Experiencing Grandparenthood

As the population of Asia grows older, attention turns to the growing numbers of grandparents, and the important family and societal roles they play. This book traces the socio-cultural, economic and family transformations in the role of grandparents that result from a century of modernization, urbanization and demographic aging.

Filling a gap in the current literature, Experiencing Grandparenthood: An Asian Perspective seeks to answer such vital questions as: What is the state of grandparenting in the Asian context today? How do the roles and functions of grandparents differ depending on rural-urban differences, their relations with daughters and daughters-in-law, and changing health of the grandparents?

This multidisciplinary, cross-national and inter-generational publication lends voice to the experience of grandparents in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The volume’s strength lies in its rich body of qualitative, three-generational data drawn from grandparents, link parents and grandchildren. Experiencing Grandparenthood: An Asian Perspective will benefit gerontologists, social researchers, anthropologists, social workers, policy makers, professionals working with aging families and family caregivers.