Lived experi

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This work has been submitted to NECTAR, the Northampton Electronic Collection
of Theses and Research.
Thesis
Title: Lived experiences of becoming and being a young maternal grandmother: An
interpretative phenomenological analysis
Creator: Spencer, M.
Example citation: Spencer, M. (2016) Lived experiences of becoming and being a
young maternal grandmother: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Doctoral
thesis. The University of Northampton.
Version: Accepted version
http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/9722/
NECTAR
Lived experiences of becoming and being a young
maternal grandmother: An interpretative
phenomenological analysis

Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
At the University of Northampton

2016

Melinda Louise Spencer

© Melinda L Spencer [2016].

This thesis is copyright material and no quotation from it may be
published without proper acknowledgement.
Acknowledgements

I have many people to thank for their continued support since I started my
PhD.

Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to my two supervisors Professor
Judith Sixsmith and Dr Mary Dobson. Mary has supervised me from the very
start of my doctoral research journey and has offered me support on all things
doctoral whilst also challenging me with critical questioning of the decisions I
have made. My special thanks go to Judith, whose expertise in all things
qualitative has been absolutely invaluable – as well as our frequent
conversations regarding our mutual love of dogs, which inevitably lightened my
mood when times were tough.

My thanks also extend to all of my colleagues in the Institute of Health and
Wellbeing and the School of Health, Field of health and life sciences for your
support over the years. In particular, I would like to thank: Associate Professor
Dr Sarah Neill for the valuable experience I gained from working with you on
several research projects and your unwavering enthusiasm for my research; Dr
Michelle Pyer for your constant support, encouragement and expert knowledge,
always making time for a chat and/or a brainstorm; and Dr Sindy Banga, once
my undergraduate Health Studies Lecturer and now a very special work
colleague whose belief in me has never faltered. Thank you.

To the participating grandmothers, I send you my heartfelt gratitude for sharing
your experiences of grandmotherhood so openly with me. Thank you for your
time and allowing me to enter your personal worlds albeit for a short period of
time.

I would not have arrived at this point in my life without the love and support of
my family. To my parents, I thank you for being there consistently through the
ups and downs and for believing in me always. To my boys, Patrick and Conor,
you are my rocks. I am so proud of the young men you are becoming. Thank
you for understanding and being patient with me when my head was elsewhere
or I appeared to be glued to my desk! I love you both so very much.

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Finally, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my Nanna. I wish you had been a
younger grandmother so I could have enjoyed life with you for longer.

Nanna and me (1986)

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Abstract

In the last 40 years there has been a surge of academic research into
grandparenthood as a result of increased longevity and changing family
structures. However, limited research has been identified that explores the
experiences of young grandparenthood in England, despite academic
researchers’ assertions of deviant young grandparenthood made in the 1980s.

Maternal grandmothers have been reported to be the most involved
grandparent in the lives of their grandchildren. Further, there is likelihood that
the transition to young maternal grandmotherhood is a consequence of young
motherhood (of mother and/or daughter). Young motherhood literatures report
that mothers of young mothers (maternal grandmothers) can be a primary
source of support for their daughters, yet this body of research rarely focuses
on the maternal grandmother. With the current cultural norm of grandparenting
childcare in the UK and the UK Government’s objectives of increasing women
in work, improving maternal health, child health and economic self-sufficiency
for young mothers, it is important to understand how young maternal
grandmothers are, or are not, contributing to Government targets whilst
balancing their own working and family lives.

This study makes initial steps in addressing these neglected areas of research
by exploring the lived experiences of 10 young maternal grandmothers (aged
35 to 42 years at first transition) living in England. Data was collected using
face-to-face semi-structured interviews, prompt objects and photo elicitation in
order to answer the research question, ‘what are the lived experiences of young
maternal grandmotherhood?’ Guided by British sociologists’ conceptualisations
of family life and relationships and the use of Interpretative phenomenological
analysis (IPA), data were analysed at an idiographic level before moving on to
explore convergences and divergences across person cases, resulting in the
emergence of shared patterns of meaning and experience.

Analysis of the transitional stage to grandmotherhood identified two essential
experiences: Experiencing acceptance (or lack of acceptance) of her daughter’s
pregnancy and experiencing acceptance (or lack of acceptance) of her
grandmotherhood. Analysis of being a young maternal grandmother identified
three essential experiences: Experiencing grandmothering through time,
distance, places, spaces and inanimate objects; experiencing grandmotherhood
in the social world (the influence of others and on others); owning and
romancing the grandchild, experiences of connectedness and
disconnectedness.
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The study concludes with a discussion of the current findings in relation to
existing literatures and new understandings. Consideration is applied to the
research design and the perceived strengths and limitations. The wider
implications of this research are presented with specific focus on the potential
to develop a conceptual framework for use in intervention measures for
mothers (young maternal grandmothers) and/or daughters (young mothers)
and recommendations for possible future directions in this research area.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………. I

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………. Iii

Contents………………………………………………………………………………………………… V

List of Tables and Figures……………………………………………………………………… X

List of Appendices……………………………………………………………………………….. Xiv

Chapter 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 1

1.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… 1

1.2 Grandparenthood and demographic shifts………………………………… 1

1.3 The importance of studying young maternal grandmotherhood 2

1.3.1 Contributions to knowledge……………………………………………… 2

1.3.2 Contributions to society……………………………………………………… 5

1.4 Research aim and question………………………………………………………… 8

1.5 Research design………………………………………………………………………… 8

1.6 Researcher’s positioning and reflections…………………………………… 9

1.7 Thesis structure and chapter content………………………………………… 11

Chapter 2 Understandings of grandparenthood…………………………………… 13

2.1 Social, cultural and historic grandparenthood…………………………… 13

2.1.1 The changing grandparent………………………………………………… 13

2.1.2 Cultural and social grandparenthood………………………………… 15

2.2 Normative grandparenthood……………………………………………………… 16

2.2.1 Styles of grandparenthood………………………………………………… 16

2.2.2 Roles of grandparenthood………………………………………………… 18

2.3 Caregiving grandparents…………………………………………………………… 18

2.3.1 Custodial grandparents……………………………………………………… 20

2.3.2 Grandparents rights in the UK…………………………………………… 22

2.4 The meanings of grandparenthood…………………………………………… 23

2.5 The transition to grandparenthood…………………………………………… 27

2.6 Concluding comments………………………………………………………………… 29

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Chapter 3 Understandings of young maternal grandmotherhood……… 32

3.1 The age of grandmotherhood…………………………………………………… 32

3.1.1 Young grandmotherhood in an “age irrelevant society”…… 33

3.1.2 Grandmotherhood as a marker of social old age……………… 35

3.1.3 Young grandmotherhood and life-span development……… 37

3.2 Maternal grandmotherhood……………………………………………………… 43

3.2.1 Mother-daughter relationships…………………………………………… 45

3.2.2 Young motherhood, ‘good’ motherhood and ‘stigma’……… 46

3.3 Grandmotherhood, family life and relationality………………………… 52

3.4 Concluding comments………………………………………………………………… 55

Chapter 4 Methodology and methods…………………………………………………… 57

4.1 Rationale for a qualitative methodology…………………………………… 57

4.1.1 Choosing a qualitative methodology………………………………… 59

4.2 Choosing IPA……………………………………………………………………………… 62

4.2.1 IPA – Theoretical underpinnings………………………………………… 63

4.2.2 Descriptive-transcendental………………………………………………… 64

4.2.3 Hermeneutic-existential……………………………………………………… 65

4.2.4 Idiography…………………………………………………………………………… 68

4.2.5 Criticisms of IPA………………………………………………………………… 68

4.2.6 IPA – Data collection and sampling…………………………………… 69

4.2.7 IPA – Data analysis…………………………………………………………… 72

4.2.8 Researcher’s reflections……………………………………………………… 77

4.3 Methods……………………………………………………………………………………… 77

4.3.1 Developing the interview schedule…………………………………… 77

4.3.2 Choosing photo elicitation………………………………………………… 81

4.3.3 Sample………………………………………………………………………………… 84

4.3.4 Recruiting grandmothers…………………………………………………… 85

4.3.5 Procedure…………………………………………………………………………… 86

4.3.6 Ethical considerations………………………………………………………… 89

4.4 Reflexivity…………………………………………………………………………………… 93

4.5 Evaluation criteria for qualitative research……………………………… 95
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4.6 Concluding comments………………………………………………………………… 96

Chapter 5 Introducing Participating Grandmothers…………………………… 98

5.1 Julie…………………………………………………………………………………………… 101

5.1.1 Julie’s experiences of young maternal grandmotherhood.. 103

5.2 Nikki…………………………………………………………………………………………… 106

5.2.1 Nikki’s experiences of young maternal grandmotherhood 108

5.3 Natalie………………………………………………………………………………………… 111

5.3.1 Natalie’s experiences of young maternal
grandmotherhood………………………………………………………………………… 113

5.4 Sarah…………………………………………………………………………………………… 116

5.4.1 Sarah’s experiences of young maternal grandmotherhood 118

5.5 Sam…………………………………………………………………………………………… 121

5.5.1 Sam’s experiences of young maternal grandmotherhood… 123

5.6 Michelle……………………………………………………………………………………… 126

5.6.1 Michelle’s experiences of young maternal
grandmotherhood………………………………………………………………………… 128

5.7 Catherine…………………………………………………………………………………… 131

5.7.1 Catherine’s experiences of young maternal
grandmotherhood……………………………………………………………………… 133

5.8 Amanda……………………………………………………………………………………… 136

5.8.1 Amanda’s experiences of young maternal
grandmotherhood………………………………………………………………………… 138

5.9 Siobhan……………………………………………………………………………………… 141

5.9.1 Siobhan’s experiences of young maternal
grandmotherhood………………………………………………………………………… 143

5.10 Toni…………………………………………………………………………………………… 145

5.10.1 Toni’s experiences of young maternal grandmotherhood 147

Chapter 6 ‘Becoming’ a young maternal grandmother………………………… 150

6.1 Experiencing acceptance (or lack of acceptance) of her
daughter’s pregnancy……………………………………………………………………… 151

6.1.1 Ready for motherhood?............................................... 152

6.1.2 Re-visiting young motherhood…………………………………………… 159

6.2 Experiencing acceptance (or lack of acceptance) of her
grandmotherhood……………………………………………………………………………… 162
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6.2.1 Ready for grandmotherhood?....................................... 163

6.2.2 Gains, losses and relationships with others…………………….. 165

6.2.3 Choosing a name for a new identity………………………………… 169

6.2.4 From strange to real…………………………………………………………… 171

6.3 Researcher’s reflections……………………………………………………………… 177

Chapter 7 ‘Being’ a young maternal grandmother……………………………… 179

7.1 Experiencing grandmothering through time, distance, places,
spaces and inanimate objects………………………………………………………… 179

7.1.1 Being a mother again………………………………………………………… 180

7.1.2 (Un)conflicted by distance and time………………………………… 181

7.1.3 Grandchild care and time…………………………………………………… 184

7.1.4 Accommodating grandchildren – places, spaces and
things (symbolisations and representations of grandchildren)… 188

7.2 Experiencing grandmotherhood in the social world – the
influence of others and on others…………………………………………………… 191

7.2.1 Being a ‘good’ mother and ‘good’ grandmother……………… 191

7.2.2 The presence or absence of a supportive partner…………… 193

7.2.3 Not doing what grandmothers do……………………………………… 195

7.2.4 The gatekeepers to grandmothering – the doing and
undoing of grandmotherhood……………………………………………………. 198

7.3 Owning and romancing the grandchild, experiences of
connectedness and disconnectedness……………………………………………… 200

7.3.1 Owning and romancing the grandchild……………………………… 201

7.3.2 Connectedness and disconnectedness……………………………… 204

7.4 Researcher’s reflections……………………………………………………………… 209

Chapter 8 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………… 211

8.1 New understandings in relation to existing literatures…………… 211

8.1.1 Becoming a young maternal grandmother………………………… 212

8.1.2 Being a young maternal grandmother……………………………… 219

8.2 Reflecting on the research design – strengths and limitations… 227

8.2.1 IPA and the focus on lifeworlds………………………………………… 227

8.2.2 Multi-dimensionality of family life – Smart’s (2011)
Toolbox of Concepts…………………………………………………………………. 230

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