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Brave New Stepfamilies
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Brave New Stepfamilies
Diverse Paths Toward Stepfamily Living



December 2006 | 304 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

"Brave New Stepfamilies is an excellent treatise on today's families....This volume is a welcome addition to the field of family studies, and I highly recommend it."
—Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University

"A thorough, balanced tour de force!"
—Frances Goldscheider, University of Maryland

Brave New Stepfamilies maps the changing landscape of American stepfamilies, taking readers on a tour through the diverse assortment of traditional and not-so-traditional stepfamily forms that have emerged in recent years. Author Susan D. Stewart presents the latest scholarly research on stepfamilies in an accessible way, weaving together predominant theoretical perspectives, findings from research and national surveys, and interviews with stepfamily members.

Key Features:

  • Investigates the social and demographic trends that have irrevocably altered stepfamily life: While most books on stepfamilies focus on divorce and remarriage, this book examines recent trends, such as couples having children and living together outside of marriage, parents sharing custody of children, gay marriage, the aging population, and increasing racial and ethnic diversity, that provide multiple pathways to stepfamily formation.
  • Explores a wide range of living arrangements, caregiving, and intimacy scenarios: This book captures the lived experience of contemporary Americans. Extending across various household settings, this book pays special attention to multihousehold stepfamilies, stepparent adoption, stepfamilies with adult stepchildren, and African American stepfamilies.
  • Provides practical information on the prevalence of stepfamilies in society: Counting the number of stepfamilies in society is difficult; published estimates are sometimes unreliable. This book describes the latest data sources, trends in data collection, and data limitations. In addition, useful information on the legal and practical realities of living as a stepfamily is provided.

Intended Audience:

This is an excellent text for a variety of advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on family, such as Divorce and Remarriage, Stepfamilies, Family Diversity, Gay and Lesbian Families, Aging and the Family, African American Families, and Family Policy, in departments of sociology, human development & family studies, psychology, African American or ethnic studies, and public policy.


 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
1. Brave New Stepfamilies
The Evolution of an Institution

 
The Problem of Estimating the Prevalence of Stepfamilies

 
Summary

 
 
2. Understanding and Explaining Stepfamilies
Theoretical Developments in Stepfamily Research

 
Biosocial Perspective

 
Deficit-Comparison Approaches

 
Social Capital

 
Family Stress

 
Selection Perspective

 
Risk-and-Resiliency and Family Processes Perspectives

 
Family Systems, Definitions, and Boundaries

 
Incomplete Institutionalization

 
Stigma

 
Family Obligations

 
Culture Shock in Stepfamilies

 
The Stepfamiliy Cycle

 
Comprehensive Models

 
Summary

 
 
3. Stepfamilies Created by Divorce and Remarriage
Stepfamiliy Roles and Relationships

 
Stepfamiliy Adjustment and Well-Being

 
Other Variables in the Study of the Stepfamily

 
Summary

 
 
4. Stepfamilies Created by Nonmarital Childbearing
Trends in Nonmarital Childbearing

 
Self-Perceptions of Stepfamilies Created by Nonmarital Childbearing

 
Relationships in Stepfamilies Created by Nonmarital Childbearing

 
The Well-Being of Stepfamilies Created by Nonmarital Childbearing

 
Summary

 
 
5. Cohabiting Stepfamilies
Trends in Cohabitation

 
The Meaning of Cohabitation to Stepfamily Living

 
Relationships in Cohabiting Stepfamilies

 
The Well-Being of Cohabiting Stepfamilies

 
The Well-Being of Children in Cohabiting Stepfamilies

 
Summary

 
 
6. Multihousehold Stepfamilies
The Tradition of the Household as the Unit of Analysis

 
Why Studying Stepfamily Households Doesn't Work

 
Conceptualizations of Stepfamilies That Extend Across Households

 
Nonresident Stepfamily Relationships

 
Summary

 
 
7. African American Stepfamilies
Family Patterns Among African Americans

 
Distinctive Features of African American Stepfamilies

 
Stigmatization of African American Stepfamilies

 
Relationships in African American Stepfamilies

 
The Well-Being of African American Stepfamilies

 
Summary

 
 
8. Stepfamilies With Gay or Lesbian Parents
Defining Stepfamilies With Gay or Lesbian Parents

 
Limitations of Previous Research

 
A Triple Stigmatized Group

 
Institutionalization of Stepfamilies With Gay or Lesbian Parents

 
Relationships in Stepfamilies With Gay or Lesbian Parents

 
The Well-Being of Stepfamilies With Gay or Lesbian Parents

 
Summary

 
 
9. Stepfamilies With Adult Stepchildren
The Rise of Stepfamilies With Adult Stepchildren

 
Relationships in Stepfamilies With Adult Stepchildren

 
The Well-Being of Later-Life Stepfamilies

 
Summary

 
 
10. New Stepfamilies in an Old World
Implications for Theory and Research

 
Implications for Policy and Practice

 
Summary

 

For instructors

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