Call For Papers

• Proposals Due: 31 July 2026
• Symposium Date: Thursday 26 November 2026
• Location: The Australian National University

Major social, cultural and economic shifts have transformed intergenerational interdependency since the postwar period. People are living longer and healthier lives. They are also witnessing new and different forms of relationships and care, gender roles and identities, and family constellations beyond the nuclear and heteronormative family; intensified mobility and communication technologies; the gradual dismantling of the welfare state; and growing concerns over climate change, pandemics and unsustainable economic models.

As part of the ARC Discovery Project Grandparenting in Australia: a history (1945-2025) (DP250100728) we invite proposals for a one-day multidisciplinary workshop on grandparenting in Australia. We welcome submissions from a wide range of social science and health disciplines, especially multidisciplinary and creative approaches.

The symposium aims to broaden understanding of grandparenting in public and academic discourse, beyond the sentimental trope of the elderly and caring grandparent, to reveal complex family dynamics. Communication technologies and social media have been transforming transnational grandparenting. Despite the persisting prevalence of grandmothers’ childcare, a gradual shift towards ‘involved grandfathering’ is becoming apparent, as shaped by new conceptions of masculinity. While the intergenerational, cultural and linguistic gaps between grandparents and grandchildren may still be a source of misunderstanding and conflict, grandparents may also be supportive of their grandchildren’s new ideas (and even transformed by them). The increasing cost of social services, including childcare, and the unaffordability of housing is also compelling new familial care arrangements and a resurgence in multigenerational households. Some play a vital role as an intermediary between generations of parents and their children. These are some of the many shifts that have been reshaping grandparenting, and we hope will be addressed and discussed during the symposium. 

We are planning a special issue of a Q1 journal to follow the symposium, with full papers due by April 2027. 

Indigenous and ECR scholars may be eligible for a limited number of travel subsidies. The symposium will also be free and catering will be provided.

Please submit a 300-word abstract and a short bio to Associate Professor Francesco Ricatti (francesco.ricatti@anu.edu.au) and Dr Emily Gallagher (emily.gallagher@anu.edu.au) by 31 July 2026.