The Religious Dimensions of the Grandparent Role in Three-Generation African American Households

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although the importance of religion in family relations is well documented, the role of grandparents in family religious life has received less attention (Ellison & Moulton, 2003). Among African American families, many studies articulate the importance of family elders in the transmission of religious values (Rosenthal, 1985; Taylor, Jackson, & Chatters, 1997; Weddle-West, 2000). However, few studies delineate the ways African American grandparents transmit their religious values to younger family members. A description of the religious role of grandparents in African American households can inform our understanding of the religious values transmission process among ethnic families. This qualitative study describes the religious dimensions of the grandparent role in a sample of 17 co-resident intergenerational African American families. Findings show that African American grandparents provide religious instruction and guidance, model religious behavior, engage in intercessory prayer, and promote the religious significance of family relationships. The findings suggest that religion is an important variable in grandparent role satisfaction and that a family-level analysis of religiosity among African American elders provides a fuller understanding of religion and aging than individual-level descriptors of religiousness alone.