Being a Working Grandmother, Mother, and Daughter at the Same Time: A “Double Sandwich” in a Four-generation Family

Abstract

A four-generation family imposes a burden of roles upon the grandparents, who are sandwiched between the ascendant generation of great-grandparents and the descendant generations of adult children and grandchildren. This study focused on working grandmothers, examines how they maneuver between the needs of their children, grandchildren and their task-load, the women did not perceive their situation negatively. Rather, they maneuver between the various roles and express a general contentment with their lives. The findings show that these women see their work as a private domain that provides protection from the duties related to caregiving. Applying the extended concept of “double sandwich”, the study describes the complex position of working women in four-tiered intergenerational structure.