Grandfamily Origin Narratives: Examining Grandparent Caregivers’ Retrospective Storytelling of Family Formation Through Communicated Narrative Sense-Making Theory

Abstract

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study examined grandparent caregivers’ identity construction and emotional story framing by applying the retrospective storytelling heuristic of communicated narrative sense-making theory (CNSM) to grandfamily origin stories. Design. In interviews with 33 grandparent caregivers who self-identified as the primary caregiver to one or more grandchildren in the last year, participants were asked to share the story of how they became a grandparent-headed household, also called “grandfamily.” Thematic narrative analysis was used to uncover narrative themes, and deductive coding was used for story framing. Results. Four identity themes characterized grandparent caregiver sense-making: 1) safe-haven caregiver, 2) collaborative caregiver, 3) second-chance caregiver, and 4) disenfranchised caregiver. Deductive coding revealed that the emotional framing of most stories was ambivalent, but some stories used redemptive or contaminated story frames. Conclusions. The study highlights how grandparent caregivers make sense of origin stories through their caregiving identities or roles. Furthermore, the prevalence of ambivalent story framing may be due to the unfinished or uncertain nature of these family narratives.