The Intergenerational Family Relationships of Grandparents and GLBQGrandchildren.

Family;Grandparenting;Sexualities;Aging;Intergenerational Relationships;GLBTQ;Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Studies;Social Work;Sociology;Social Sciences;Social Work and Sociology

Scherrer, Kristin S.Woodford, Michael Ross ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Family;    Grandparenting;    Sexualities;    Aging;    Intergenerational Relationships;    GLBTQ;    Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Studies;    Social Work;    Sociology;    Social Sciences;    Social Work and Sociology;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/86300/scherrek_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

In this dissertation I examined how the discovery of a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Queer (GLBQ) grandchild’s sexual identity shapes the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. I draw from dyadic qualitative data from 60 in-depth interviews with 28 GLBQ grandchildren and their 32 grandparents from 25 different families. I present findings about grandchildren’s experiences coming out, grandparents’ responses to this discovery, and subsequent grandparent-GLBQ grandchild relationships in three distinct empirical chapters.In the first empirical chapter (Chapter Two) I utilize data from 28 grandchildren to examine their disclosure experiences to contextualize motivations of disclosure and disclosure strategies of GLBQ grandchildren. I find that grandchildren’s disclosures of their sexual orientation to grandparents rely closely on other family relationships, and further, that broader social structural factors shape family systems, perhaps particularly during crisis or disruptive moments. In the second empirical chapter (Chapter Three), I draw from data from 32 grandparents to analyze how they respond to this discovery. Utilizing intergenerational ambivalence perspective, I find that grandparents’ understandings of GLBQ sexualities are shaped by their social and historical experiences with homosexuality. These generationally-specific understandings of sexuality as private and personal enable surprisingly supportive interpersonal responses toward grandchildren. However, they do not necessarily extend to more public or political contexts.In the third empirical chapter (Chapter Four), I conduct dyadic analyses using data from all 60 grandparents and grandchildren to examine how these relationships were shaped by a grandchild coming out. I find that their relationships are shaped by their relationship histories as well as their subsequent interactions, and these have implications for their intergenerational stake in one another. I then turn to how this research informs social work practice (Chapter Five), particularly direct practice strategies with GLBQ individuals and their families. I conclude (Chapter Six) by summarizing and synthesizing the main findings of this research, outlining its limitations, and providing recommendations for future scholarship in the areas of sexualities, gerontology, and families.