LGBT-Parent Families by Abbie E. Goldberg & Katherine R. Allen

Author:Abbie E. Goldberg & Katherine R. Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer New York, New York, NY

Gendered Experience of Grandparenting

The literature on heterosexual grandparents documents that there are distinct similarities and differences between the experiences of grandmothers and grandfathers and these relate to how grandparenting has been historically conceptualized. Most notable is that generally when grandfathers have been examined within the literature there has been a tendency for grandfatherhood to be examined through a feminized conception of grandparenting (Mann, 2007). Because grandfatherhood has been examined from a perspective of how men are similar to and different from grandmothers, grandfathers are not only seen as different, but as less important, less active in intergenerational relations, offering less to grandchildren, and making a limited contribution to the grandparent–grandchild relationship compared to grandmothers.

Research has shown that grandmothers have closer relationships with grandchildren (Silverstein & Marenco, 2001) and that maternal grandparents have closer relationships with grandchildren than paternal grandparents (Chan & Elder, 2000; Eisenberg, 1988). The finding that maternal grandparents have closer relationships with grandchildren suggests that the gender of the parent also impacts the relationship between grandparent and grandchild. Likewise, the gender of the grandchild impacts the grandparent–grandchild relationship, with female grandchildren experiencing emotionally closer relationships with grandparents than male grandchildren (Eisenberg, 1988).

The literature on grandparenting highlights that being a grandparent is a gendered familial role and that grandparenting holds different expectations for behaviors and responsibilities for men and women (Stelle et al., 2010; Thomas, 1995). However, there is an inconsistency between the assumption and findings that the gender of the grandparental generation is an important factor to consider and the fact that there has been a complete “invisibility” of transgender grandparents within both the gerontological and LGBT literature. Likewise, the exploration of the ways in which gender and sexual orientation influences grandparenting remains largely unexplored.

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