Experiencing Grandparenthood: An Asian Perspective

Description

Within the context of an ageing Asia, the growing numbers of grandparents and the important roles they play within the family propel the need for a book devoted to their experiences. This book, with its focus on the Asian perspective, is pertinent and timely as Asia has undergone socio-cultural, economic and family transformations as a result of modernization, urbanization and demographic aging in the last century. In filling a gap in the current literature, the volume seeks to answer the following questions, 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 daughter-in-laws, and changing health of the grandparents? The book is a multidisciplinary, cross-national and inter-generational publication, lending voice to the aging grandparents in six countries i.e. China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The volume’s strength lies precisely in its rich body of qualitative, three-generational data, including grandparents, link parents and grandchildren. Gerontologists, social researchers, anthropologists, social workers, policy makers, professionals working with aging families and family caregivers form the target audience of this rich Asian volume. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction: Grandparenthood in Asia....Pages 1-19 Changing Social and Demographic Characteristics in Asia....Pages 21-45 Grandparenting Roles and Functions....Pages 47-59 Meanings of Being a Grandparent....Pages 61-75 Stress and Conflict Management Strategies in Grandparenthood....Pages 77-93 The Socio-psychological Well-Being of Grandparents....Pages 95-107 Custodial Grandparents and Intergenerational Support in Rural China....Pages 109-127 Empowering Self-disclosure: The Active Post-retiree Life Accounts of Malaysian and Singaporean Senior Citizens....Pages 129-143 Conclusion: Change and Continuity of Grandparenting in Contemporary Asia....Pages 145-157 Back Matter....Pages 159-163