Abstract
ABSTRACT Although researchers have observed that film depictions of young adult coresiders (i.e. young adults who live with their parents) tend to be negative, no research has systematically analyzed or explored such portrayals. Adapting Qualitative Content Analysis, this study examined portrayals of Canadian and American young adult/parent coresidence in films released between 2010 and 2020, seeking to ascertain the explanations for coresidence, (i.e. how do films portray why young adults coreside). Analysis of 18 films yielded eight distinct forms of explanations for coresidence, with the two most common being those that rendered coresidence as occurring due to either a mental health challenge or the flawed personality of the coresider. Broadly, film portrayals depicted coresidence as symptomatic of an individualized failing of young adults. Interpreting these findings through the lens of psychocentrism, we argue that film constructions pathologize coresidence and responsiblize coresiders. Further, and in contrast to news media, film constructions ignore systemic or structural drivers of coresidence. This research is the first to examine film portrayals of coresidence in depth, highlights distinct depictions of young adults in film media, and draws attention to the discrepancies between documented reasons for coresiding and those portrayed in on-screen storytelling.
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