Living Apart Together: analyse af fordele og ulemper

L.A.T. or Living apart together is a term describing how two people in a relationship live in separate homes.

In text two the description of this phenomenon is more or less that the main factor in this new trend is avoiding situations that are normally relationship destroyers, such as children from earlier relationships or marriages. Inheritance is another reason why living apart while being in a partnership is a good idea – especially for the elderly. This viewpoint is supported by therapist Judye Hess who is in a L.A.T. relationship herself. This special way of living has grown popular among the couples in Western Europe and in the United States. In Britain more than one million couples are a part of the L.A.T.-trend and other places around the world have started to pick up on the phenomenon too. Gail Sheehy, author, is quoted for saying that many people of the ‘baby boom’ after World War 2 have a lot of individual activities and errands that would make compromises necessary if they lived with their partner. The L.A.T.-solution definitely works better for everyone in this case. An example could be the story of Donna Davis, 47, and Jim Puckett, 59, who like to keep some elements of their individual lives to themselves. David Popenoe, the co-director of a marriage and family studies centre, is somewhat doubtful concerning the way the phenomenon is used among younger couples. He fears that it might jeopardize the qualities and norms of the typical relationship which has worked for centuries. Dr. Scott Haltzmann, an assistant professor of psychiatry, agrees with Dr. Popenoe. In addition he suggests that L.A.T. relationships decreases the level of intimacy and increases the feeling of considering other people’s needs as impositions which can end up damaging the social intelligence you’ve gained during your early years.