Stepfathering Stepchildren

Abstract

In this chapter we turn to analyse the character of stepfather-stepchild relationships. In line with the main theme of the book, we will be concerned principally with the boundaries of family and the ways stepfathers are — and are not — incorporated into people’s understandings of family connection. As suggested in Chapter 5, stepfather-stepchild relationships tend to be somewhat less involved and consequently somewhat more straightforward than those that stepmothers have with their stepchildren. However, as with all stepfamily relationships, there is variation in the patterns that emerge. Among the factors influencing the character of these ties are the ages of the stepchildren at the time the new union is formed, whether the stepfather and stepchildren live in the same household, and the relationship each stepchild has with their natural father. In what follows, we will draw once again on the interview material we collected to illustrate and explore some of the different ways in which stepfather relationships are constructed. As with the previous chapter, this cannot be done in isolation; relationships between stepfathers and their stepchildren are embedded in wider family formations that influence the patterning of the constituent ties.