The role of the grandmother in the female single parent family

Case study

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out with the purpose of describing the functions performed by the grandmother within a single-parent family in the city of La Paz. The concept of grandfather is taken as the beginning through which the participants of this research identify themselves. The information is obtained through the triangulation of three different sources: the in-depth interview, the group interview, the stories through letters. The research addressed the problem of the single parent family and the implication of the grandmother in these. This research was based on the theory of Minuchin, in relation to the family being considered a dynamic system in constant change and in the same way concepts of role and function were handled within the family dynamics. Within the objectives achieved, it was possible to identify the existence of a double function that grandmothers fulfill within this type of families in order to reorganize this family dynamic altered by the absence of the father. It could be concluded that the functions of the mother within the family are taken by the grandmother for a certain time or in some cases as long as necessary in order to move forward with the development of an organized family and for a common good. That is the proper development of grandchildren.