Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review 2015, 51(5): 761-782 | DOI: 10.13060/00380288.2015.51.5.213

The Meaning and Performance of the Grandparenting Role among Young Old Czechs

Lucie Vidovićová, Lucie Galčanová, Marcela Petrová Kafková

Fakulta sociálních studií, Masarykova univerzita, Brno

In the discourse of active ageing it is assumed that young seniors will hold active roles in public and private life. This article examines grandparenting as an emerging role of young olds in the context of their heterogeneous role sets. Based on an integrated analysis of a survey conducted among people aged 50-70 and qualitative interviews it describes what roles Czech young olds hold and how they position and frame the grandparenting role among their other individual roles. It also describes what activities the performance of the role typically involves. Attention is also devoted to gender differences, which are manifested in the meanings ascribed to the role, and in the type, frequency, and intensity of activities performed. A key issue is found to be the timing of the grandparenting role, when a period of intensive care may be followed by a performative void. From the perspective of gender structure, however, these are asynchronous changes, which makes it possible for a couple to perform their roles in a complementary manner. As some young olds pursue self-development activities indicative of active ageing with and through their grandchildren, alongside the possible duality of active ageing (as a semi-public, socially productive effort) versus grandparenting, it is possible to speak of active ageing through grandparenting, and of grandparenting as a form of active ageing.

Keywords: grandparenting, social role, active ageing, role overload, performative void

Published: October 1, 2015Show citation