Grandmothers: The Changing Culture

Over the past few years there has been a surge of interest in Britain on grandparenting - although it is still a long way behind the USA and several European countries in research in the area. The driving impetus for research is coming from parenting organizations and government departments concerned about the effects on female employment of shortages in nursery places, and about the effect of "parenting deficits" on children. Greater involvement of grandmothers in caring for children has seemed to offer a solution to many related problems. It promises to improve care within the family, and enable mothers to take on paid work with fewer fears for the consequences, without removing other working adults in the family from their jobs. This text discusses how today's grandmothers are changing the image and role that they filled in the past.