Institut national d'études démographiques Institut national d'études démographiques(*) University Prof. &Prof. of sociology, Brown University, U.S.A
This paper reviews research from the 1990s on trends in leaving home in the United States and presents new research on trends returning home. These trends are placed within context of two key theorical considerations: changes in familiy roles and changes in the economic opportunities of young adults. The leaving home process in early adulthood is tied to changes in the core nuclear familiy relationships, since those between parents and children shape the launch and those between men and women help to shape the destinations. The economic considerations include variation in income sources, particulary wages and transferts, as well as the costs of independent residence. These considerations underline the importance of taking a comparative perspective to the process of leaving home in the transition to adulthood.