Issues of the work and family activities of the older generation

The article analyzes the trends and socio-economic conditions of the transformation of the grandmother institution in Russia. The research employs the theoretical framework of neoclassical theory and neo-institutionalism, which explain the nature of the grandmother institution. A system of indicators describing the demographic characteristics of the population and its behavior has been developed. The data from the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) served as the information base for the study. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of all participants: grandparents (the “grandmothers” themselves), parents, grandchildren, and the state as an actor shaping the environment in which the grandmother institution functions. The study has shown that the grandmother institution is transforming, adapting to new socio-economic conditions while retaining its significance. On the one hand, older people have become more in demand in the economy and society. There is a significant increase in the employment of the elderly population, especially among women aged 55–59. On the other hand, grandparents have become even more active in the lives of their grandchildren. The proportion of grandmothers providing daily childcare increased from 22.2% to 32.2%, and that of grandfathers from 13.2% to 23.4%. This is explained by an increase in the number of single-parent households with children (from 13.0% to 21.1% of all households with children), as well as an increase in the employment of women with children (from 76% to 82.8%). The results of Russian sociological surveys reveal the institutional nature of the motivation for the elderly population's participation in grandchild care. Sacrificial attitudes are characteristic of the majority of respondents; however, this position is not supported by parents, who prefer to raise their children independently and turn to grandparents only when assistance is required.