Living Parental Home : Hopes and Constraints of Young People of Immigrant Background in France

Young adults of immigrant background live with their parents longer than do those in the mainstream population (Moguérou, Santelli, 2010). The great majority of young people from non-European immigrant backgrounds are from working class homes and often the poorest and most economically insecure segments of the working class (Frickey & Primon, 2002). Research in recent years has shown that unemployment rates are very high among young people from immigrant backgrounds, especially North African backgrounds. Their disadvantage at the start of their adult lives partly explains why they defer moving out to live independently. Another factor is the cultural and subjective attitudes towards independent living that the young people share with their parents (Hamel et al., 2011). 

This paper examines the impact of social and family constraints on whether and when young people of immigrant background leave home. It first reviews the factors that encourage young people to defer their departure. It then looks at their projects for leaving home. While it is recognised that more flexible relations between parents and children make it easier to continue living together, the difficulty of finding a place to live is a major obstacle to young people's entry into adult life. How do those most centrally concerned experience this prolonged family life? Do they want to leave and what prevents them from doing so?