A social role of elderly grandparents in contemporaneity: a preliminary analysis of family structure

Abstract

This article aims at discussing the role of elderly grandparents who take care of their grandchildren in contemporary times. With this segment of the population being commonly referred to as people in the ‘third age’, we give special attention to the elderly grandparents and we analyze their social role in the family context. This study is a result of bibliographical research as methodology and intends to contribute to the theoretical thinking on the theme, based on the works of the following authors: Bauman, Beauvoir, Camarano, Christopher Lasch Giddens, Iamamoto, Lopes, Osterne, Petrini, Sarti, Szymanski and Vitale. These authors discuss the role of elderly grandparents in modern society in which multiple actors rearrange the family structure. The results of this study indicate that family as an institution is subject to constant change, being organized and reorganized in its roles and functions to meet the challenges posed by the modern world, amid the uncertainties and dynamism. Thus, with the turmoil of the globalized world, we highlight the relevance of the role the elderly grandparents play in their grandchildren’s lives.