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What do we know about grandparents? Insights from current quantitative data and identification of future data needs

Author

Listed:
  • Karsten Hank

    (University of Cologne)

  • Giulia Cavrini

    (Free University of Bolzano/Bozen)

  • Giorgio Gessa

    (King’s College London)

  • Cecilia Tomassini

    (University of Molise)

Abstract

Against the background of a ‘new wave’ of empirical studies investigating various aspects of grandparenthood across a broad range of regional contexts, this article aims to take stock of what has been achieved so far and which lessons we can learn from this for the future. Our focus is on the measurement of grandparenthood and grandparenting in quantitative social surveys and the implications this has for the substantive questions we can ask and the answers we can get out of such data. For several broader questions—who is a grandparent and when does this transition happen; what does it mean to be a grandparent; and what are the implications of grandparenthood for families?—we review previous questionnaire items from a variety of surveys as well as studies in which they were used. We identify relevant issues related to these questions which cannot be adequately addressed with currently available data, but should be considered in new or ongoing survey projects. The answers provided by recent studies as well as the many still open questions identified here indicate excellent prospects for scholarship on grandparents in the years to come.

Suggested Citation

  • Karsten Hank & Giulia Cavrini & Giorgio Gessa & Cecilia Tomassini, 2018. "What do we know about grandparents? Insights from current quantitative data and identification of future data needs," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 225-235, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:15:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s10433-018-0468-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-018-0468-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Karen Glaser & Karsten Hank, 2018. "Grandparenthood in Europe," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 221-223, September.
    2. Barschkett, Mara & Spieß, C. Katharina & Ziege, Elena, 2021. "Does Grandparenting Pay off for the Next Generations? Intergenerational Effects of Grandparental Care," IZA Discussion Papers 14795, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Cisotto, Elisa & Meli, Eleonora & Cavrini, Giulia, 2021. "Grandparents in Italy: trends and changes in the demography of grandparenthood from 1998 to 2016," SocArXiv 4nh5e, Center for Open Science.
    4. Bertogg, Ariane & Nazio, Tiziana & Strauss, Susanne, 2021. "Work–family balance in the second half of life: Caregivers' decisions regarding retirement and working time reduction in Europe," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 55(3), pages 485-500.
    5. Pasqualini, Marta & di Gessa, Giorgio & Tomassini, Cecilia, 2021. "A Change is (not) Gonna Come: A twenty-year overview of Italian grandparents-grandchildren exchanges," SocArXiv 8wgux, Center for Open Science.
    6. Dorota Kwiatkowska-Ciotucha & Alicja Grześkowiak & Urszula Załuska & Piotr Peternek, 2023. "Grandparents’ Professional and Educational Activity: A Positive or Negative Impact on Relationships with Grandchildren?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Rachel E. Dunifon & Kelly A. Musick & Christopher E. Near, 2020. "Time with Grandchildren: Subjective Well-Being Among Grandparents Living with Their Grandchildren," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 681-702, April.
    8. Francesca Zanasi & Bruno Arpino & Valeria Bordone & Karsten Hank, 2023. "The prevalence of grandparental childcare in Europe: a research update," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Giammarco Alderotti & Cecilia Tomassini & Daniele Vignoli, 2022. "‘Silver splits’ in Europe: The role of grandchildren and other correlates," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(21), pages 619-652.
    10. Giorgio Di Gessa & Paola Zaninotto & Karen Glaser, 2020. "Looking after grandchildren: gender differences in ‘when,’ ‘what,’ and ‘why’: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(53), pages 1545-1562.
    11. Giorgio Di Gessa & Karen Glaser & Paola Zaninotto, 2022. "Is grandparental childcare socio-economically patterned? Evidence from the English longitudinal study of ageing," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 763-774, September.
    12. Giammarco Alderotti & Cecilia Tomassini & Daniele Vignoli, 2020. "Antecedents of 'Grey Divorces' in Europe: The Role of Children and Grandchildren," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2020_08, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    13. Ueno, Yuko & 上野, 有子 & Usui, Emiko & 臼井, 恵美子, 2021. "The Effects of Providing Childcare on Grandmothers’ Employment and Mental Health in Japan, 日本で孫の育児が祖母の就業とメンタルヘルスに及ぼす影響," CIS Discussion paper series 691, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    14. Francesca Zanasi & Inge Sieben & Wilfred Uunk, 2020. "Work history, economic resources, and women’s labour market withdrawal after the birth of the first grandchild," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 109-118, March.

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