Research on stepfamilies strongly supports the importance of positive parent-child relationships on child outcomes. However, most of this research has focused on one or two of these relationships failing to acknowledge the interconnected impact of all three parental figures. To fill this gap, I used latent class analysis and identified six classes of parent-child relationship constellations. The national sample in this study (n=1,159) were all participants in The Stepfamily Experiences Project (STEP). Parent-child relationship quality indicators were based on participants' retrospective reports on the warmth/closeness, communication, and level of active parenting they experienced in their stepfamily household. After identifying classes I examined how class membership was affected by resident parent relationships status, EA sex, stepparent sex, years spent in a stepfamily, the age the EA entered the stepfamily and the time spent with the nonresident parent. Finally, I examined how class membership impacted depression, drug use, and hooking up. Ultimately, the analysis indicated that there is much complexity in the stepfamily experience and its potential influence on later life outcomes.

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.

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.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of the facilitators of a stepfamily education course, based upon facilitator self-report as well as participant report. Agencies in northern Utah that provide services to low-income minority families were used to recruit a sample of 152 facilitators and 1,134 participants of which 519 of the participants were male and 613 of the participants were females. Additionally, 21 of the facilitators were male and 131 of the facilitators were female. Requirements for participants included having been previously married with no children or having children from a previous relationship that formed a current stepfamily. Intervention theory states the implementation of protective factors, such as preventative education, lessens the impact of risk factors in participants' lives. A self-report measure was used at the completion of the 12-hour course. Participants and facilitators were asked about the effectiveness of the facilitation with regard to facilitation skills and methods used. Participants and facilitators consistently reported that they did find the facilitation to be effective. Participants and facilitators agreed that facilitators explained course material clearly, answered questions well, stimulated conversation, cared about group members, and drew upon personal experiences effectively.

The study's purpose was to determine if participants reported that booster sessions following a stepfamily education course were effective. Agencies in northern Utah that provide services to low-income (including minorities) families were used to recruit a sample of 487 males and 560 females. Participants were required to be in a relationship that formed a remarriage or to have children from a previous relationship, forming a stepfamily. Booster sessions were educational meetings that occurred four to six weeks after the completion of the stepfamily education course. Intervention theory states that as protective factors are implemented through prevention education they lessen the effects of risk factors in participants' lives. Booster sessions were focused on reiterating protective factors taught in the stepfamily course material and served as a protective factor through offering continued support to participants. A self-report measure was used at the completion of the booster session. Participants were asked if the booster session was worthwhile (fun, educational, and worth their time), if they learned something, and if they recognized a change in their knowledge base concerning healthy stepfamily skills through attending the booster session. Participants consistently reported that they did find the booster session worthwhile, that they learned something, and that they increased in knowledge concerning healthy stepfamily skills. Although all participants reported that booster sessions were effective, Latino participants reported higher averages than Caucasian participants in research questions two and three. Study findings suggest that booster sessions can serve as a means of increasing educational gains of participants after the conclusion of course material. Also, discussion is provided concerning the implications of providing family life education for the Latino population.

<p>The purpose of this study is to perform a description of how parents experience their life in a stepfamily and to examine how the parents experience the involvement from their new partner in the children’s upbringing. The issues are: (i) which expectations do the parent has on their new partner in the role as stepparent to the child, (ii) how active does the parent experience their new partners’ step parenting concerning the stepchild and (iii) how does the parent expect the new family to take shape? A qualitative study has been done through interviews. The participants were sex biological parents, of which four were fathers and two mothers. The theoretical approach and design of this study is science of stepfamilies and of the role of stepparent. This study shows that the expectations the parents have on the stepparents’ involvement in the parenting and how actively the new partner is in the role as stepparent to the children is contradictive. The experience is that the stepparents should act as parents, but not in all matters. The parents thought that the stepparents were inactive in their parenting because they do not do activities alone with the stepchildren and active because of their concerns in the everyday care. The conclusion is that a great deal of insecurity lies in the expectations of how to act as a stepparent and although the purpose with the stepfamily is to imitate the nuclear family this is not possible in reality.</p> / <p>Syftet med denna studie är att genomföra en deskriptiv studie om föräldrars erfarenheter av att leva i en styvfamilj samt undersöka hur ursprungsföräldern uppfattar den nya partnerns involvering i styvbarnens uppfostran. Frågeställningarna är: (i) vilka förväntningar har föräldern på sin nya partner i rollen som barnets styvförälder, (ii) hur aktivt anser föräldern att den nya partnern utövar sitt styvföräldraskap i förhållande till styvbarnet och (iii) hur anser föräldern att den nya familjen bör utformas? Metodvalet är kvalitativt och datainsamling har skett med hjälp av intervjuer. Undersökningspopulationen bestod av sex biologiska föräldrar, varav fyra pappor och två mammor. Vägledande för denna studies teoretiska tolkningsram och design har varit forskning om styvfamiljen samt om rollen som styvförälder. Studien visar att föräldrarnas förväntningar på styvförälderns involveringsgrad i föräldraskapet och synen på hur aktivt styvföräldern utövar styvföräldraskapet är motsägelsefullt. Föräldrarna anser att styvföräldrarnas uppgift är att agera som föräldrar, med förbehållet att det finns frågor där ansvaret bör överlåtas till föräldrarna. Föräldrarna menade att styvföräldrarna var passiva i sitt styvföräldraskap genom bristande aktiviteter ihop med styvbarnen, samtidigt som de var aktiva i styvföräldraskapet genom involvering i styvbarnens vardagsomsorg. Slutsatsen av denna studie är att det finns hög grad av osäkerhet i hur en bra styvförälder bör agera i rollen som styvförälder och trots att målet med styvfamiljen är att efterlikna kärnfamiljen är detta inte praktiskt möjligt.</p>

The purpose of this study is to perform a description of how parents experience their life in a stepfamily and to examine how the parents experience the involvement from their new partner in the children’s upbringing. The issues are: (i) which expectations do the parent has on their new partner in the role as stepparent to the child, (ii) how active does the parent experience their new partners’ step parenting concerning the stepchild and (iii) how does the parent expect the new family to take shape? A qualitative study has been done through interviews. The participants were sex biological parents, of which four were fathers and two mothers. The theoretical approach and design of this study is science of stepfamilies and of the role of stepparent. This study shows that the expectations the parents have on the stepparents’ involvement in the parenting and how actively the new partner is in the role as stepparent to the children is contradictive. The experience is that the stepparents should act as parents, but not in all matters. The parents thought that the stepparents were inactive in their parenting because they do not do activities alone with the stepchildren and active because of their concerns in the everyday care. The conclusion is that a great deal of insecurity lies in the expectations of how to act as a stepparent and although the purpose with the stepfamily is to imitate the nuclear family this is not possible in reality. / Syftet med denna studie är att genomföra en deskriptiv studie om föräldrars erfarenheter av att leva i en styvfamilj samt undersöka hur ursprungsföräldern uppfattar den nya partnerns involvering i styvbarnens uppfostran. Frågeställningarna är: (i) vilka förväntningar har föräldern på sin nya partner i rollen som barnets styvförälder, (ii) hur aktivt anser föräldern att den nya partnern utövar sitt styvföräldraskap i förhållande till styvbarnet och (iii) hur anser föräldern att den nya familjen bör utformas? Metodvalet är kvalitativt och datainsamling har skett med hjälp av intervjuer. Undersökningspopulationen bestod av sex biologiska föräldrar, varav fyra pappor och två mammor. Vägledande för denna studies teoretiska tolkningsram och design har varit forskning om styvfamiljen samt om rollen som styvförälder. Studien visar att föräldrarnas förväntningar på styvförälderns involveringsgrad i föräldraskapet och synen på hur aktivt styvföräldern utövar styvföräldraskapet är motsägelsefullt. Föräldrarna anser att styvföräldrarnas uppgift är att agera som föräldrar, med förbehållet att det finns frågor där ansvaret bör överlåtas till föräldrarna. Föräldrarna menade att styvföräldrarna var passiva i sitt styvföräldraskap genom bristande aktiviteter ihop med styvbarnen, samtidigt som de var aktiva i styvföräldraskapet genom involvering i styvbarnens vardagsomsorg. Slutsatsen av denna studie är att det finns hög grad av osäkerhet i hur en bra styvförälder bör agera i rollen som styvförälder och trots att målet med styvfamiljen är att efterlikna kärnfamiljen är detta inte praktiskt möjligt.

This thesis deals with adolescence of individual in the context of a family milieu of step family. It is focused on perceiving of contentment of an adolescent with his life in a step family as a determinant in relation to the start of independent life. The thesis consists of theoretical and empirical character. The introduction deals with the theoretical anchoring of each key concept. Individual chapters are dedicated to the step family concept definition. This is done from point of view of terminology, meaning of content, typology and related problems, theoretical framework of adolescence process and definition of basic theoretical life-satisfaction concept. The empirical part is devoted to the quantitative survey which was carried out through a questionnaire survey. The aim of this research was to find out whether the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of adolescent with the life in a step family influences the tendency to start an independent life. Key words: Stepfamily, adolescent, well - being, become independent

The objective of this study was to explore the problems existing in stepfamilies, which affect the relationship between stepparents and adolescent children and their effects on the different systems within these families. A qualitative research approach was followed. Three focus groups were conducted with the respondents. These focus groups were exploring the way things are regarding the adolescent stepchildren’s appraisal of the problems of having a stepparent, relating to him/her; their available coping resources; and their coping responses in adjusting to the situation. The respondents reported limited family interaction. It was also discovered that they were not freely expressing their feelings, especially about their stepparents. Their respondents, their biological parents and their stepparents have received limited professional assistance regarding their to-be-established stepfamilies. The outcomes of this study have shown that the stepfamily members need more professional support in terms of coping with the family situation. The stepfamily members need guidance and assistance with the coping responses with the stressors of having a stepfamily. Further research is recommended to describe the stepparents and biological parent’s relationship to their adolescent stepchildren, in order to provide comparative data for the present study. A study can also be conducted to determine further needs of stepfamilies, especially before remarriage, with regards to professional support services, for instance pre-marital counseling, legal issues pertaining to inheritance, wills, maintenance of stepchildren, adoption and custody of stepchildren. / Dissertation (MA (SW) (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The present study utilizes the relational turbulence model (RTM) to illuminate stepparent experiences of relational uncertainty and partner interference within the context of the stepparent-biological parent marriage. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 6 stepparents revealed four primary themes pertaining to how stepparents experienced relational uncertainty: (a) enactment of parenting, (b) competing expectations, (c) shifts in attitude and behavior by spouse, and (d) differences between marriage partners. Interference from partners was experienced by stepparents in relation to the enactment of parenting and the maintaining of the marriage as an intimate relationship.