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More than a fad, tiny housing reflects a long history of alternative living and offers an interdisciplinary - and sometimes contradictory - window into consumerism, structural equity, personal aspirations, and political landscapes. Despite traditional housing ideals and challenging local building codes, tiny housing has garnered significant interest from individuals, political leaders, developers, big box stores, and curious viewers of HGTV.
Reframing the American Dream draws on the expertise of urban planners, architects, public policy researchers, sociologists, and anthropologists who use tiny housing as a lens to explore critical questions: How can tiny housing help address the increasing demand for affordable housing? How are tiny homes influencing local and national politics? How does tiny housing highlight structural inequities related to disability, homelessness, gender, and race? What are the implications for building codes and sustainable construction? Can they raise awareness about environmental issues? How have tiny homes been integrated into mainstream culture, and what impact might corporate interests have on housing markets? What practical challenges do tiny housers face? How does tiny housing fit with housing dreams of the past and present? Featuring case studies, interviews, and surveys, Reframing the American Dream provides a deeper understanding beyond glossy media portrayals, connecting individual experiences with cultural ideals and institutional power.
About the author
Michaela Emily Howells is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and has conducted research in Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, and North and Central America. Her research focuses on the impact of stigma and racism on global health. She is currently investigating the role of climate disasters on pregnant individuals and their developing offspring.Shawn Chandler Bingham is director of the University Honors Program and associate professor of sociology at Colorado State University. He is author of Thoreau and the Sociological Imagination, co-author of Seriously Funny: Disability and the Paradoxical Power of Humor, co-editor of The Bohemian South: Creating Countercultures, from Poe to Punk, and editor of The Art of Social Critique: Painting Mirrors of Social Life.
