Replacement Parents And Partners: The Role Of Grandmotherhood In Single Parent Families

A Critique of Sarah Harper and Iva Ruicheva Research Journal:
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
narrow field in which the collective research is obtained. Stage one of research focusses primarily on low income areas of Haringey, West Oxfordshire and Oldham. It uses a quantitative survey of 800 lone mothers from these areas all of whom were identified by using the housing benefit register. This survey questioned the basic socioeconomic variables, education, employment, residency, income, parenthood and family network (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010). The selection and areas of which this survey is completed suggests the paper is not formed of a broad base of economic statuses but merely from those of low income backgrounds. The abstract to this article seems misleading; even though grandmother relationships are explored the research untaken is focussed surrounding grandmother’s relationship specifically with lone mothers whom have low economic living standards.
The second stage of research gathers a qualitative research from thirty-two selected families. This research takes an in-depth analysis on the characteristics and relationships of the multigenerational families. This allows Harper and Ruicheva to gain more detailed comprehensive research and opportunity to gain rich social data by communicating directly with the lone mothers and grandmothers. However the heavily involved interviewers may have formed a biased opinion of the participants or interpreted the responses differently. This funnel approach has an advantage of breaking down language barriers within different ethnicities but by ‘probing’ (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010) suggests the interviewer may influence the participants response. It may also suggest participants’ inability to remain truthful throughout the interview. The subject of relationships may be a sensitive clause for some participants to correctly judge their relationships with family members. For example, lone mothers could suggest their mothers have a large involvement within their grandchild and their lives by being a supportive role; however unconsciously they may feel unable to respond that their mothers do not support enough or are involved too much, due to fear of upsetting their mothers.
Harper has previously used the analytical funnel approach in previous papers, ‘research methods for health and social care’ (Harper and La Fontaire, 2009 cited in Harper and Ruicheva, 2010 p.223) and ‘Families in ageing societies’ (Harper, 2004 cited in Harper and Ruicheva, 2010 p.223). If the same approach is being used by the research previously analysed its unsure how well Harper’s analysis approach can be relied on. Both Harper and Ruicheva hold numerous amounts of experience and expertise within the social field however to just rely upon their previous researches to reference this paper could argue the validity of its main findings. The journal is very low on evidence supporting its claims. It is heavily referenced through pages 220 and 221, supporting data of rising grandparents, rising divorce rates and grandmothers still being identified as the central grandparent (Thompson, 1999; Thompson, Itzin and Abendstern, 1990; Dench, Ogg and Thomson, 1999; Barnett, Scaramella, Neppl, Ontai and Conger, 2010; Seponski and Lewis, 2009 cited in Harper and Ruicheva, 2010, p.221); however through the latter sections of the paper less referencing and virtually no evidence, supports their claims surrounding results concluded regarding grandmother relationship within lone parent families.
The paper states ‘Lone mothers value their children relationships with their grandparents in a stronger and more special way’ (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010) however failure to provide evidence depicting a non-lone mothers view could be seen as merely as an assumption rather than evidential. It does however include statements from lone mothers regarding the grandmother replacement role of parent or partner. ‘She’s like their father when I think about it now ’(Harper and Ruicheva, 2010)
‘My mum has become a surrogate father to them and this is really good.’ (Harper and Ruicheva, 2010)
‘But my mum is like my partner. My mum does things what my partner would have done, I suppose.’(Harper and Ruicheva, 2010)
These statements help to support the argument of which the authors form that the grandmothers’ role in single parent families step into fulfilling the gap of a missing partner to their daughter and missing parent to their grandchild. Even though these statements are valid in context to how the lone mother felt to the grandmother role, it could be disputed of failing to acknowledge the true extent of their roles. Without data it leads back to questioning the reliability to participant statements.
The authors build a respectable argument using statements from lone mothers and grandmothers.
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
grandmothers.
This paper builds a respectable argument for why this research is important, using data and up to date evidence from other researches; however it cannot be denied that due to the qualitative method used to gain evidence to support their argument fails to be creditably supported. The misplacement of the child and their views within these families is strongly recommended to be considered if further research takes place surrounding the importance of the grandmother role within single parent families. Even though this study has provided some insight into grandmother’s relationships in single parent families, for this research journal to become truly creditable more research is required to support the opinion concluded by Harper and Ruicheva.

References
Harper, S. and Ruicheva, I., 2010. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. Grandmothers as Replacement Parents and Partners: The role of Granmotherhood in Single Parent Families, [online]Available at : [Accessed 19th February 2014]