For some committed couples, years of living in close quarters during the pandemic prompted a search for a different marital model: Living Apart Together. These couples want to stay together, just not in the same home. While the percentage of Americans who are married has declined from 2000 to 2019, the percentage of couples living apart has risen by 25%. Now, it’s estimated that nearly four million Americans are married but living in separate households. Sometimes it’s because of their jobs or other circumstances. But often, particularly for women and older couples, living apart together is a choice that allows for agency and autonomy. We’ll hear about how it works, and whether being apart is the solution for staying together.
Can Living Apart Be the Solution for Staying Together?
Multi-Ethnic Couple Social Distancing in Separate Homes (Annika McFarlane via Getty Images)
Guests:
Kelly Coyne, freelance journalist, New York Times article "The Wife Left, but They're Still Together;" PhD candidate in the Department of Radio/TV/Film, Northwestern University; professor in the Department of English, Georgetown University
Vicki Larson, journalist, Marin Independent Journal; author, "Not Too Old for That: How Women Are Changing the Story of Aging" and "The New 'I Do';" forthcoming book about Living Apart Together
Sherrie Sims Allen, psychologist and relationship expert
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