Business interest in grandparenting is growing as the baby boom generation becomes eligible for grandparenthood. Although only about 10% of grandparents have primary caregiving responsibilities for their grandchildren, academic research today focuses disproportionately on problems and policies of grandparent caregivers. This article examines the social construction of grandparenting by business and academe. Evidence for the construction of grandparent roles is provided from two sources: a case study of strategic business philanthropy targeting grandparents and a review of academic research on grandparenting. Data from three focus groups and a survey of 180 grandparents are provided. Four types of business involvement are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AARP. (1999, November). The AARP Grandparenting Survey: The sharing and caring between mature grandparents and their grandchildren [Online]. Available: www.aarp.org
2.
Abraham, K. (1913). Some remarks on the role of grandparent in psychology of neurosis. In Clinical papers and essays on psychoanalysis, I (pp. 47-49). New York: Basic Books.
3.
Ahrons, B. N. , & Bowman, M. E. (1981). Changes in family relationships following divorce of an adult child: Grandmother's perceptions. Journal of Divorce, 5, 49-68.
4.
Ainslie, J. , & Feltey, K. M. (1991). Definitions and dynamics of motherhood and family in lesbian communities. Marriage & Family Review, 17(½), 63-85.
5.
Albrecht, R. (1954). The parental responsibilities of grandparents. Marriage and Family Living, 16, 201-204.
6.
Aldous, J. (1995). New views of grandparents in intergenerational context. Journal of Family Issues, 16(1), 104-122.
7.
Apple, D. (1954). Grandparents and grandchildren: A sociological and psychological study of their relationship. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Radcliffe College, Boston.
8.
Bass, S. A. , & Caro, F. G. (1996). The economic value of grandparent assistance. Generations, 29-33.
9.
Bell, J. (1992). In search of a discourse on aging: The elderly on television. The Gerontologist, 32(3), 305-311.
10.
Bellury, P. , Hauck, R., & Whalen, C. E. (1999). JCPenney presents: Connecting the generations. Unpublished manuscript.
11.
Bengtson, V. L. (1985). Diversity and symbolism in grandparental roles. In V. L. Bengtson & J. F. Robertson (Eds.), Grandparenthood (pp. 11-25). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
12.
Bengtson, V. L. , Burgess, E. O., & Parrott, T. M. (1997). Theory, explanation, and a third generation of theoretical development in social gerontology. Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 52(2), S72-S88.
13.
Bengtson, V. L. , & Harootyan, R. A. (1994). Intergenerational linkages: Hidden connections in American society. New York: Springer.
14.
Berger, B. , & Berger, P. (1983). The war over the family: Capturing the middle ground. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday.
15.
Berger, P. L. , & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality: A treatise on the sociology of knowledge. New York: Anchor.
16.
Burgess, E. W. (1960). Aging in western societies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
17.
Burkart, B. (2000). Marketers must view boomers through a new lens [Online]. Available: www.ncoa.org/archives/marketers_view.html
18.
Burton, L. M. (1985). Early and on-time grandmotherhood in multigenerational Black families. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
19.
Burton, L. M. (1987). Young grandmothers: Are they ready?Social Science, 72(2-4), 191-194.
20.
Burton, L. M. , & Bengtson, V. L. (1985). Black grandmothers: Issues of timing and continuity of roles. In V. L. Bengtson & J. F. Robertson (Eds.), Grandparenthood (pp. 61-77). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
21.
Cherlin, A. J. , & Furstenberg, F. F., Jr. (1985). Styles and strategies of grandparenting. In V. L. Bengtson & J. F. Robertson (Eds.), Grandparenthood (pp. 97-116). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
22.
Cherlin, A. J. , & Furstenberg, F. F., Jr. (1986). The new American grandparent: A place in the family, a life apart. New York: Basic Books.
23.
Clavan, S. (1978). The impact of social class trends on the role of grandparent. The Family Coordinator, 351-357.
24.
Cole, T. R. (1995). What have we “made” of aging?Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 50B(6), S341-S343.
25.
Cooney, T. M. , & Smith, L. A. (1996). Young adults' relations with grandparents following recent parental divorce. Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 51(2), S91-S95.
26.
Coontz, S. (1992). The way we never were. New York: Basic Books.
27.
Corlett, C. (1996). The Grinch that's stealing grandparents. Brandweek, 37(44), 17.
28.
Cornfield, D. B. (1990). Labor unions, corporations, and families: Institutional competition in the provision of social welfare. In R. S. Hanks & M. B. Sussman (Eds.), Corporations, businesses, and families (pp. 37-58). New York: Haworth.
Cunningham-Burley, C. (1986). Becoming a grandparent. Ageing and Society, 6, 453-470.
31.
DeTienne, K. B. , & Thompson, J. A. (1996). Database marketing and organizational theory: Toward a research agenda. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 13(5), 12-34.
32.
Duffy, D. L. (1998). Consumer loyalty strategies. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 15(5), 435-448.
33.
Esrock, S. L. , & Leichty, G. B. (1998). Social responsibility and corporate web pages: Self-presentation of agenda setting?Public Relations Review, 24, 305-319.
34.
Ferenczi, S. (1913). The grandfather complex. In Further contributions to the theory and techniques of psychoanalysis (pp. 323-324). New York: Basic Books.
35.
Ferraro, K. F. (1992). Cohort change in images of older adults, 1974-1981. The Gerontologist, 32(3), 296-304.
36.
Fisher, C. (1996). Grandparents give of themselves. American Demographics, 18(6), 13-15.
37.
Fletcher, K. , Wheeler, C., & Wright, J. (1992). Success in database marketing: Some critical factors. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 10(6), 18-23.
38.
Fletcher, K. , Wheeler, C., & Wright, J. (1994). Strategic implementation of database marketing: Problems and pitfalls. Long Range Planning, 27(1), 133-141.
39.
Fuller-Thompson, E. , Minkler, M., & Driver, D. (1997). Profile of grandparents raising grandchildren in the United States. The Gerontologist, 37(3), 406-411.
40.
Gartman, D. (1986). Auto slavery: The labor process in the American automobile industry, 1897-1950. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
41.
Gartman, D. (1994). Auto opium: A social history of American automobile design. London: Routledge.
42.
Gartman, D. (1998). Postmodernism; Or, the cultural logic of post-Fordism. Sociological Quarterly, 39(1), 119-138.
43.
Gourdon, V. (1999). Are grandparents really absent from the family tradition? Forebears in the region of Vernon (France) around 1800. History of the Family, 4(1), 77-92.
44.
A grand gesture. (1995, December 29). Atlanta Business Chronicle, p. 6A.
45.
Hagestad, G. (1985). Continuity and connectedness. In V. L. Bengtson & J. F. Robertson (Eds.), Grandparenthood (pp. 31-48). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
46.
Hanks, R. (1998). Connecting the generations: Grandparenting for the new millennium. Gainesville, GA: Warren Featherbone Foundation.
47.
Hanks, R. S. (1990). The impact of early retirement incentives on retirees and their families. Journal of Family Issues, 2(4), 424-437.
48.
Hill, R. , Foote, N., Aldous, J., Carlson, R., & McDonald, R. (1970). Family development in three generations. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman.
49.
Hilton, J. M. , & Macari, D. P. (1997). Grandparent involvement following divorce: A comparison in single-mother and single-father families. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 28(1/2), 203-224.
50.
Israelov, R. (1999). Grandparents can give cash or stock. Indianapolis Business Journal, 20(13), 2-5.
51.
Janelli, L. M. (1988). Depictions of grandparents in children's literature. Educational Gerontology, 14(3), 193-202.
52.
Janelli, L. M. (1993). Grandparents' depictions in children's literature. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 14(2), 43-52.
Jendrek, M. P. (1994). Policy concerns of White grandparents who provide regular care to their grandchildren. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 23(½), 175-200.
55.
Jones, E. (1913). Significance of the grandfather for the fate of the individual. In Papers of psychoanalysis (pp. 519-524).
56.
Kahan, R. (1998). Using database marketing techniques to enhance your one-to-one marketing initiatives. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 15(5), 491-493.
57.
Kahana, B. , & Kahana, E. (1970). Grandparenthood from the perspective of the developing grandchild. Developmental Psychology, 3, 98-105.
58.
Kahana, E. , & Coe, R. M. (1969). Perceptions of grandparenthood by community and institutionalized aged. Proceedings of the 77th Annual Convention of the American Psychiatric Association, 735-736.
59.
Kennedy, G. E. (1990). College students' expectations of grandparent and grandchild role behaviors. The Gerontologist, 30(1), 43-48.
60.
King, V. , & Elder, G. H., Jr. (1998). Perceived self-efficacy and grandparenting. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 53B(5), S249-S257.
61.
Kivett, V. R. (1985). Grandfathers and grandchildren: Patterns of association, helping, and psychological closeness. Family Relations, 34(4), 565-571.
62.
Kivnick, H. Q. (1982). Grandparenthood: An overview of meaning and mental health. The Gerontologist, 22, 59-66.
63.
Kivnick, H. Q. (1985). Grandparenthood and mental health: Meaning, behavior, and satisfaction. In V. L. Bengtson & J. F. Robertson (Eds.), Grandparenthood (pp. 151-158). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
64.
Kornhaber, A. , & Woodard, K. L. (1981). Grandparents/grandchildren: The vital connection. Garden City, NY: Anchor.
65.
LaBarre, M. B. , Jessner, L., & Ussery, L. (1960). The significance of grandmothers in the psychopathology of children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 30, 175-185.
66.
Longino, C. F. , & Earle, J. R. (1996). Who are grandparents at century's end?Generations, 20(1), 13-16.
67.
Macklin, E. D. (1987). Nontraditional family forms. In M. B. Sussman & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Handbook of marriage and the family (pp. 317-368). New York: Plenum.
68.
Maisel, M. L. (1997). A grandparent's legacy...the gift that keeps on giving. The CPA Journal, 67(9), 64-65.
69.
Massey, A. (1999). Internet savvy empowers both young and older. Houston Business Journal, 29(33), 29-31.
70.
McEachern, C. E. (1998). Convergent marketing: Executing on the promise of 1:1. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 15(5), 481-490.
71.
Mills, T. L. (1999). When grandchildren grow up: Role transition and family solidarity among baby boomer grandchildren and their grandparents. Journal of Aging Studies, 13(2), 219-240.
72.
Minkler, M. (1999). Intergenerational households headed by grandparents: Contexts, realities, and implications for policy. Journal of Aging Studies, 13(2), 199-219.
73.
Minkler, M. , & Roe, K. M. (1993). Grandmothers as caregivers: Raising children of the crack cocaine epidemic. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
74.
Minkler, M. , & Roe, K. M. (1996). Grandparents as surrogate parents. Ageing and Society, 16, 461-488.
75.
Moody, H. R. (1988). Toward a critical gerontology: The contributions of the humanities to theories of aging. In J. E. Birren & V. L. Bengtson (Eds.), Emergent theories of aging (pp. 19-40). New York: Springer.
76.
Nelson, D. R. (2000, May 19). Philanthropy in transition. Puget Sound Business Journal, 62-67.
77.
Neugarten, B. L. , & Weinstein, K. K. (1964) The changing American grandparent. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 199-204.
78.
Nimkoff, M. F. (1961). Changing family relations of older people in the United States during the last fifty years. The Gerontologist, 1, 92-97.
79.
Nocera, T. (Ed.). (1999). The University for Parents, 1(3). Paramus, NJ: Toys “R” Us.
80.
O'Keefe, B. (2000). Giving trends for 2000. Fund Raising Management, 30(11), 5-7.
81.
Ormand, J. (2000, January 10). Paul Newman and top CEOs form committee to encourage corporate philanthropy. Westchester County Business Journal, S3.
82.
Pebley, A. R. , & Rudkin, L. L. (1999). Grandparents caring for grandchildren: What do we know?Journal of Family Issues, 20(2), 218-242.
83.
Pruchno, R. A. , & Johnson, K. W. (1996). Research on grandparenting: Review of current studies and future needs. Generations, 20(1), 65-70.
84.
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. (1952). African systems of kinship and marriage. London: Oxford University Press.
85.
Ritzer, G. (1995). Expressing America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge.
86.
Ritzer, G. (2000). The McDonaldization of society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge.
87.
Roberto, K. A. (1990). Grandparent and grandchild relationships. In T. H. Brubaker (Ed.), Family relationships in later life (2nd ed., pp. 100-112) Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
88.
Robertson, J. F. (1977). Grandmotherhood: A study of role conceptions. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 165-174.
89.
Scanzoni, J. , & Marsiglio, W. (1991). Wider families as primary relationships. Marriage & Family Review, 17(½), 117-133.
90.
Settles, B. H. (1987). A perspective on tomorrow's families. In M. B. Sussman & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Handbook of marriage and the family (pp. 157-180). New York: Plenum.
91.
Shomaker, D. J. (1989). Transfer of children and the importance of grandmothers among Navajo Indians. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 4, 1-18.
92.
Silverstein, M. , & Chen, X. (1999). The impact of acculturation in Mexican American families on the quality of adult grandchild-grandparent relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(1), 188-199.
93.
Southland corp. adopts a foster grandparent. (1998, May 4). Long Island Business News, p. 83.
94.
Stacey, J. (1996). In the name of the family. Boston: Beacon.
95.
Streib, G. F. (1958). Family patterns in retirement. Journal of Social Issues, 14(2), 46-60.
96.
Strom, R. D. , Buki, L. P., & Strom, S. K. (1997). Intergenerational perceptions of English speaking and Spanish speaking Mexican-American grandparents. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 45(1), 1-21.
97.
Sussman, M. B. (1953). The help pattern in the middle class family. American Sociological Review, 18, 22-28.
98.
Sussman, M. B. (1965). Relationships of adult children with their parents in the United States. In E. Shanas & G. Streib (Eds.), Family, intergenerational relationships and social structure. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
99.
Sussman, M. B. , & Burchinal, L. (1962). Kin family network: Unheralded structure in current conceptualizations of family functioning. Marriage and Family Living, 24, 231-240.
100.
Sussman, M. B. , Cates, J., & Smith, D. T. (1970). The family and inheritance. New York: Russell Sage.
101.
Szinovacz, M. E. (1998). Grandparents today: A demographic profile. The Gerontologist, 38(1), 37-52.
102.
Szinovacz, M. E. , & De Viney, S. (1999). Effects of surrogate parenting on grandparents' well-being. Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 54(6), S376-S388.
103.
Thomas, J. L. (1989). Gender and perceptions of grandparenthood. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 29(4), 269-282.
104.
Thurston, E. (1941). Grandparents in the three generation home: A study of their influence on children. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 12, 172-173.
105.
Tiffany, L. (1999). Isn't it grand? (Baby boomers are becoming grandparents, taking marketers for a ride). Entrepreneur, 27(5), 129-133.
106.
Tokarski, K. (1999). Give and thou shalt receive. Public Relations Quarterly, 44(2), 34-40.
107.
Townsend, P. (1957). The family life of old people. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
108.
Trost, J. (1996). Family studies in Sweden. In M. B. Sussman & R. S. Hanks (Eds.), Intercultural variation in family research and theory: Vol. 2 (pp. 723-743). New York: Haworth.
109.
Trygstad, D. W. , & Sanders, G. F. (1989). The significance of step-grandparents. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 29(2), 119-134.
110.
Tyler, B. A. (1998). Summary report: Retreat on grandparenting. Atlanta: Georgia Health Decisions.
111.
Tzokas, N. , & Saren, M. (1997). Building consumer platforms in consumer markets: A value chain approach. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 5, 105-120.
112.
Waldrop, J. (1993). The grandbaby boom. American Demographics, 15(9), 4.
113.
Walker, M. M. , & Macklin, M. C. (1992). The use of role modeling in targeting advertising to grandparents. Journal of Advertising Research, 32(4), 37-45.
114.
Whalen, C. E. (2000). The Featherbone spirit: Celebrating life's connections. Gainesville, GA: Warren Featherbone.
