Protector and friend: Turning points and discursive constructions of the stepparent role

Abstract

Objective To understand turning points (TPs) in the development of positive stepparent–stepchild communication and relationships. Background Scholars stress the importance of communication in co‐constructing healthy stepparent–stepchild relationships. The researchers focused on positive stepparenting via understanding transformational turning point (TP) events across time. Research questions explored how stepparents with an overall positive relationship with a stepchild characterize TPs and the discursive constructions of the stepparent role. Method The team analyzed 877 pages of data from 37 in‐depth interviews with stepparents who described self‐identified TP events, reflected in visual graphs of 279 TPs. Results Data were coded into 11 TP types, focused on structural and role changes for stepparents, co‐constructed over time. The top three TP types were changes in household composition, communicating support through offering protection and being present/available, and role change, most frequently by functioning as a parent versus friend. All the TPs highlight discursive work to forge positive stepparenting roles. Conclusions The findings extend earlier studies of stepchildren's experiences and communication practices that ground resilience to manage relational resources through investments of quality time and enactment of social support. Implications Applications suggest support for stepparents to have quality interactions with stepchildren and training to develop healthy communication practices and facilitate resilience.

Studying stepfamilies, surfacing secrets: A reflection on the private motivations behind efforts to humanize family complexity

“…Normative‐adaptive perspectives that shed light on resilience in complex families are the foundation of my work. Efforts to highlight the strengths of stepfamilies (and of non‐nuclear family forms more broadly) remain necessary, and those who are committed to these efforts should know that they are in good company (see Acosta, 2021; Adler‐Baeder & Higginbotham, 2020; Beckmeyer et al, 2020; Bergeson et al, 2020; Bermea et al, 2020; Braithwaite et al, 2018; Ganong & Coleman, 2018; Jensen, 2022; Oliver‐Blackburn et al, 2022; Papernow, 2018; Petren & Ferraro, 2022; Russell et al, 2022; van Eeden‐Moorefield & Pasley, 2013; Waldron et al, 2018). In my journey of working toward a more holistic understanding of stepfamily life that challenges deficit perspectives of family complexity, another theoretical home also has been foundational to my thinking and scholarship: feminist theory.…”

Financial contributions to stepchildren: The role of gender and postdivorce family structure

“…As LAT stepparents do not live with their stepchildren, we expect them to contribute less often than married or cohabiting stepparents. Furthermore, marriage often increases the legitimacy of stepparents' roles in childrearing and signifies a higher commitment between partners than cohabitation (Buchanan et al, 1996; Oliver‐Blackburn et al, 2022; Sassler & Lichter, 2020) or LAT. Marriage could, therefore, increase feelings of family unity in a stepfamily, encouraging stepparents to spend more on their stepchildren.…”

“…Prior literature refers to a shared child as a “concrete baby” because a shared child can cement bonds between stepfamily members and increase the legitimacy of stepparents as parental figures in the eyes of their stepchildren (Bernstein, 1989; Ganong & Coleman, 1994, p. 104; Oliver‐Blackburn et al, 2022). Moreover, as stepfamilies often lack well‐defined social and legal norms, shared children can have a symbolic meaning, defining these norms better via confirming commitment between partners and corroborating their status as a family (Ivanova & Balbo, 2019).…”

“…It, second, implies that there is little focus on more recent stepfamily types that are more diverse in terms of the residence arrangements for children and the type of relationship between the biological parent and the stepparent, such as stepfamilies with part‐time resident children—in the case of joint physical custody—or living‐apart‐together (LAT) stepfamilies (Raley & Sweeney, 2020; Sweeney, 2010). This is a pity as prior research suggests coresidence and commitment levels between partners are important for building better stepparent–child relationships (Oliver‐Blackburn et al, 2022; van Houdt, 2023), which could, in turn, foster stepparents' contributions.…”

Diverse Stepfamilies

“…As LAT stepparents do not live with their stepchildren, we expect them to contribute less often than married or cohabiting stepparents. Furthermore, marriage often increases the legitimacy of stepparents' roles in childrearing and signifies a higher commitment between partners than cohabitation(Buchanan et al, 1996;Oliver- Blackburn et al, 2022;Sassler & Lichter, 2020) or LAT. Marriage could, therefore, increase feelings of family unity in a stepfamily, encouraging stepparents to spend more on their stepchildren.…”