Stepfamilies/ Reconstituted families

Question 1

Reconstituted families account for what percentage of all families with dependent children in Britain ?

Answer 1

Reconstituted families account for 10% of all families with dependent children in Britain

Question 2

What percentage of R families is at least one child from the women’s previous relationship ?

Answer 2

86%

Question 3

What percentage of R families is at least one child from the man’s previous relationship ?

Answer 3

11%

Question 4

What percentage of R families is at least one child from the both the man’s and women’s previous relationship ?

Answer 4

3%

Question 5

Which sociologists found that stepfamilies are similar to first families in all major respects?

Answer 5

Elsa Fern and Kate Smith (1998)

Question 6

Elsa Fern and Kate Smith (1998)

Answer 6

-found that stepfamilies are similar to first families in all major respects

and that involvement of stepparents in childcare and childrearing is a positive one

HOWEVER, THEY DID FIND IN GENERAL STEPFAMILIES ARE AT GREATER RISK OF POVERTY

Question 7

Which sociologists stated that stepfamilies may face particular problems of divided loyalties ?

Answer 7

Allan and Crow (2001)

Question 8

Allan and Crow (2001)

Answer 8

step families may face particular problems of divided loyalties and issues such as contact with the nonresident parent can cause tensions

Question 9

Which sociologist said that there is diversity amongst R/’stepfamilies’?

Answer 9

Jane RIbbens McCArthy et al (2003)

Question 10

Jane RIbbens McCArthy et al (2003)

Answer 10

that there is diversity among R families so we speak of stepfamilies plural rather than the ‘stepfamily’.

Some have few tensions, while for those that do, the tensions are not so different from those in ‘intact’ families

Question 11

Why are there stepfamilies?

Answer 11

factors causing an increase in the number of lone parents, such as divorce and separation, formation of new RS are responsible for the creation of stepfamilies

Question 12

Why is it that in 86% of stepfamilies at least one child is from the women’s previous relationship ?

Answer 12

when marriages and cohabitation break up

-children are more likely to remain with their mother

Question 13

Why might some stepfamilies face tensions?

Answer 13

-may be the lack of clear social norms about how individuals should behave in such families

Question 14

Why are stepfamilies at greater risk of facing poverty?

Answer 14

-often more children
-stepfather may have to also support children from a previous RS