Supports and relationships between mothers and grandparents of children with disability: Talking about intergenerational family solidarity

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the first stage of interinstitutional partnership research with family field studies. The focus of the work is the Family Intergenerational Solidarity (FIS) among grandparents and mothers of children with disabilities. The study aims to describe the support provided by grandparents of children with disabilities and the relationships of FIS established between mothers and grandparents already presented in the literature and to discuss it based on the phenomenon of intergenerational solidarity. To this end, an Integrative Literature Review was performed. Data collection took place in January 2019 through the use of the simple search mechanism in the CAPES Journal Portal, based on keywords, without temporal delimitation. The sample consisted of 25 articles that were read in full and interpreted from the content analysis. The results reveal the presence of three categories of analysis related to support and interpersonal relationships - Grandparents' feelings about a disabled grandchild, Role of grandparents in the care of disabled grandchildren, Factors that influence the offer, or not of support. Based on the information from each category, we discuss the presence of intergenerational solidarity in its different dimensions, highlighting the importance of affective and functional solidarity between mothers and grandparents, which contribute to facing the daily demands in the upbringing and education of a disabled child.