Intergenerational time connections among grandparents, mid-life children, and grandchildren in global perspective

Changes in family structure, living arrangements and population aging are altering life course work and family trajectories, time transfers up and down the generational ladder, and social integration. The implications of these changes will play out in the shared contexts of family time across life stages, from early childhood to older age, and are likely to differ by gender, socioeconomic status, and country. Earlier gendered life stages have cumulative and contemporary effects on older women’s and men’s economic and social resources. Educational disparities in the timing and context of parenthood and returns to employment produce systematic inequalities in the resources available for intergenerational support. Economic instability has increased the proportion of three generation coresidential families and grandparents providing care for grandchildren (Dykstra et al. 2014; Seltzer and Bianchi 2013).

Yet, research connecting the prospects and circumstances of grandparents, adult children, and grandchildren with time and money transfers (Seltzer and Bianchi, 2013; Silverstein and Giarrusso, 2010) is limited. Additionally, gaps in knowledge about how older, young adult, and child well-being differs across countries with disparate social support and policy frameworks also loom large. Macro-level policies shape and underpin the generational contract – protecting the old and investing in the young while keeping a balance between financial sustainability and the principles of social justice and fairness – which is central to concerns about population ageing (Albertini et al., 2007). Dr. Sayer's project will address these gaps, focusing in particular on relationships between grandparents and adult children’s social and economic participation, and linkages with grandchildren’s well-being.