INHERITED STEPGRANDPARENT-STEPGRANDCHILD RELATIONSHIPS

摘要

Stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationships have increased
in number. Although researchers have suggested that multigenerational steprelationships may be important, little is known about the relational processes involved in the development of these ties. Further, researchers have seldom differentiated between stepgrandparents who are the spouse of a biological grandparent, and those who are the parents of a stepparent (i.e., inherited stepgrandparents). These individuals “inherit” stepgrandchildren when an adult child becomes a stepparent by marrying someone with children from a previous relationship, thereby gaining a son- or daughter-in-law in addition to stepgrandchildren through their child’s remarriage. Inherited stepgrandparents are different from other stepgrandparents in that they did nothing to acquire their new status, making the stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationship mutually involuntary. The purpose of this study was to explore the development of stepgrandchildren’s relationships with inherited stepgrandparents. Interviews with 43 inherited stepgrandchildren (aged 19–35) revealed variation in quality, frequency, and type of interactions with stepgrandparents. Stepgrandchildren ranged from having met their stepgrandparents once or twice (being unable to even recall their names) to receiving daily after-school care from stepgrandparents or sharing weekly family meals. These intergenerational step-relationships were close when stepgrandchildren were young when the relationships began, when relationship quality between middle-generation stepparents and the stepgrandparents were positive, and when stepgrandchildren were receptive to stepgrandparents’ affinity-building efforts. The quality of stepgrandchildren’s relationships with their stepparents, how they perceived their inherited stepgrandparents (i.e., as kin or not kin), and logistical conditions (e.g., distance, contact frequency) also were relevant. We explore the implications of these relationships for older adults.