Exploring the Role UK Grandfathers Play in Parenting Culture: Intermittent Intensive Grandfathering

Kerrane, Ben ORCID: 0000-0003-2114-5965, Kerrane, Katy ORCID: 0000-0002-8447-5673 and Bettany, Shona ORCID: 0000-0001-9141-1005 (2024) Exploring the Role UK Grandfathers Play in Parenting Culture: Intermittent Intensive Grandfathering. Sociology.

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Abstract

<jats:p> Grandparents play an increasingly active caregiving role in contemporary family life. However, specific exploration of grandfatherhood and its practice is rare. This article explores how intensive parenting norms inform men’s performance of grandfathering in the United Kingdom, with ageing offering men a ‘second chance’ to (grand)parent in ways qualitatively different from fathering. In-depth interviews with UK grandfathers revealed that while they displayed ‘involved’ grandfatherhood and practised elements of intensive grandfathering, this was often in typically masculine ways. Men embraced the competitive nature of intensive parenting, particularly around educational development, and advancement. Other elements of intensive parenting (e.g. expert-dependence, over-protectiveness and self-sacrifice) were, however, overlooked. Accordingly, we introduce ‘intermittent intensive grandfathering’, recognising discontinuities in the childcare tasks that participants would/would not involve themselves. </jats:p>

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Management
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	28 Feb 2024 11:12
Last Modified:	15 Mar 2024 20:26
DOI:	10.1177/00380385241234280
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3178962