Beyond 'Average' Family Life: Atypicality in the Golden Age of the Family

This article is based on data gathered in the 1960s, which included information on household composition and family formations. We explore different family formations and structures represented in this data and the meaning attached to issues around a number of ‘unusual’ family compositions encountered by the researchers at that time.We also examine the significance attached to atypical family units by both the respondents and the interviewers.