“Living Apart Together” – new demographic signals new social models
December 18, 2005 by Andy Merrett
The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) has defined a new social category: Living Apart Together.
Bravely, the ONS has attempted a definition. A true LAT, its report says, is “the existence of a relationship, which is understood to include a sexual relationship, between partners who each have their own separate address. They recognise themselves as a couple and are recognised as such by others. The partners in a LAT relationship may be of the same sex as well as of the opposite sex.”
The qualifications don’t end there. LATs must be unmarried, “monogamous” and in a relationship that is more than “temporary, fleeting, or casual.”
An article highlighting this in The Scotsman looks at the once-again upward trend of marriages and ‘committed co-habiting’.
It attempts to explain why “LAT” relationships are on the increase: changing employment patterns, distant relatives needing care, financial motivations, and more.
It’s quite a lengthy article but worth a read to begin to understand how relationships in British society continue to change.
Read the full article: At home with separation
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I’m making a documentary for Radio 4 about couples who choose to live apart. If you are such an couple and are interested in taking part in the programme please contact me at emily.jeal@unique.com
Many thanks
Emily