NCFR

Occasionally a concept comes along that resonates with the research community. A recent example is the idea of ambivalence. Alexis Walker's decision as the editor of Journal of Marriage and Family to publish an exchange on the concept of ambivalence (vol. 64(3), August, 2002) sparked international interest among family scholars in pursuing this idea. Despite some reservations, an impressive array of studies has used ambivalence in creative and thoughtful ways to enhance our understanding of intergenerational relations.

Imagine you have just retired from teaching and are looking forward to retirement and pursuing your own interests. Then, one afternoon, you receive a call from social services that your daughter, who has had some previous altercations with the law, has been arrested, so her two children, ages 6 and 9, are being placed in your care for an unspecified amount of time. You knew your daughter was in a risky situation, but you never imagined her being arrested. Of course you love your grandchildren and will do anything for them, but you had very different plans for your retirement.