INTRODUCTION

Only during the last century has the model of the family in the Western world changed from one in which the generations lived together to one in which they live separated. But has this implied that they are separated psychologically as well? This chapter tries to give an answer to this question, with a special emphasis on grandparents.

Three aspects are under special scrutiny. First, the grandparents' role as a resource factor for their grandchild is elucidated. Second, the relation between the adult generations in the family is analyzed, especially the role of (grand)parents in giving support to their adult children. Finally, possible future trends in grandparenthood are envisaged.

The empirical data in this chapter are taken from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS; Chapter 1), from data collected in 2001, when the participants were 42 years old. There were 189 cases in which the mother was alive and 46 in which she was dead; 136 cases in which the father was alive and 99 cases in which he was dead. These are used in this chapter.

GRANDPARENTS AS RESOURCE FACTORS FOR THEIR GRANDCHILDREN

Grandparents should not be equated with old people. The average age for becoming a grandparent is 45 to 50 years in the United States (Uhlenberg & Kirby, 1998) and 48 to 50 years in France (Attias-Donfut & Segalen, 2002).