Eunice Lo

KITH and KIN

Kith and Kin explores an alternative model of social housing for contemporary family structures by decoupling the legal boundaries of housing from its structural boundaries. This proposal questions whether the legal boundary of property ownership has to be bound to or confined within the physical boundaries of a property.

Currently, both the design and the delivery of social housing in the U.K. are based on patriarchal and heteronormative structures, often prioritising conventional nuclear families that consist of a dad, a mum and their children. Because of this unfair system, certain family types are excluded from consideration.

Contemporary Kith and Kin Relationships

From The Dating Game and Family Feud in the 1960s to current shows such as Open House, these reality TV shows and game shows provide a reality check into current society trends and offer an alternative attitude towards what an acceptable or normal household looks like.

These emergent kith and kin structures may be due to a number of contemporary challenges. For example, marriage is much less common with an increasing number of people preferring to stay single or getting married later in life. Fertility rates over the years have dropped due to economic factors, women’s higher participation in education and employment, and improvements in contraception and abortion. Getting a divorce has also become more socially acceptable, resulting in more single-parent households and blended families with half and step siblings. With the increase of dual-career families where both parents work and the increase in the costs of living, it is common for retired grandparents or relatives to move in and to look after young children, forming extended families. Similarly, the high cost of renting or buying a house led to more young individuals or couples to cohabit.