Subverting gendered norms of cohabitation: Living Apart Together for women over 45

Abstract

Living apart together (LAT) is the relationship term used to describe those couples who are in a committed, intimate relationship with someone who lives in another household. LAT for those who have chosen this relationship form is a political act that subverts and transforms the gendered norms of cohabitation. This paper presents the findings of the first qualitative study of LAT conducted in Australia, reporting on the private and public implications of LAT for the women in this study. The findings give added meaning to why, for the cohort of women over 45 who have chosen to live apart together, they make the choice to LAT, their LAT relationships tend to last longer than the younger cohorts of LATs and their motivations for being in a LAT relationship differ from the younger cohorts. Situated within a feminist discourse, the study demonstrates that LAT has the potential to change women's lives for the better.