«Mujer de mi madre». Identidad y funciones de los coprogenitores y de las coprogenitoras en familias reconstituidas no heteronormativas

Abstract

Abstract. "My mother's wife": Identity and functions of co-parents in non-heteronormative stepfamiliesThis article examines the representation of stepparents in non-heteronormative stepfamilies and addresses their identity and roles. Four families that came from a prior heterosexual marriage and one from a prior homosexual marriage were interviewed. The results reveal that sexual orientation is not relevant in family relationships for the couples interviewed. However, divorce and a new relation can be a cause of conflict, making it important to define the role of the stepparents. Stepparents are defined as friends and counsellors, roles they should not overstep. Moreover, involvement of the other parent, the children's age and cohabitation are factors that influence stepparents' identity and functions.

Social work in the face of new challenges: blended families

“…Some of these changes have been underwritten by regulations addressing the new concepts of family, such as Law 13/2005, which legalized marriage for same-sex couples. These changes have supported the emergence of new family models and other types of relationships (Ajenjo-Cosp & García-Saladrigas, 2016;Álvarez & Romo, 2018). In fact, since the end of the 1990s, new discursive codes have appeared that consider the "family" as a social investment that requires inclusive public policies regarding diversity, the democratisation of family relationships, and the implementation of the principles of Human Rights (Palacio, 2020).…”

“…As early as 1986, Germain identified 48 potential configurations based on gender, the status of the couple, the custody of children not in common, and whether the new couple have children in common or not (Ajenjo-Cosp & García-Saladrigas, 2016;Saint-Jacques, 2009). Gloria Álvarez and Nuria Romo (2018) noted that blended families are so diverse that various emerging types could be distinguished, such as blended families headed by same-sex couples (Saint-Jacques, 2009).…”

“…According to Álvarez and Romo (2018), research on these families has tended to address relationships between the children and their parents, while virtually ignoring the new partner. This invisibility, both theoretical and social, is reflected in the lack of a consensual term to characterise these individuals.…”

“…This invisibility, both theoretical and social, is reflected in the lack of a consensual term to characterise these individuals. Thus, the terminology of kinship makes explicit the dissonances and contradictions created by the tension between biology and society in its construction (Álvarez & Romo, 2018;Moncó & Rivas, 2007).…”