Grandmothers as Replacement Parents and Partners: The Role of Grandmotherhood in Single Parent Families
Lone parent families have long been analysed and researched by how they function and how children from these families are affected and develop. Drawing on a research paper from the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, Harper and Ruicheva (2010) discuss the increasing significance of grandmothers’ involvement and frequent adaptions to becoming replacement partners and parents within lone mother families (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010). This critique analyses the journal, Grandmothers as replacement Parents and Partners: The role of Grandmotherhood in Single Parent Families (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010), summarising and defining the purpose of this journal; whilst examining the information, evidence and relevance of Harpers and Ruicheva findings. This will lead to a conclusion which shall either support or disagree with the author’s research.
This journal is introduced with an abstract to provide an overview of the issues, themes and main points addressing grandmothers’ relationships within lone mother families; however it forgets to identify the …show more content…
This enforces a view within the readers mind that partner or parent replacement roles are undertaken by grandmothers; which are implied from both parties as mostly positive. Lone mothers welcome roles to decrease feelings of guilt and taking on undesired roles (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010). Grandmothers welcome most responsibility and sometimes feel these roles help to replace missing structure within their own lives. Understanding that interviews took place between lone mother and grandmother, a sense of a misplaced view from the child respective is felt. The child could have agreed or disagreed with the views from participating lone mothers and