Grandchildren as Unifiers in Intergenerational Relations

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
CUREJ - College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
Family
Children and Youth
Social Sciences
Sociology
Kristen Harknett
Harknett
Kristen
Kathryn Edin
Kathryn
Edin
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Contributor
Abstract

Declining marriage rates and the corresponding rise in single-parent families is associated with the increased likelihood that children spend at least part of their childhood living in poverty. Intergenerational kin networks, however, can serve as an important safety net for children whose parents are unable to provide appropriate instrumental or emotional support for their own children. This paper uses data from the Time, Love, and Cash Among Couples with Children (TLC3) study, a longitudinal qualitative examination of parents who recently had a child together, to explore the processes that underlie these intergenerational relationships. Looking at unmarried mothers' and fathers' reports of their relationships with their parents, we build a typology of intergenerational relationships and solidarity that highlights the important role of grandchildren as a unifying element of intergenerational contact. The grandchild generation serves an important role in bringing all three generations into contact with one another, regardless of whether parents and grandparents have harmonious or tension-filled relationships. These results suggest that increased mutual understanding between grandparent and parent generations, especially of each others' expectations regarding involvement with the grandchild, may lead to more harmonious intergenerational relationships that benefit all generations.

Advisor
Kristen Harknett
Kathryn Edin
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2007-05-01
Journal title
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection