What Does it Mean to be a Grandpa?

What Does it Mean to be a Grandpa?

Are you a grandfather, grandpa, poppa, nonno or opa?
Following the interest generated by their 20009 research on grandmothers, Swinburne's Professor Susan Moore and her colleague Professor Doreen Rosenthal from the University of Melbourne are embarking on a companion study of grandpas.

While researching their book – tentatively titled Being Grandma – to be published next year by Big Sky Publishers, Moore and Rosenthal were constantly asked -What about grandpa?'

The current study is their response to that question.
'While little research is available about the experience of grandmothering, there is even less about what it's like to be a grandfather," Moore said.
'This research will seek to redress that lack, to explore and acknowledge the role that grandfathers can play in children's lives and to find out more about the different ways Australian men incorporate -being grandad' into their sense of self."

Whether your experiences as a grandfather have been good or not so good, hands-on or relatively distant, the researchers would love to hear from you.

They are hoping to survey all kinds of grandfathers, older and younger, in the paid workforce or retired, from all different backgrounds.

They will ask questions like -How did you feel when you became a grandfather?' -What do you like and maybe not like about this role?' -How does it fit in with your other commitments and interests?' and -How do you compare with your own grandfathers?'

The study involves a survey, with the opportunity for some grandfathers to be interviewed as well. The anonymous survey can be completed online or in hard copy, and takes about 30 minutes.

If you are a grandfather, have a grandfather or know a grandfather who might like to take part in the study, more information and the opportunity to participate is available through the website www.grandresearch.com