Centre for Policy on Ageing



Grandparents in law — investigating the institutionalization of extended family roles
Author(s)	Twyla J Hill
Journal title	International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 54, no 1, 2002
Pages	pp 43-56
Keywords	Grandparents ; Family relationships ; Social roles ; Law ; United States of America.
Annotation	Previous research on grandparents has focused on the individual and familial level, and has characterised grandparent roles as ambiguous and contingent. Emphasizing instead structural phenomena, this theoretical paper argues that grandmother and grandfather roles are being institutionalised through US state and federal legislation. This phenomenon provides an opportunity to investigate the process of institutionalisation as it happens. Grandparenthood is evaluated as a potential site for institutionalisation, with law as a source of institutionalisation being discussed. Preliminary evidence of the legal institutionalisation of grandparenthood is presented and implications and directions for further research are suggested. (KJ/RH).
Accession Number	CPA-0204168204 A
Classmark	SW: DS:SJ: TM5: VR: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.