stress levels and dedicated bedrooms and bathrooms in the home as well as between the perception of privacy and the number of people in the home. In relation to caring for seniors in a multigenerational home, evidence supports grab bars and handrails to be the most common minor renovations made in multigenerational homes, and married female individuals are more likely to care for a senior parent than unmarried females. Data do not support the hypothesis that individuals do not feel very educated on products to aid senior independence or that when the senior in a home has more autonomy, the adult child feels less crowded in the home than seniors that require help changing, bathing, using the toilet facilities, and/or with transportation.
Repository Citation
Luque, Jennifer, "Privacy in Multigenerational Homes Before and Amidst COVID-19" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 351.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/351
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
