Living Apart Together

This book describes a new way of being a couple and a new family form—living apart together—where couples who are committed to one another nevertheless maintain separate residences and finances. Although studied previously in Europe and other areas, LAT has not attracted attention in the United States, although it appears to be as prevalent there as elsewhere. After presenting the research done about LATs in other areas of the world, the book presents the results of the author’s empirical research on this lifestyle—both the results of surveys taken in 2016 and of interviews of LAT couples in 2016 and 2017 in the United States and England, which explore the numbers of LATs, their reasons for living apart, their demographics, the economics of their relationships, and their mutual caregiving. It also compares and contrasts this lifestyle with both commuter marriage and cohabitation. A particular focus is placed on the special role that LAT appears to play in the lives of women, gay males, and couples 65 and older. Ways in which LATs encounter the US legal system currently—primarily with respect to the termination of alimony upon cohabitation—are described and criticized. After discussing what the purposes of family law should be in general, the author proposes a number of legal reforms that should be undertaken to support the caregiving functions LAT partners perform for each other.

Commuter Marriage and Cohabitation

This chapter discusses commuter marriage and cohabiting couples, describing how the issues involved are both similar to and different from those faced by LATs. It is based primarily on the secondary literature available on this topic but also includes the results of some interviews with current commuting spouses. It concludes with a discussion of the legal treatment of cohabitation that is of relevance to legal reforms for LATs.

Marital Satisfaction Among Dual-Earner Marriage Couples: Commuter versus Single Residences Couples

This study aimed to compare marital satisfaction in two types of dual-earner couples, namely commuter and single residence marriage couples. Commuter marriage couples are those who live in two separate residences due to their work demands for at least part of the week, whereas single residence couples live in the same residences. A sample of 239 couples filled out the Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI). Factorial ANOVA used to compare marital satisfaction of the two groups. The result showed that commuter marriage couples have higher marital satisfaction compared to single residence dual earner couple. Men in this study reported higher marital satisfaction compared to women.

Uses if Social Media as Electronically Mediated Interpersonal Communication [EMIC] on Commuter Marriage Family [Phenomenology Studies at Postgraduate Women Student in Abroad]

Self-actualization, career and professional demand sometimes require a person to pursue further studies at a higher level for both men and women. A woman who has married and has children then studying a postgraduate abroad certainly faces a complicated situation relating to eastern and patrilineal cultures that are identical to the roles and responsibilities of mothers in domestic affairs and parenting. In carrying out the role, required high quality communication by media with spouses and children when being separated residence during a relatively long study and with a long distance location. The aim of this study is to know how the uses of social media as electronically mediated interpersonal communication [EMIC] on commuter marriage family at Postgraduate Women Student in aboard. This is a qualitative approach study with phenomenology studies. Study done by depth interview with 4 [four] respondents whose studied at aboard, in Australia, America, and Europe. The result of this study was found that the respondent used Social Media to ccommunicate with their family, especially by WhatsApp, Line, Facebook and Skype. Most of respondents have enough skills of both sender and receiver for electronic message. Most of respondents also have enough communication richness, communication speed and presence. Social media also augment family communication by providing opportunities for social support beyond family members. The respondent also could kept maintaining the role of a mother and reduce the loneliness feeling and guilty feeling by video call and social media chatting. The contribution of this study was to give recommendation to some mother and/or wife who are in commuter marriage to escalate the skills of family communication trough social media so they could still run the role of mother and/or wife as much as they could.

Commuter Spouses and the Changing American Family

the rise of commuter marriage reflects decades of social change in women’s workplace participation, american individualism, technological saturation, bureaucratic hurdles, and the symbolic significance of marriage itself.

A Study on The Marriage Phenomenolgy of Commuter Marriage Spouse

In general, the marriage is lived by a spouse who lives together and cooperates with each other to shape the family. Recently, many couples do not live together, but in a distant city, and are called a long-distance marriage or a commuter marriage. From many reasons that create the long distance marriage, one of which is the job. The aim of this study is to find out the condition of the marriage life in commuter marriage and the dynamics on perceived marital satisfaction. This research method uses the qualitative method. Subjects in this study are 3 pairs of husband and wife practicing commuter marriage, which has a minimum marriage age of 5 years and has at least one child. The research result has shown that wives tend to experience dissatisfaction in the marriage, while the husbands feel quite happy in the marriage.