The Changing American Grandparent

Each member of 70 pairs of middle-class grandparents was interviewed at length regarding relations to grandchildren, and the data were analyzed for degree of comfort in the grandparent role, significance of the role, and style with which the role is enacted. The Fun Seeker emerged as a frequent pattern, one in which the grandparent-child relationship is characterized by fun morality. This pattern and the Distant Figure pattern, characterized by discomfort and psychological distance from the child, were more frequent in grandparents who were under 65 than in those over 65. Grandparenthood merits further study as a phenomenon of middle age and from the perspective of adult socialization.