Abstract
The history of suburbanization in the US shows that the suburban ideal has, from its beginnings, been associated with a vision of family togetherness during leisure activities. While the migration to the suburbs has been in part fueled by a desire to escape the mix of classes & ethnic groups of urban areas, & by government- & market-shaped economic incentives, the suburban ideal has stressed finding an environment in which family ties can be strengthened. The social & spatial structure of suburbia promotes familial isolation through a lack of public space & through an emphasis on home maintenance & home-centered entertainments. It is argued that by providing such seemingly optimal conditions for togetherness, suburbia may actually undermine familial harmony by exacerbating the strain of trying to live up to an essentially unattainable ideal. 58 References. Adapted from the source document.