SOC214H1 Chapter : SOC214 November 29th Reading (2)
Document Summary
Number stepfamilies in north america has rapidly increased over the last 30 years. Challenge facing stepfamilies: they lack recognition and legitimacy. Nuclear family is still recognized as the ideal for all families even though it is now only a minority. Stigmatizing and the lack of agreement about what to call stepfamilies highlights their ambiguous presence in our society. They are incompletely institutionalized which means that there are very few norms to help them know how to interact and develop. Most common type of stepfamily is the stepfather stepfamily where a stepfather lives with a woman and her children from a prior relationship. Early adolescent children had the most difficult adjusting to their parents re-partnering and their relationships with stepparents were more conflicted. Difference between past and present stepfamilies is that the ones in the past were a result of a parent s death, today they are the result of divorce.
