Stepfamilies are shown by existing research as having multiple problems unique to this type of family, some of which include role ambiguity, role strain, role captivity, increased stress and adjustment problems in children. Stepparents are portrayed as evil, abusive and wicked in the media, literature or film, while stepchildren are variously portrayed as victims, naughty and manipulative. These popular perceptions of stepfamilies appear to be shaped by myths or dominant narratives which serve to shape stepfamily member's experience of and roles in the reconstituted family. Drawing on the work of postmodernism, social constructionism and the narrative theorists this study will expose those dominant narrative or myths which shape the experience of two stepfamilies. Using an emergent design, the experiences of these two families is described in an attempt to highlight some of the implications such an approach holds for both further research and psychotherapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Forty-five stepparents responded to four scales: Perceived Social Support Friend Scale, Perceived Social Support Family Scale, Kansas Family Life Satisfaction Scale and the Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale. The study found a significant positive correlation between family and friend support and stepparents' role fulfillment.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / ABSTRACT The focus of the present qualitative study was on the specific roles played by mothers in helping the members of their families adjust to each other and successfully transition into a family unit. Mothers play an important role in the lives of their children and their husbands as they form stepfamilies. Utilizing symbolic interaction and family systems theories, all of the members of two stepfamilies were interviewed. Using cross-case analysis, communication, adaptability/ flexibility, positive identity and positive perspective were identified as familial attributes leading to their success as families. Mothers were identified by their husbands and their children as playing essential, pivotal roles in the facilitation of the formation and sustenance of the stepfather/stepchild relationship. Implications of these findings are discussed, along with the contributions of this study to the literature and insights and implications for researchers as well as professionals working with stepfamilies.

The study analyzed how parenting stress and discouragement affect stepfamily functioning. Whether the parent was a biological parent or stepparent, whether the stepparent was a stepmother or stepfather, or whether the marriage had been formed more or less than two years was also considered. One assumption made was that increased parenting stress and discouragement will lead to decreased family functioning. Other assumptions were that there will be more increased parenting stress and discouragement and decreased family functioning found in stepparents than biological parents, in stepmothers more than stepfathers, and in parents in families formed less than two years more than those in families formed more than two years. Complete data was collected from 30 subjects. Three instruments were used in the study. The Parenting Stress Index measures how much stress parents experience in areas relating to how they see their child and how they see themselves as parents. The Discouragement Scale for Adults was developed to measure the Adlerian concept of discouragement in an adult population. The Family Assessment Device measures how a family functions.

M.Ed. / The reconstructed family is not a new phenomenon. In the past it occurred when a spouse died but nowadays it can be largely be attributed to divorce or the marriage of an unwedded mother. The result is that more children grow up in reconstructed families. Hardly any research has been done and little information is available about the child's involvement in such a family ...

This purpose of this research study was to identify key differences that distinguish stepfamilies from intact families with regard to individual members' perceptions of family environment and family functioning. Additionally, an initial look at how membership in a stepfamily impacts the young children's perceptions of interpersonal family functioning is offered.

This study set out to test the effects of relationship quality with a stepfather on other familial relationships, romantic relationships, and usual outcome measures for products of parental divorce. OLS regression tests were conducted using responses from over a thousand participants from the New Family Structures Study (N=1,696). Respondents were organized by self-reported level of relationship quality with their stepfathers. Various qualities of stepfather families were then regressed against other family types—single parent, intact, and others. Results show that respondents with high-quality stepfather relationships were able to develop relationships with their biological mothers at stronger levels than people from intact families. This supports resilience theory, which posits that the exposure to risk coupled with positive, promotive factors allows a person to grow beyond his or her original trajectory. The findings of this study assert stepfamilies that encourage good stepfather-stepchild relationships can assuage some of the negative outcomes typical for children of divorce.

Mudanças recentes na composição e nas relações internas das famílias brasileiras decorreram, entre outros fatores, do número crescente de separações e divórcios e do ingresso maciço das mulheres no mercado de trabalho, de inovações científicas e tecnológicas, como métodos eficazes de contracepção e de reprodução assistida, além de medidas na área da saúde que aumentaram a expectativa de vida da população. O conjunto dessas alterações contribuíram para redefinir a condição feminina, as relações de gênero entre homens e mulheres e as formas de exercício da maternidade e paternidade. Em decorrência dessas transformações, aumentou o número de famílias recompostas constituídas por casais que vivem em segunda união e cuja forma de organização é bastante complexa, sobretudo no que diz respeito às relações com filhos da primeira união dos cônjuges. Em algumas famílias recompostas um homem é pai de filho(s) de união(ões) anterior(es), padrasto do(s) filho(s) da companheira atual e com a qual também pode ter filhos. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo investigar o exercício da paternidade e as relações conjugais em famílias recompostas constituídas por segunda união de parceiros que têm filho(s) de casamento(s) anterior(es) e eventualmente da segunda união para analisar como homens, que são pais e padrastos, vivenciam a relação de paternidade com filho(s), considerando que aquele(s) da primeira união mora(m) com a ex-esposa, e quais os vínculos que mantêm, enquanto padrasto, com o(s) filho(s) de sua companheira atual. Foram entrevistados sete homens vivendo em segunda união e que são pais e padrastos. Os dados foram coletados com o pai/padrasto mediante entrevista com roteiro semi-estruturado, gravada e transcrita na íntegra, e foram analisados de acordo com a abordagem teórica da antropologia e da psicologia. Os resultados indicam flexibilização das tarefas domésticas e dos cuidados com os filhos, mudanças nas vivências e no exercício da paternidade, procura dos padrastros em manterem boas relações com enteados e com os filhos biológicos com quem não residem. / Recent changes in the composition of Brazilian families were the result of, amongst other factors, the growing number of separations and divorces, the massive entry of women into the market, scientific and technological innovations, like the effective methods of contraception and assisted reproduction as well as measures in the health area that have increased the life expectancy of the population. All these changes contributed to the redefinition of the feminine condition, the gender relations between men and women, and the forms of exercise of motherhood and fatherhood. As a result of these transformations, there was an increase in the number of reconstituted families made up of couples living in second marriage and whose organization is quite complex, especially regarded to relations with children from the first marriage of the spouses. In some recomposed families, a man is the father of previous children, stepfather of the children of the current partner and with whom he may also have children. The objective of this research is to investigate the exercise of fatherhood and conjugal relationships in families who are composed of second union of partners who have children from previous marriage(s) and eventually from second marriage to analyze how men, who are fathers and stepfathers, experience the relationship of fatherhood with children, considering that the one(s) from the first union lives with the ex-wife, and what ties they have as a stepfather of the children of the current companion. Seven men who are fathers and stepfathers and living in second union were interviewed. Data were collected with the father/stepfather through interviews with semi-structured script, recorded and transcribed in its integrity, and analyzed according to the theoretical approaches of anthropology and psychology. The results indicated a flexibilization of the domestic tasks and children caring, changes in the experiences and the exercise of paternity, movement of the stepfathers towards a good relation with the stepchildren, maintenance of the relationship with the consanguineous children.

Mudanças recentes na composição e nas relações internas das famílias brasileiras decorreram, entre outros fatores, do número crescente de separações e divórcios e do ingresso maciço das mulheres no mercado de trabalho, de inovações científicas e tecnológicas, como métodos eficazes de contracepção e de reprodução assistida, além de medidas na área da saúde que aumentaram a expectativa de vida da população. O conjunto dessas alterações contribuíram para redefinir a condição feminina, as relações de gênero entre homens e mulheres e as formas de exercício da maternidade e paternidade. Em decorrência dessas transformações, aumentou o número de famílias recompostas constituídas por casais que vivem em segunda união e cuja forma de organização é bastante complexa, sobretudo no que diz respeito às relações com filhos da primeira união dos cônjuges. Em algumas famílias recompostas um homem é pai de filho(s) de união(ões) anterior(es), padrasto do(s) filho(s) da companheira atual e com a qual também pode ter filhos. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo investigar o exercício da paternidade e as relações conjugais em famílias recompostas constituídas por segunda união de parceiros que têm filho(s) de casamento(s) anterior(es) e eventualmente da segunda união para analisar como homens, que são pais e padrastos, vivenciam a relação de paternidade com filho(s), considerando que aquele(s) da primeira união mora(m) com a ex-esposa, e quais os vínculos que mantêm, enquanto padrasto, com o(s) filho(s) de sua companheira atual. Foram entrevistados sete homens vivendo em segunda união e que são pais e padrastos. Os dados foram coletados com o pai/padrasto mediante entrevista com roteiro semi-estruturado, gravada e transcrita na íntegra, e foram analisados de acordo com a abordagem teórica da antropologia e da psicologia. Os resultados indicam flexibilização das tarefas domésticas e dos cuidados com os filhos, mudanças nas vivências e no exercício da paternidade, procura dos padrastros em manterem boas relações com enteados e com os filhos biológicos com quem não residem. / Recent changes in the composition of Brazilian families were the result of, amongst other factors, the growing number of separations and divorces, the massive entry of women into the market, scientific and technological innovations, like the effective methods of contraception and assisted reproduction as well as measures in the health area that have increased the life expectancy of the population. All these changes contributed to the redefinition of the feminine condition, the gender relations between men and women, and the forms of exercise of motherhood and fatherhood. As a result of these transformations, there was an increase in the number of reconstituted families made up of couples living in second marriage and whose organization is quite complex, especially regarded to relations with children from the first marriage of the spouses. In some recomposed families, a man is the father of previous children, stepfather of the children of the current partner and with whom he may also have children. The objective of this research is to investigate the exercise of fatherhood and conjugal relationships in families who are composed of second union of partners who have children from previous marriage(s) and eventually from second marriage to analyze how men, who are fathers and stepfathers, experience the relationship of fatherhood with children, considering that the one(s) from the first union lives with the ex-wife, and what ties they have as a stepfather of the children of the current companion. Seven men who are fathers and stepfathers and living in second union were interviewed. Data were collected with the father/stepfather through interviews with semi-structured script, recorded and transcribed in its integrity, and analyzed according to the theoretical approaches of anthropology and psychology. The results indicated a flexibilization of the domestic tasks and children caring, changes in the experiences and the exercise of paternity, movement of the stepfathers towards a good relation with the stepchildren, maintenance of the relationship with the consanguineous children.

There are two studies in this dissertation. Both are about couples in a stepfamily who attended stepfamily education called, Smart Steps: Embrace the Journey. The first study explored how 13 Latino stepcouples felt the concepts they learned in stepfamily education influenced their couple relationship, parenting, and their family. Participants ranged in age from 25 to 43. They were interviewed two years after participating in the course. They talked about positive changes that happened in their couple relationship, parenting relationship, and their family as a result of participating in stepfamily education. It was also found that the course helped them to improve their stepparent/stepchild relationship. The second study examined how one Latino stepcouples’ journey unfolded after participation, and the subsequent experiences that occurred when their stepchildren moved in with them. They were interviewed right after the course was completed, one year later, and two years later. Their story is told from when the couple met, having two biological children, and then moving five stepchildren into their home. They explained how the concepts they learned helped their stepfamily. Future studies on Latino stepfamilies and the strengths and weaknesses of these studies are discussed.