Grandparents and the donor conception process - Prof Carol Smart
Channel: University of Manchester Sociology department
Date: 2014-06-24

Professor Carol Smart discusses the important, and often overlooked, role that grandparents can play when their children are going through the process of trying for a baby through donor conception. Grandparents often provide crucial support at a difficult time, but may be under their own pressures. For example, they may have to keep the information secret from friends and other family and they may not share exactly the same views and opinions on the matter as their children. Professor Smart recommends better provision of both practical information and emotional support aimed specially at grandparents to support them in their own significant supporting role.

This project builds on research done as part of the ESRC Relative Strangers project at the Morgan Centre, Sociology, University of Manchester.