Using Role Theory to Understand the Experiences of Custodial Grandparents in Korea and the United States

Background and Purpose: Considering the significance of cultural influence on an individual’s unique experiences, few studies have focused on using transnational data to gain a cultural understanding of custodial grandparent caregivers’ experiences. As the prevalence of grandparents raising grandchildren continues to grow globally, so does the need to understand the impact and influence culture has on the experiences of these grandparent caregivers. Using role theory, the current study explored the cultural factors that impact the experiences of grandparent caregivers in Korea and the United States.

Methods: Using purposeful sampling in the context of a phenomenological qualitative approach 20 in-depth interviews were conducted to understand the lived experiences of caregiving custodial grandparents in Korea (n = 10) & United States (n = 10). For the Korean sample, the mean age of the grandparents was 73 years, the mean age of the grandchildren was 9.1 years, and the most common reason for caregiving was parental divorce (n = 7). For the U.S. sample, the mean age for the grandparents was 59 years, the mean age of the grandchildren was 11 years, and the most common reason for caregiving was parental struggles with substance use (n = 7). Participants were recruited from four sites (two urban and two rural) in Korea and three sites (two suburban and one rural) in the U.S. (New York). Interviews elicited information regarding reasons for care, experiences raising grandchild(ren), types of support they have and need, school support, raising grandchild(ren) during the pandemic, and what services/supports were helpful during the pandemic. Interviews were transcribed verbatim; role theory guided the data analysis and discussion of the study findings.

Results: Three key concepts of role theory emerged from the data: role conflict, role conformity, and role consensus. Findings highlight cultural distinctions between Korean and U.S. grandparent caregivers. For example, Korean grandparent caregivers tended to experience less role conflict and more role conformity than U.S. grandparent caregivers. Regardless of cultural context, grandparent caregivers disclosed relatively positive experiences of the pandemic and demonstrated positivity regarding their current situation. Both samples disclosed role consensus around their current situation and identified critical role supporters, such as schools, which were found to be especially helpful during the pandemic.

Conclusion and Implications:

Utilizing role theory to understand the cultural implications of grandparent caregivers from two countries, with distinctive cultural contexts, highlights the importance of developing culturally responsive social work practices for grandfamilies. Globally, the number of grandparent caregivers continues to grow, making it necessary to go beyond the borders of the United States to understand the experiences of grandparent caregivers across the globe so effective, culturally responsive interventions can be developed.