Contemporary Grandparenting: Changing Family Relationships in Global Contexts

usage. Second, internet usage may independently increase participation by: (1) reducing the costs of action, which directly encourages participation; (2) facilitating the use of more horizontal political structures, which may facilitate more grassroots efforts; and (3) making new forms of political engagement available (e.g., political consumerism), which may pull new actors into participating. Two final themes that run through chapters merit mention: most chapters attend, at least at a theoretical level, to digital divides. However, results do not show dramatic effects of such divides on political involvement and instead suggest that some online engagement is still better than none. Several chapters also implicitly, if not explicitly, comment on the long simmering debate in political communication over media’s reinforcement versus mobilization effects. Results support both effects: new participants are pulled into politics, but those with existing political interest also respond positively to internet usage. In terms of concerns or criticisms, I think there are very few. The volume’s theoretical concerns and much of the cited literature are drawn from political communication research from political science and communication. While some may see the disconnect with relevant sociological research as problematic, the volume provides a quick introduction for sociologists interested in understanding these debates from a political communications perspective while also delivering interesting findings and expanding research across the globe. The quality and clarity of chapters also varies, but not enough to distract from the overall high quality of the volume and the interesting array of international findings. Contemporary Grandparenting: Changing Family Relationships in Global Contexts, edited by Sara Arber and Virpi Timonen. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2012. 270pp. $39.95 paper. ISBN: 9781847429674.