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"It's Parenting Whether You're the Grandparent or Parent": Grandfathers' Experiences Raising Grandchildren

Raymore, Avielle Nicole
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9060-0733
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542481535190131

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Gerontology.
In the U.S., 2.7 million grandparents are responsible for a grandchild in their home. Grandfathers are present in the majority of grandparent caregiver households, but the contributions and voices of grandfather caregivers are often overlooked. Therefore, the goal of this qualitative study was to explore how grandfathers experience caregiving as men. Exploring the experiences of grandfather caregivers will improve the understanding of this often overlooked population and will offer insight into how grandfathers experience caregiving. Two face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 grandfather caregivers while a telephone interview was conducted with 1 grandfather caregiver. Interviews focused on the grandfathers’ life story, experiences as grandfather caregivers, and feelings about male caregiving. Data were analyzed using coding and thematic analysis. Findings show that grandfathers were engaging in both instrumental and non-instrumental caregiving activities. Gender was important in grandfathers’ experiences, and they discussed their perspectives on caregiving using language that reflected traditional gender norms, also. Even though grandfathers experienced caregiving challenges, they were confident that they were better prepared to be caregivers at this point in their lives. Issues surrounding aging played a role in their experiences as well as their status as either a biological or step-grandfather. This study offers insight into the voices and experiences of grandfather caregivers which may improve the understanding of this often overlooked population for service providers working with grandparent caregivers.
Kate deMederios, PhD (Committee Chair)
Katherine Abbott, PhD (Committee Member)
Jane Straker, PhD (Committee Member)
Robert Applebaum, PhD (Committee Member)
Amy Roberts, PhD (Committee Member)
99 p.
Families and Family Life; Gender; Gerontology
aging; grandparents raising grandchildren; skipped generation families; caregiving; gender

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Raymore, A. N. (2018). "It's Parenting Whether You're the Grandparent or Parent": Grandfathers' Experiences Raising Grandchildren [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542481535190131

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Raymore, Avielle. "It's Parenting Whether You're the Grandparent or Parent": Grandfathers' Experiences Raising Grandchildren. 2018. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542481535190131.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Raymore, Avielle. ""It's Parenting Whether You're the Grandparent or Parent": Grandfathers' Experiences Raising Grandchildren." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542481535190131

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.