Affiliation:
1. University of Connecticut, USA,
2. University of Missouri, USA
Abstract
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.
Subject
Sociology and Political Science,Developmental and Educational Psychology,Communication,Social Psychology
Reference51 articles.
1. ‘Feeling Caught’ in Stepfamilies: Managing Boundary Turbulence through Appropriate Communication Privacy Rules
2. Bernstein, A. ( 1994). Women in stepfamilies: The fairy godmother, the wicked witch, and Cinderella reconstructed. In M. Mirkin (Ed.), Women in context: Towards a feminist reconstruction of psychotherapy (pp. 188-213). New York: Guilford.
3. Braverman, L. ( 1989). Beyond the myth of motherhood. In M. McGoldrick & C. Anderson (Eds.), Women in families: A framework for family therapy (pp. 227-243). New York: W.W. Norton.
4. Family relationships and children's adjustment in clinical and nonclinical stepfather families.
5. Developmental Issues in StepFamilies Research Project: Family relationships and parent^child interactions.
Cited by
73 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献，注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献，订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献