Marilyn Coleman

Remarried Family Relationships

The Context of Remarried Families Paths to Remarried Family Life Remarriage Relationships Stepparent-Stepchild Relationships Other Stepfamily Relationships Clinical and Developmental Perspectives Epilogue The Study of Remarried Families in the 1990s

Remarriage and Stepfamily Research in the 1980s: Increased Interest in an Old Family Form

Nearly all the existing empirical work on step-families has been published in the last decade. This review first describes the demographic context for this work and then surveys research on stepchildren remarriage and stepfamily functioning [in the United States]. Problems in the extant research are identified and attention is given to areas that need to be explored in the future. Explicit and implicit theories that guided remarriage and stepfamily research in the 80s receive special emphasis. The review closes with suggestions regarding the direction of future theory in these areas of research. (EXCERPT)

Stepparents' Affinity-Seeking and Affinity-Maintaining Strategies With Stepchildren

The purposes of this study were to examine the strategies that stepparents use to develop and maintain affinity with stepchildren and the effects that these strategies have on the development of stepparent-stepchild relationships. Data were collected via interviews with members of 17 stepfamilies in which there was at least one stepchild between the ages of 10 and 19 living in the household. Stepparent-stepchild relationships are characterized by liking and affection when stepparents focus on developing friendships with stepchildren and when they continue those efforts after they begin sharing a residence together. We identified 31 affinity-seeking strategies. Dyadic activities worked best, but it is important that stepchildren recognize affinity-seeking attempts. The success of affinity-seeking and affinity-maintaining strategies are contingent on the interpersonal and intrapersonal contexts within which they occur. In the stepfamilies in which step-relationships were poor, there was competition from the nonresidential parent, the stepparents had take-charge personalities, and the stepchildren did not recognize the stepparents affinity-seeking efforts.

The effects of remarriage on children: a review of the empirical literature.

This paper reviews 38 empirical studies of the effect of remarriage on children. The body of research on stepchildren has been characterized by: 1) the use of a deficit-comparison model 2) limited conceptualization of family structural variables 3) a failure to account for the complexity of stepfamilies 4) small or nonrandom samples 5) reliance on self-report questionnaires and 6) the use of data gathered from 1 family member. Remarriage of parents did not appear to relate to problem behavior or negative attitudes toward self and others in stepchildren. In general there was little evidence that children in stepfamilies differ from children in other family structures on such variables as school grades academic achievement field independence IQ psychosomatic symptoms personality characteristics social behavior family relationships and marriage attitudes. Even though the reasons for nonprobability sampling are probably justifiable studies should not be excused for the poor descriptions of sampling methods used and the dearth of cautions regarding limits to concluding and generalizing from such samples. More studies using blind observations of behavior combined with self-reported perceptions of stepchildren and their significant others are needed if research on stepchildren is to advance.

A mothering but not a mother role: A grounded theory study of the nonresidential stepmother role

We propose a model based on grounded theory depicting how women construct the roles of nonresidential stepmothers. Eleven middle-class stepmothers identified three general roles: mothering but not mother roles, other-focused roles, and outsider roles. These roles were influenced by issues relating to the biological mothers, their spouses, their stepchildren, their own biological children, extended kin, and experiences external to the family. When enacting their roles as stepmother, they encountered issues surrounding a perceived lack of control and ambiguous role perceptions. Positive evaluations of role enactments were credited to their step-children; failures to the stepchildren’s and the stepmothers’ own behaviors. A central concept that tied these categories together and overshadowed factors in role conceptualization, experiences in role enactment, and evaluation of role performance was the ideology of motherhood.

Caught in the middle: Mothers in stepfamilies:

This article presents a grounded theory investigation of the roles women fulfill as mothers in stepfamilies. A key role for these 24 mothers was serving as the link between the stepfather (her husband) and her children. When conflicts arose between children and stepfathers, mothers’ loyalties lay with their children, and they engaged in protective behavior manifested in four ways: defender, gatekeeper, mediator, and interpreter. Influences on these roles include (i) expectations for and perceptions of her family, (ii) her partner’s experiences with families and children, (iii) structural characteristics of stepfamilies, and (iv) beliefs about children’s needs. The performance of protective mother roles has important implications for the integration and development of the stepfamily, familial roles for family members, and women’s general well-being.

The content of mother stereotypes

Although there is considerable empirical support for the existence of social stereotypes about different types of mothers, the content of those stereotypes is less clear. The purpose of this study was to identify the content of stereotypes related to different “types” of mothers. Stereotyped attributes of married mothers, stepmothers, divorced mothers, and never married mothers were generated by several samples and combined into one list. A subsequent sample was asked to indicate the percentage of each type of mother possessing each characteristic. The content of mother stereotypes was examined, and the results discussed in light of effects on social interactions, the self-image of women, and future attempts to assess family-related stereotypes.

Preparing for Remarriage: Anticipating the Issues, Seeking Solutions.

Each year, approximately 1.5 million people will remarry (Glick, 1980). Nearly 600% of these remarrying adults will have custody of at least one child, and 20% will have noncustodial children (Weingarten, 1980). Since an estimated 1 out of 5 marriages is a remarriage for one or both spouses, this represents a large group of marriages and families in the United States today. Remarriages are at higher risk for dissolution than first marriages (Glick, 1984), and remarriages, when children from a prior relationship are present, are even more prone to divorce than childless remarriages (White & Booth, 1985). While approximately 50% of first marriages end in divorce, nearly 55% of remarriages are dissolved (Cherlin, 1981). Remarriages, especially those involving one or more partners who have children from previous relationships, are faced with complexity and complications beyond the typical stresses and strains facing any married couple (Visher & Visher, 1979). Adults who form stepfamilies find themselves dealing not only with normative marital issues (e.g., sex, in-laws, finances), but also with potentially conflictual issues that are unique to stepfamilies. For example, disagreements over stepchildren appear to be a frequent problem (Albrecht, Bahr, & Goodman, 1983; Visher & Visher, 1982), as are relationships with former spouses (Whiteside, 1983), the lack of societal guidelines for stepfamily roles (Cherlin, 1978), difficulties in merging two different lifestyles (Stanton, 1986), blurred boundaries (Roberts & Price, 1986), and certain legal problems (Messinger, 1984). Many other issues have been identified by clinical writers (see Ganong & Coleman, 1986). With the frequently greater complexity of stepfamilies, it is not surprising that clinicians consider stepfamilies to be prone to conflict (Visher & Visher, 1982). In response to the apparent risks of stepfamily living, many authors have called for educational interventions for stepfamilies that are designed to prevent problems before they occur (Messinger, 1976; Messinger, Walker & Freeman, 1978; Miller, 1985; Pill, 1981; Stanton, 1986). Educational programs designed to assist remarried adults and their children through the transition of remarriage are believed to be costefficient and effective ways to help stepfamilies avoid common problems (Messinger, 1976). Many, if not most, of the conflicts and problems encountered by stepfamilies are not due to individual psychopathology or to inevitable interpersonal hassles, but instead are due to potentially preventable situations (Stanton, 1986). It has been argued that proper preparation for remarriage that includes careful consideration of potentially toxic issues can help families avoid many difficulties of stepfamily life (Messinger, 1976; Pill, 1981). A plethora of self-help books have been written toward this end and several intervention programs have been designed to prepare people for remarriage (e.g., Currier, 1982; Einstein, 1986).

A Comparison of Clinical and Empirical Literature on Children in Stepfamilies.

The purpose of this study was to review the literature on stepchildren and compare clinical or applied work to empirical research in the area. A total of 114 empirical studies and clinical references were reviewed. Comparisons were made on a number of dimensions, namely, theoretical approaches, methodology, types of stepfamilies, issues and dependent variables examined, other variables considered, and conclusions drawn. There was little congruence in the foci of studies by researchers and clinicians. Implications of this lack of congruence are discussed.

The Sibling Relationship in Young Adulthood: Sibling Functions and Relationship Perceptions as Influenced by Sibling Pair Composition

The relationship between sibling pair type (i.e., sister-sister, sister-brother, brother-brother, brother-sister) and performance of sibling functions (i.e., services that siblings perform for each other) was investigated using a sample of 224 college students. Also examined was the relationship between perceived sibling functions and perceptions of closeness. As hypothesized, sister pairs were more likely to report performing certain sibling functions than were other sibling pair types. The expectation that sibling functions and sibling closeness would be related was partially supported, particularly for women responding about either a sister or a brother.