Intergenerational Ties in Context: Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China

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https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-abstract/90/2/571/2235805?redirectedFrom=fulltext

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https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sor012
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/35201

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UMBC Faculty Collection
UMBC Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health Department

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8813-6532

Date

2011-12-22

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journal articles
postprints
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Citation of Original Publication

Chen, Feinian, Guangya Liu, and Christine A. Mair. “Intergenerational Ties in Context: Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China.” Social Forces 90, no. 2 (December 1, 2011): 571–94. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sor012.

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This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Social Forces following peer review. The version of record Chen, Feinian, Guangya Liu, and Christine A. Mair. “Intergenerational Ties in Context: Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China.” Social Forces 90, no. 2 (December 1, 2011): 571–94. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sor012. is available online at: xxxxxxx https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-abstract/90/2/571/2235805?redirectedFrom=fulltext, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sor012.

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Abstract

Guided by theories and empirical research on intergenerational relationships, we examine the phenomenon of grandparents caring for grandchildren in contemporary China. Using a longitudinal dataset (China Health and Nutrition Survey), we document a high level of structural and functional solidarity in grandparent-grandchildren relationships. Intergenerational solidarity is indicated by a high rate of coresidence between grandchildren and grandparents, a sizable number of skipped-generation households (no parent present), extensive childcare involvement by non-coresidential grandparents, and a large amount of care provided by coresidential grandparents. Multivariate analysis further suggests that grandparents' childcare load is adaptive to familial needs, as reflected by the characteristics of the household, household members and work activities of the mothers.