Reconstituted Families

Haskey
1. Married or cohabiting couple with dependent children - at least 1 not biologically related to both partners.
De'ath & Slater
1. These families face no. of challenges
  1. Children have to negotiate relationships between various adults & could be tension & conflict between them & step-siblings.
De'ath & Slater and Allen & Crow
1. Research into the tension found boundaries are unclear - especially when there's still contact between kids and non-residential natural parent.
  1. ↑ may explain why half of all remarriages which form a step family end in divorce.
    1. It's argued - as this family type becomes more common - new norms will develop = clarifies roles within it & so reduces tensions.
Evaluation
1. Research tends to focus on the problems
  1. Bedell - argues it also offers new opportunities
2. Generalisations should be made with care
  1. Step families are SO diverse, huge variations in relationships within the families & their relationships with other kins.

Resource summary

	Created by Kirsty White almost 10 years ago