changing role of grandparents

  • average age of the population is increasing

  • over the last 25 years, the percentage of the population aged 65 has increased and by 2034, 23% of the population is projected to be aged 65 and over, compared to 18% aged under 16

sociological explanations for changes in death rates:

ambition (liberal feminists):

  • explanation

  • women want to be financially stable and work centred

  • geographical mobility- women will move away for their careers to prioritise their careers

  • if grandparents provide childcare and socialisation then this is beneficial to work centred women as it allows them to prioritise their work over their domestic labour

  • evidence

  • Wilkinson - ‘genderquake’

  • evaluation

  • Functionalist Finch and Mason argue that many grandparents feel obliged to look after their grandchildren, rather than it being a choice this disputes the idea the idea that grandparents choose to look after grandchildren they just feel like they have to

emotional support

  • explanation

  • grandparents are a significant source of childcare in the UK today

  • average age of becoming a grandparent is between 47-57

  • 40-70% of grandparents provide childcare to families today

  • evidence

  • Hilman found families in multiple disadvantages e.g. spf with disabled children - grandparents provide additional and extra care to the family such as providing emotional, practical and financial support

  • Harper states that there are increased relationship ties between 3 generations with many grandparents playing a key role in the socialisation of their grandchildren, providing positive emotional support for multiple generations and reducing the stress of childcare needs

  • evaluation

  • women receive the emotional strain

  • marxist feminist

  • triple shift

economic function

  • explanation

  • functionalist would state that it is unusual for grandparents to be paid for such caring roles indicating how grandparents are expected to provide an economic function to their wider families

  • Functionalist Murdock would see the economic function being fulfilled and carried out successfully by having grandparents heavily involved within the family life

  • 1/3 of all families expect grandparents to help some aspects of the childcare

  • 31% put aside money aside to help their children

  • evidence

  • functionalist such as Allan and Crow would argue grandparents are key to providing financial support in terms of child care to enable their adult children work

  • they also play a key role as carers to family and spouses

  • evaluation

  • due to the economic function from grandparents

  • 1/3 pf grandparents have to re-mortgage the family home to support their adult children and grandchildren - causing a financial strain

economic legislation

  • explanation

  • as people are living longer people are living longer than the retirement age

  • postmodernism have said this is a positive ageing, arguing consumer culture is responsible for changing stereotypes around old age

  • evidence

  • Age UK criticises the notion of declining death rates and ageing population causing financial strain

  • number of people aged 65+ in employment has risen to 970,000 from 885,000 since 2016

  • and annual spending for older households went up from £109 billion to £121 billion meaning that they are contributing towards the economy- grey pound

  • grey pounds is what they spend money on like presents for grandchildren or holidays that the older people go on

  • evaluation

  • ignores the existence of discrimination and prejudice

  • people with low wages being unable to save up for a pension

  • 4 in 5 people with more than one job say at least one of their jobs pay under £10K a year