The Family We Created: The Sense of Family Among Chinese Co-Living Youth

This article, based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in two co-living houses in Shanghai, examines the sense of familial belonging among young Chinese adults residing in co-living arrangements. These youth frequently conceptualize their co-living environments as familial units, designating their roommates as family members ( jiaren 家人). Co-living, characterized by collective funding of communal goods, close interpersonal relationships, and egalitarian decision-making, aligns with the idealized familial values held by contemporary youth. However, this shared sense of family coexists with divergent and occasionally conflicting perspectives on family-related matters. This paradox highlights evolving conceptualizations of family that prioritize affective and supportive ties while deemphasizing blood relations and marital obligations. These shifting perceptions are shaped by the rise of neo-familism, state-endorsed family values, and processes of individualization. Consequently, co-living youth are expanding their understanding of family beyond kinship-based structures to include peer networks, signaling potential transformations to conventional conceptions of family among younger generations.