AHSC 313 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Stepfamily
7 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Remarriage takes place quickly after earlier marriages end. All step family members have experienced important losses: losses include divorce, loss of parental structure, changes in reside, income and changing relationships with grandparents. There is a higher instance of repeated and profound loss. All members come with histories: adults and children come together more suddenly. Parent-child bonds predate the new couple relationship: couples do not have time to develop an intimate marriage relationship, the parent-child bond is usually stronger than the spousal relationship which can cause tension. Children are members of two households: children are exposed to two different ways of living, they must learn to operate under two different sets of rules. Stepparents have few legal rights: step parents have no authority or control over their step-children. This allows step parents and step children to form friendships without the pressures of living together.
