Family structure and housing consumption: A study of Chinese families in Taiwan

This study focuses on variations in types of family structure and patterns of housing consumption in a rapidly developing society. Extended families in Taiwan, in comparison with single-person households and nuclear families, tend to increase aggregate household income, foster homeownership, and consume more housing space.A version of this paper was presented at an annual meeting of Sociology of Housing, Santa Fe, New Mexico, October, 1986. The author wishes to thank the Bureau of Statistics and the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Republic of China, for their permission to use Taiwan's 1984 Household Income and Expenditure Survey data. Computer analyses performed by Ms. Su-jen are gratefully acknowledged.Dr. Chi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Consumer Economics and Housing at the New York State College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1972. His current interests include housing, health, and changing family structure.