Family Contingencies Across the Generations: Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships in Holistic Perspective

Family relationships do not occur in isolation but rather are embedded within greater systems of family ties. In recognition of the need to study families holistically, we explore how relations between grandparents and grandchildren are contingent upon a matrix of intergenerational relationships. Us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 2003-05, Vol.65 (2), p.404-417
Main Authors: Mueller, Margaret M., Elder, Glen H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Demography
Dyadic relations
Employment
Families & family life
Families in Middle and Later Life
Family
Family members
Family Relations
Family Relationship
Family studies
family systems
Generations
Grandchildren
Granddaughters
Grandmothers
Grandparents
Holism
Holistic Approach
Intergenerational Relations
Intergenerational relationships
Iowa
Parent-child relations
Parents
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
U.S.A
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Summary:Family relationships do not occur in isolation but rather are embedded within greater systems of family ties. In recognition of the need to study families holistically, we explore how relations between grandparents and grandchildren are contingent upon a matrix of intergenerational relationships. Using data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project, our analyses focus on person-centered types of grandparent-grandchild relationships and the legacy of social ties across the generations, as mediated by other family relationships. We find multiple dimensions of grandparents' involvement with their grandchildren to be associated with (a) whether the grandparents knew their own grandparents when they were young, (b) the grandparent's perceptions of contact and closeness with the target grandchild, and (c) nuances in the relationships of grandparents with the parent generation.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00404.x