Grandparent-Grandchild Interaction in a Mexican American Group

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Abstract
Telephone interviews with 31 Mexican American grandparents collected information about interaction behaviors of 53 grandparent-grandchild dyads. These were dyads in which the grandchild was between the ages of 3 and 12, and saw the grandparent often but did not live in the same household. The areas explored were: interaction behaviors, cultural transmission, and religious training. These response variables were crossed with sex, age, and place of birth of grandparent, sex and age of the grandchild, sex and sibling position of the parent, and language compatibility between grandparent and grandchild. Results indicate a high degree of involvement by most grandparents. A hypothesis of increased interaction along the sex-blood line had partial confirmation. Grandmothers reported talking in Spanish and visiting most with granddaughters, especially if these were the children of daughters. A second hypothesis of behaviors according to sex-role demarcations was not confirmed. Both grandmothers and grandfathers reported being involved in the socialization of grandchildren, and this involvement is not significantly different. Furthermore, interaction with grandsons and granddaughters is very similar. Some significant differences in behavior due to nativity of grandparent were found in the areas of Spanish usage and playing with grandchildren.

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