Multigenerational Patterns and Internal Structures in Families in which Grandparents Raise Grandchildren

Abstract

‘Skipped generation’ families, consisting of grandparents and grandchildren with parents absent from the home, are frequently served in social work agencies. These families have unique multigenerational patterns and family structures that are important for service providers to recognize. This paper uses a multigenerational systems perspective to highlight the diversity among grandparent-headed households. Twenty families who were previously part of a larger study of stress, well-being, and life satisfaction among caregiving grandparents constituted a follow-up case study involving videotaped family interviews one year after the first study. Three families representing the range of diversity among the twenty are described with accompanying genograms. Differences in structure, interactional processes, and links with prior generations are identified in each case. These examples reveal the strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as the diversity, of grandparent-headed families.

Grandparent Parents

“…The most compelling contextual factor stressed in the literature was financial strain, emerging as a major issue faced by grandmothers raising grandchildren. Several studies found grandmother-onlyheaded households to be the poorest and, in fact, 50% to 60% of these families were found to be below the poverty level (Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2000;Fuller-Thomson et al, 1997;Goldberg-Glen, Sands, Cole, & Cristofalo, 1998). Roe and Minkler (1995) did not find any grandmothers who benefited economically after taking responsibility for grandchildren, and many had experienced a substantial financial decline.…”

“…In summary, the surrogate grandparent is typically female (Sands & Goldberg-Glen, 2000), African American (Casper & Bryson, 1998;Fuller-Thomson et al, 1997), unmarried (Casper & Bryson, 1998;Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2000;Sands & Goldberg-Glen, 2000), unemployed (Casper & Bryson, 1998), living at or below the poverty level (Casper & Bryson, 1998;Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2000;Fuller-Thomson et al, 1997;Goldberg-Glen et al, 1998;Sands & Goldberg-Glen, 2000), and undereducated (Casper & Bryson, 1998;Goldberg-Glen et al, 1998). Additionally, they fear being unable to raise their grandchildren to adulthood.…”

“…Naturally, the circumstances leading to the grandmother's surrogate parenting responsibilities will affect the new family unit. One theme that materialized in the literature was loss (Goldberg-Glen et al, 1998). The children have lost their parents and the grandmothers have lost their adult children, either through lack of communication, drug use, illness, or death.…”

Responsibility Without Community Resources

“…It offers a graphic representation of the intricate relationships in the developmental stages of families influencing family structure and change (McGoldrick & Gerson, 1985). The genogram has been used as a research tool for data collection by various scholars across disciplines to explore multigenerational patterns and internal family structures in grandparentheaded households (Goldberg-Glen, Sands, Cole, & Cristofalo, 1998); violence against women in Zimbabwe and Latin America (Watts & Shrader, 1998); and family functioning and structure (DeMaria, Weeks, & Hof, 1999). The genogram was used to visually capture grandparenting household structure and detailed information about its family members.…”

Depression among carers of AIDS-orphaned and other-orphaned children in Umlazi Township, South Africa

“…This includes reports of stress (Goldberg-Glen, Sands, Cole, & Cristofalo, 1998; Haglund, 2000; Kelley, 1993). Other studies document depression among orphan carers (Burton, 1992; Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2000; Goldberg-Glen, et al, 1998; Jendrek, 1993; Minkler & Roe, 1993; Roe, Minkler, Thompson, & Saunders, 1996; Szinovacz, DeViney, & Atkinson, 1999). …”