Grandparenthood: Multicultural Perspectives

This paper examines grandparents in various multicultural settings. A review of selected studies from Australia, Canada and the United States attempts to look at types and roles of grandparenthood including ethnic variations. The discussion includes a short review of grandparents raising grandchildren, divorce and grandparenting and volunteer grandparent programs. The results of a Canadian study related to Jewish-Ashkenazic and Sephardic grandmothers, who came to join their families in Canada as seniors is reported. Suggestions for further research and family life education are made since we have few studies completed in the 1990's on the topic of grandparenthood.