`We Don't Talk about it...' Issues of Gender and Method in the Portrayal of Grandfatherhood

Abstract

The problems involved in assessing the meaning and significance of becoming a grandfather are tied to the issue of the contextual production of sociological data. Grandfatherhood is analysed by taking into account the way in which the grandfathers contributed in research interviews. Since they did not speak readily about grandfatherhood, it becomes difficult for an investigator to describe its features. An assessment of grandfathers' roles showed that indeed they had little to do during the early months of grandfatherhood, thus reinforcing their reticent role in the interview setting. Yet, grandfatherhood was still held to be something significant, and the respondents, in this study, provided explanations of why it was difficult to understand or assess this. By focusing on such respondent accounts the problems of gender and method in sociological research can be more clearly understood.