Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses cultural, economic, and historical influences, the social science research literature on grandparents, variations between and within cultures, comparisons between grandmothers and grandfathers, and social policies relevant to grandparenting. It describes the key role of extended families in Mexico and Central America, diverse circumstances including surrogate parents and LGB grandparents in the US. The book explains the prominent position of grandmothers rather than grandfathers in the context of a matrifocal family system. It also discusses the issues such as income disparities and urban/rural differences within the massive Indian Sub-Continent of South Asia and the impacts on grandparental roles of the different social-economic systems of Japan, Korea, and China within East Asia. The book also explains the impact of historical changes of Islam on the traditional role of grandparents in the Middle East/Northern Africa (MENA) region.