Intergenerational Relationships and Affectual Solidarity Between Grandparents and Young Adults

Abstract

This study examines whether both parents’ relationships with their offspring, parents, and parents‐in‐law matter for young adults’ perceptions of closeness to grandparents. This study focuses on two groups of grandchildren (ages 18 – 23) in Wave 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households: young adults with married biological parents (N = 442) and those whose biological mother is not married to their biological father (N = 399). Findings suggest that it is important to examine grandparent‐grandchild ties within a complete kinship network. Parents’ relationships with the grandchild and grandparent generations were associated with the grandparent‐grandchild bond. In support of the kinkeeping perspective, mothers’ intergenerational ties across lineage lines appeared to be more influential for grandparent‐grandchild relationships than fathers’.

Emotional Closeness between Grandparents and Grandchildren in Rural China: The Mediating Role of the Middle Generation

“…Grandparents who are in good health (Whitbeck et al, 1993), younger in age (Monserud, 2008a;Whitbeck et al, 1993), and married (Monserud, 2008a,b) tend to be emotionally closer to their grandchildren than those, respectively, in poorer health, older in age, and widowed. Early experiences with grandparents have lingering effects, as those grandparents who had greater early involvement with their grandchildren tended to have stronger relationships with them later in life (Geurts, 2008;Silverstein & Bengtson, 1994).…”

Kin Investment by Step-Grandparents—More Than Expected

“…If kinship relations are stronger for matrilineal relatives, it is because women are socialized as kinkeepers in the intergenerational family network (e.g., Hagestad, 1986;Monserud, 2008;Rossi & Rossi, 1990). Genetic relationship is not usually seen as cause for differential caregiving and kin relationship quality.…”

“…One major argument against the paternity certainty hypothesis is that asymmetric kin investment can also be explained to a great extent by the relationship of the caregiver to the parent of the caregiving recipient (Danielsbacka, Tanskanen, & Rotkirch, 2015;Matthews & Sprey, 1985;Pashos, 2000;Pashos & McBurney, 2008;Steinbach & Henke, 1998). Hence, family relationship networks appear to play a major role in kin caregiving (Cherlin & Furstenberg, 1994;Lussier, Deater-Deckard, Dunn, & Davies, 2002;Monserud, 2008). The paternity certainty hypothesis seems to fit rather accidentally to the asymmetric pattern of grandparental investment.…”

La modernización social de la vejez en España

“…Una cuestión de sumo interés para la sociología son las relaciones intergeneracionales que se desarrollan en un contexto familiar sometido a profundos cambios (Antonucci et al 2011;Monserud 2008;Bengtson 2001). Entre otros aspectos se ha destacado que en los países occidentales los miembros de las distintas generaciones coexisten cada vez durante más tiempo, merced a la creciente esperanza de vida, pero conviven menos (López Doblas y Díaz Conde 2009).…”