Abstract
Grandparents have always played an important role in the Italian society and in family life; however, little is known about the demography of grandparenthood despite dramatic global demographic changes that are likely to affect both the occurrence and timing of the transition to grandparenthood. Thus, we examined the prevalence and timing of grandparenthood in Italy for different cohorts and geographical areas. As a natural laboratory, the Italian case is particularly interesting because of its striking geographical differences in fertility and
educational levels that may impact on the demography of grandparenthood.
Employing data from the 2009 Italian Survey on "Family and Social Relations"
("Famiglia, soggetti sociali e condizione dell'infanzia‟) we used logistic and survival analysis methods to examine the prevalence and timing of grandparenthood. Our respondents were parents born between 1920 and 1949 (N=10,186), i.e. aged 60 and older at the time of the interview.
Across all cohorts considered, Southern Italian parents were more likely to be
grandparents and to have experienced the transition to grandparenthood by age 60 in comparison to those form the North. However, across all geographical areas, cohorts born in the 1940s were increasingly less likely to have become grandparents by the age of 60 compared to those born in the two decades before. Such postponement appears to be largely driven by family and educational compositional changes over time. For instance, although the likelihood of a young mother with three or more children and low level of education to become a grandparent has not changed much over time and across geographical areas, the
percentage of mothers with such characteristics has reduced significantly over time, particularly in the North.
The prevalence and timing of the transition to grandparenthood vary considerably across Italian geographical areas and the considered birth cohorts. Most of these variations are explained by dramatic changes in fertility and educational levels.
educational levels that may impact on the demography of grandparenthood.
Employing data from the 2009 Italian Survey on "Family and Social Relations"
("Famiglia, soggetti sociali e condizione dell'infanzia‟) we used logistic and survival analysis methods to examine the prevalence and timing of grandparenthood. Our respondents were parents born between 1920 and 1949 (N=10,186), i.e. aged 60 and older at the time of the interview.
Across all cohorts considered, Southern Italian parents were more likely to be
grandparents and to have experienced the transition to grandparenthood by age 60 in comparison to those form the North. However, across all geographical areas, cohorts born in the 1940s were increasingly less likely to have become grandparents by the age of 60 compared to those born in the two decades before. Such postponement appears to be largely driven by family and educational compositional changes over time. For instance, although the likelihood of a young mother with three or more children and low level of education to become a grandparent has not changed much over time and across geographical areas, the
percentage of mothers with such characteristics has reduced significantly over time, particularly in the North.
The prevalence and timing of the transition to grandparenthood vary considerably across Italian geographical areas and the considered birth cohorts. Most of these variations are explained by dramatic changes in fertility and educational levels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | RECSM Working Paper Series |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2018 |