Grandparental Child Care in Europe: Evidence for Preferential Investment in More Certain Kin

Abstract

Theories of kin selection and parental investment predict stronger investment in children and grandchildren by women and maternal kin. Due to paternity uncertainty, parental and grandparental investments along paternal lineages are based on less certain genetic relatedness with the children and grandchildren. Additionally, the hypothesis of preferential investment (Laham, Gonsalkorale, and von Hippel, 2005) predicts investment to vary according to available investment options. Two previous studies have tested this hypothesis with small samples and conflicting results. Using the second wave of the large and multinational Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), collected in 2006-07, we study the preferential investment hypothesis in contemporary Europe based on self-reported grandparental provision of child care. We predict that 1) maternal grandmothers provide most care for their grandchildren, followed by maternal grandfathers, paternal grandmothers and last by paternal grandfathers; 2) maternal grandfathers and paternal grandmothers provide equal amounts of care when the latter do not have grandchildren via a daughter; 3) women who have grandchildren via both a daughter and a son will look after the children of the daughter more; and 4) men who have grandchildren via both a daughter and a son will look after the children of the daughter more. Results support all four hypotheses and provide evidence for the continuing effects of paternity uncertainty in contemporary kin behavior.

Adolescent grandchildren’s perceptions of grandparents’ involvement in UK: an interpretation from life course and evolutionary theory perspective

“…Children being the respondents has its' advantages and disadvantages. Grandparents might not be the ideal source of information, as they may wish to present their involvement as equal in all children (see Euler and Weitzel 1996;Euler et al 2001;Laham et al 2005;Danielsbacka et al 2011) and in this respect the children as a source of information might be more reliable. Although children aged 11-16 years old might not be aware of their grandparents labour force participation, their health or even their age quite accurately, they are still the best information source in the case of complex research frame such as one interested in here.…”

“…One of the strongest predictions is the order of grandparents (1) maternal grandmother, (2) maternal grandfather, (3) paternal grandmother, (4) paternal grandfather which is due to the paternity uncertainty and preferential investment in more certain kin (see, e.g. Laham et al 2005;Danielsbacka et al 2011). According to evolutionary theory and its emphasis on the sex and the lineage we may form following predictions about the relevant connections between different variables and grandparental involvement.…”

“…Maternal grandmothers tend to be involved in their grandchild's life the most, following maternal grandfathers and paternal grandmothers and finally paternal grandfathers who are the least involved (e.g. Kahana and Kahana 1970;Eisenberg 1988;Euler and Weitzel 1996;Euler et al 2001;Mills et al 2001;Sear and Mace 2008;Griggs et al 2010;Danielsbacka et al 2011;Coall and Hertwig 2010;Euler 2011 for review).…”

“…The studies show that this paternity uncertainty has continuing effects on modern societies (see, e.g. Daly and Wilson 1982;Danielsbacka et al 2011). It should be pointed out that the effects of paternity uncertainty are not necessarily in contact with actual non paternity rates (cf.…”

The impact of grandparental investment on mothers’ fertility intentions in four European countries

“…Investment also seems to vary by the sex of the grandparent, as grandmothers have been found to invest more than grandfathers once the effect of lineage is taken into account (e.g., Danielsbacka et al 2011;Pashos and McBurney 2008;Pollet, Nettle, and Nelissen 2006;Tanskanen, Rotkirch, and Danielsbacka 2011). Grandmothers appear to have played a crucial role in childrearing in our evolutionary past (Lahdenperä et al 2004;Mace and Sear 2005), and also in modern societies (Coall and Hertwig 2010).…”