topic 2 - family diversity - STEP FAMILIES

Question 1

What is a PRO of being a reconstituted family.

Answer 1

FERRI SMITH- found that step families very similar to 1st families in all major respects, and that involvement of stepparents in childcarer and child rearing is a positive one.
MORE SIBLINGS = MORE SUPPORT

Question 2

what is the CON of stepfamilies

Answer 2

FERRI SMITH - stepfamilies greater risk of poverty are often more children and because stepfather may haver to support children from a previous relationship.

ALLAN AND CROW- stepfamilies may face particular problems of divided loyalties and issues e.g. contact with non resident parent can cause tensions.
TENSION - faced by stepfamilies may be result of clear social norms act how individ should behave in such families.

Question 3

why is divorce a reason for an increase in reconstituted families

Answer 3

SF formed when LPF form new partnerships, this factors causing an increase in No of lone parents, e.g divorce and separation responsible for creation of stepfamilies

Question 4

why is courts a reason for an increase in reconstituted families

Answer 4

children in stepfamilies from women’s prev relationships than the man’s because when marriages and cohabit break up, children likely to remain with mothers

Question 5

what’s McCARTHY’s evaluation for stepfamilies

Answer 5

conclude that there’s diversity among these families and so we should speak of ‘stepfamilies’ plural rather than ‘stepfamily’ some have few tensions, while for those that do, the tensions aren’t not so different from those ‘intact’ families.