Increasing the amount of contact with older persons is often proposed as a way to inform young people about aging. This study compared adolescents' knowledge of aging with the amount and quality of contact they had with an older person and compared knowledge of aging in a 1978 sample of adolescents with knowledge in a 1985 sample. For the 1985…

This paper looks at ethnic variations in the structure of the nuclear family, interdependence between generations, and the relationship between the family and wider society. (Author)

Studied issues faced by multigenerational families and their implications for family therapy. Major factors in multigenerational households included dependency, sibling relationships, depression, and demanding and egocentric behavior. Factors to consider during family therapy include respite care, age, interdependence, dignity, provision of care,…

Describes a Black woman's personal experience of having her grandfather pass on to her his secret method of weaving cane chair seats. (BJV)

One public library's storytelling program for fourth through eighth graders and their grandparents has preserved grandparents' stories and fostered family communication. Storytelling was done one-on-one, with each child then writing and illustrating the story. Benefits included preservation of oral history and encouragement of storytelling,…

Presents a profile of children and adolescents living apart from their parents. Indicates that in 1980 3.7 percent of all unmarried, noninstitutionalized children were not living with either parent. A large majority were living with relatives, and a minority were living in group quarters, such as boarding schools. (Author)

Discusses major changes in society and family life that disrupt the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. These changes include separation by distance, divorce, death, or grandparents' choice. Maintains grandchildren can benefit from close contact with grandparents in terms of shared experiences. (BB)

Examined mother-infant teaching interactions, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) scores, and infant attachment security in 197 adolescent mothers and their infants. Adolescent mothers who were living with neither their own mothers nor their partners had better teaching interactions but lower HOME scores than those…

Draws on long-term ethnographic study of an extended Tewa family in San Juan Pueblo to describe the roles of four related grandmothers. Discusses the cultural context of San Juan Pueblo, biological and cultural criteria for grandmotherhood, linguistic markers, caregiving and childrearing activities of grandmothers for grandchildren and later…

Children, mothers, and mothers' parents completed questionnaires about the children's involvement with their grandparents. Grandparents were more involved with grandchildren from single-parent than from two-parent families. As grandchildren's pubertal development progressed, grandparents became more involved with grandsons, and grandfathers became…

Conducted two qualitative studies of African-American grandparents and great-grandparents rearing their grandchildren as consequence of parental drug addiction. Data from 60 grandmothers, grandfathers, and great-grandmothers revealed that only 3 percent received consistent, reliable familial support as surrogate parents. Although respondents found…

Demonstrates the benefits of intergenerational reading to children, seniors, parents, and libraries, and surveys library programs in Arizona, California, and New Mexico that mix generations with books and reading. The programs described vary from scheduled to spontaneous. (EAM)

Notes change in central position held by old people in traditional Jewish-Oriental family and society following migration to Israel. Changing attitudes within family are reflected in discussions by disadvantaged soldiers of Oriental origin in classes for basic training in Israeli army and by answers of fifth-grade children to questions on their…

Develops a unit of study depicting grandparent/grandchildren interactions and shows how social studies content and an exploration of grandparents around the world can be encountered through literature depicting such interactions. Includes goals and related National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards, themes, activities for different…

Examines grandparent behaviors in the United States and in the Republic of China to identify curriculum themes for helping them learn to adjust to their changing roles. Results revealed significant differences in perceptions about grandparents across cultures as well as between generations within cultures. Provides specific guidelines and…