Activating Family Safety Nets: Understanding Undergraduates’ Pandemic Housing Transitions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Activating Family Safety Nets

T2 - Understanding Undergraduates’ Pandemic Housing Transitions

AU - van Stee, Elena G.

AU - Kuperberg, Arielle

AU - Mazelis, Joan Maya

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.

PY - 2024/1/1

Y1 - 2024/1/1

N2 - Safety nets are typically invisible until tested, and the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to observe how undergraduates responded to the common challenge of campus closures. Using survey data from two public universities (N = 750), we investigated the factors associated with students’ reports of moving to a parent’s home as a result of the pandemic. Our findings indicate that students’ material needs stemming from loss of housing (if on campus) or employment (if off campus) significantly affected but did not fully explain their housing decisions. Beyond these factors, older students and those living with a romantic partner, sibling, or extended family member were less likely to move in with a parent. These findings build on research documenting class-based differences by demonstrating the importance of life stage and other social ties. Moreover, they highlight how parent-child relationships evolve during the transition to adulthood, influencing decisions to seek support in times of crisis.

AB - Safety nets are typically invisible until tested, and the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to observe how undergraduates responded to the common challenge of campus closures. Using survey data from two public universities (N = 750), we investigated the factors associated with students’ reports of moving to a parent’s home as a result of the pandemic. Our findings indicate that students’ material needs stemming from loss of housing (if on campus) or employment (if off campus) significantly affected but did not fully explain their housing decisions. Beyond these factors, older students and those living with a romantic partner, sibling, or extended family member were less likely to move in with a parent. These findings build on research documenting class-based differences by demonstrating the importance of life stage and other social ties. Moreover, they highlight how parent-child relationships evolve during the transition to adulthood, influencing decisions to seek support in times of crisis.

KW - coresidence

KW - higher education

KW - kin tie activation

KW - life course theory

KW - role expectations

KW - transition to adulthood

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196403326&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85196403326&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/23780231241259625

DO - 10.1177/23780231241259625

M3 - Article

SN - 2378-0231

VL - 10

JO - Socius

JF - Socius

ER -