| Mothers in stepfather families |
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A stepfather family is defined as a two-parent family where the adults are
married to each other (or living common-law) and there is at least one child
from the mother's previous relationship living with them. According to
Statistics Canada (1996), four out of ten married Canadians will divorce. In
1975, only 12% of all marriages involved persons who had been previously married
while in 1995 this figure had gone up to 21.5%. Most of these divorced
individuals who remarry bring with them children from previous relationships,
resulting in an ever-increasing number of stepfamilies. Given that this type of family is a growing phenomenon in our society, many researchers have been trying to understand how these families function. When one looks at all the research articles that have been published, it becomes clear that the mothers in stepfather families have not received much attention. Some experts suggest that the mother and children in these families are in a better position to shape the family culture than the step relationships are because they have a history, patterns of interaction, and strong bonds that predate the new couple and the new family unit. Moreover, given that the mother is the one who brought the family together, she holds a very peculiar place in this family system. She is like the glue that keeps everyone together and this creates a series of unique circumstances and experiences for her. Read the full article... |
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