Abstract The paper explores the dynamics of the blendedfamily, with a focus on the children of the new family unit. The paper discusses the stages and process of "blending" a new family and examines the counseling of blendedfamilies in crisis. The paper shows how the success of the new family depends on their ability to form a cohesive group and establish boundaries. The paper concludes that more research needs to address the significant characteristics of the blendedfamily so that family therapists can develop programs that are only available for the nuclear family.
Outline:
Social Dynamics of the BlendedFamily Stages to Becoming Blended Counseling BlendedFamilies in Crisis
Discussion and Recommendations
From the Paper "According to the 200o US Census, approximately 52-62% of all marriages end in divorce (US Census Bureau, 2001). These numbers are staggering when one considers that out of every 100 marriages 43% involve a previously married spouse. Nearly 60% of all remarriages will end in divorce (US Census Bureau, 2001). In 2001, 5.4 million children lived in a blended family consisting of one biological parent and either a stepparent or adoptive parent (Kreider & Fields, 2005). In every case, it would be easy to say that both parties had the best intentions in mind when they made the decision to marry, but something went wrong. These statistics highlight the importance of family counseling in the attempt to help families work out their problems, or help them cope when a relationship ends."
Abstract This paper studies blended and step families, exploring their potential benefits and unique obstacles. The paper stresses the importance of counseling prior to remarriage, particularly when children are involved.
From the Paper "From adoption and surrogate parenting to increasing rates of remarriage and same-sex parents, the number of diverse family constellations in United States society continues to grow. Such constellations offer enormous benefits as well as ..."
Abstract This is a detailed paper that combines the results from 15 studies to determine how stepmothers and stepdaughters tend to interact, as well as what factors indicate the likelihood of successful or unsuccessful blendedfamily adjustment.
From the Paper "Research on blended families reveals that the stepmother-stepdaughter relationship has a superimposed emotional factor not present in the natural parent-child relationship, or any other blended dyad. This superimposed factor is the existence of the "wicked stepmother" myth throughout oral history. A quick look at traditional fairy tales provides a grim picture of the abusive, jealous stepmother and her long-suffering stepdaughter. Women can be seen as good surrogate mothers, but only when referred to as something other than ?stepmother.? For example, the term "foster mother" or "adoptive mother" is associated with women's unselfish, generous desires to care for orphaned children; however the term "stepmother" has connotations of neglect and abhorrence."
Abstract The paper explores how family health nursing is an approach to nursing that recognizes the importance of the family for the patient. The paper discusses how the idea of the nuclear family has changed, with many new forms of families common today, such as single-parent, step and blendedfamilies. The paper explains that a family health nurse works with the family of the patient as much as the actual patient. The nurse is often the link between medical specialists and the patient's family and family members can become the health decision makers when the patient is not capable of making decisions for him/herself.
From the Paper "Family health nursing is an approach to nursing that recognizes the significance of the family for the patient. A family health nurse works with the family of the patient as much as the actual patient. They typically work with the patient and their family in the patient's home. They may provide advice to family members and show them how to care for the patient. This can include medical tasks such as how to change a patient's dressings or how to administer their medication. It can also include other tasks such as how to provide a positive environment for the patient and how to identify signs that the patient is anxious or depressed. They may also recognize family members that are not coping and provide support and guidance. Finally, they can also identify issues within the family and recommend action to be taken, such as by referring family members to appropriate social services."
Abstract This paper examines the transformation of the traditional American family and the impact of the non-traditional family in today's world. The paper explains that the non-traditional family is called a "blendedfamily" and is more prevalent today than thirty years ago because divorce rates are rising and remarriages are much more common. The paper notes that significant changes are occurring in the marriage patterns in the United States, as individuals are postponing marriage until later in life and more people are choosing not to get married. The paper also points out that the area where change is most apparent centers around patterns of child-bearing. The paper then discusses the various types of non-traditional families. The paper contends that , for all types of non-traditional families, the changes will only come from shifts in cultural prejudices and this kind of change will be slow, but there are signs that some preliminary movement is beginning to take place.
From the Paper "The image of the American family looks and functions very differently than families of the past few decades. Men and women raised in the 1960's and 1970's when programs such as "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Father Knows Best" exemplify the average family, are likely to find themselves in situations that have changed dramatically. Research claims that many family structures are common: single-parent families, remarried couples, unmarried couples, step families, foster families, multi-generational families, extended families, and the doubling up of two families within the same home. Marriage, divorce, and patterns of childbirth are some of the factors that have contributed to these significant changing families. With these changes come the possibility of remarriage and the creation of new families which bring together parents and children without blood ties."
Tags: divorce, remarriage, cultural, prejudice, child-bearing, population
Abstract This paper discusses a particular family and the problems within the family structure that are observable in the relationship between the sisters Terry and Maxine. The paper notes that, while the family has been guided for most of its existence by the mother of these siblings, the mother has died and the conflicts that have evolved throughout the family history between these two sisters have begun to affect the entire family. This is evident in the arguments over selling the house, the decision of the family to no longer have Sunday dinners and the severing of ties between family members after the mother's death.
Abstract This paper discusses the concept of family in light of various feminist views. The concept of the nuclear family as a white-supremacist view as well as concepts regarding Marx's and Engel's beliefs on feminism and family prior to Stalinism are also reviewed. Additional comments surround the three types of rights theorists view for Canada and the family - right-based for the individual family unit, state-based or community-based, depending on which view of family and family responsibility you have.
Abstract This paper looks at changing family structures in America. The traditional family is discussed as well as different recent family structures that are now widely accepted. The author illustrates how the debut of these new family structures will help the next generation become more open-minded citizens of the world than past generations. The importance is stressed of how the shift in attitudes and our increased awareness and acceptance of things other than the norm has allowed such families to grow without shame or stigma.
From the Paper "The traditional definition of family included a man and woman with children and perhaps a grandmother and a grandfather. Over time, it was common to find families consisting of adopted children, children of family members and stepchildren (i.e. "The Brady Bunch"). The 1990 U.S. Census revealed that only 16 percent of today's families fit the traditional definition.
Today's families may consist of married couples without children, cohabiting families, and single-parent families, blended families, stepfamilies, grandparent-led families, multiracial families, families where the adult(s) are homosexual, commuter families, foster home families and community families. In a study by Jan Hare and Lizbeth Gray, Professors at Oregon State University outlined some of the many scenarios that have arisen due to the evolving familial structure."
Abstract This paper discusses the importance of the family unit and the influence that family has on a child's life. The paper discusses the writer's family unit. It examines the boundaries, rules, rituals and traditions that apply to the writer's own family through his/her nuclear family and extended family relationships.
From the Paper "Family Assessment Project A child's family is perhaps the single most important influence on his or her life. Children model their future relationships on those they see in childhood. They frequently carry the boundaries, rules, rituals, and traditions that they grew up with into the families that they head in maturity. The things that children carry into maturity can be both positive and negative, continuing on the heritage of a functional or dysfunctional family. This paper will examine the boundaries, rules, rituals, and traditions that apply to my own family through nuclear family and extended family relationships. My family of origin consisted of my mother, my father, one brother and three sisters. We had a close-knit family structure. It was essentially a closed family type, with rigid rules and predictable behavior. We did share affection with each other, but none of us were demonstrative in our affection."
Abstract The paper looks at "Debunking Myths about Marriages and Families" where the authors, Mary Ann Schwartz and Barbara Marliene Scott, argue against five specific beliefs that dominate American cultural views on the institution of marriage and the nuclear family. The paper goes through these five myths and posits that, with the exception of one argument, the authors present very persuasive arguments that are logically sound and devoid of any obvious logical fallacies, reliance on emotionally loaded terms, or any other apparent faulty reasoning.
Outline:
Introduction
Myth # 1 - The Universal Nuclear Family Myth # 2 - The Self-Reliant Family Myth # 3 - The Naturalness of Different Spheres for Wives and Husbands
Myth # 4 - The Unstable African American Family Myth # 5 - The Idealized Nuclear Family of the 1950s
From the Paper "Schwartz and Scott (2000) take on the proverbial notion that the concept of family is necessarily defined only the way it has been presented in the U.S. mainstream culture. The authors suggest that family is more accurately defined much more broadly than by the image of one man and one woman married for life and raising children together. Instead, they argue that any survey of cultures worldwide would reveal very different expectations of what a family is and that the description commonly accepted in this particular part of the world represents only one of many models evident in human culture."
Abstract This paper discusses the Bowen family model as it relates to family units, particularly those of couples. The paper explains the theories in the model and points out how they take into account account the familial situation, both current and past, and its vast power over the life of an individual. The paper concludes that the Bowen model is of great utility in the field of therapy, in that it recognized the vast importance of family upon the function of the individual members thereof, and devised methods to establish the most effective therapy possible.
Outline:
Differentiation of Self
Triangles
Nuclear Family Emotional Processes
Family Projection Process
Multigenerational Transmission Process
Sibling Position
Emotional cutoff
Societal Emotional Process
Conclusion
From the Paper "Differentiation of self emanates from the needs required by an individual, and in the realm of health development, to separate one's own intellectual and emotional functioning from that of the family unit or iteration thereof. The family is a unit because it operates as a system. (Bowen, Kerr 10) This unit may be defined as a husband and wife traditionally, although alternate "families" are fully possible, with the prime feature irregardless of the particular situation being the melding of the individual "I's" involved in the relationship into the singular "we". This situation of maintaining distinct separateness in the face of a cohesive unit is one of conflict, with an individual's reaction sometimes being so acute as to turn into violence due to the individual's incapacity to deal with a perceived lack of a sense of oneself within a relationship."
This paper examines the ability of African-American families to exhibit resiliency can be understood through a consideration of their historical circumstances
Abstract This paper examines African-American history and the values that this community has, despite their history of slavery, discrimination and poverty. It examines the community's strong commitment to education, a strong work orientation, and sense of responsibility. This paper also includes a study of African-American resiliency that was developed by the author in order to find out what adversities African-Americans faced in the pursuit of their education. The results of this study were then analyzed, and compared to the findings of prior research done on the subject. The survey included questions about age; experiences of racism, or discrimination; family structure during childhood and who helped raise them; and motivating factor for staying in school.
From the paper:
"As slaves, black children were informally adopted and raised by other people in their immediate community rather than nuclear family arrangements. These extended family arrangements are still a prominent feature of contemporary African-American families and may be considered a major survival tool. The most important service provided by black kinship networks is support to single mothers, especially teen mothers. Hill's research has revealed that kin provide a wide range of support to young single mothers, often enabling them to complete their education or to obtain a job. Finally, the religious beliefs and behavior are strengths that exist among African-American families. In his research, Hill found that 82 percent of black adults said that religion was very important in their lives."
Abstract This paper shows how the single-parent family has struggled through American history and why the statistics are showing that their style of living is on the rise. It gives specific examples of single-parent black families with woman or men as the head of the household, and it also offers lots of statistics pulled from reliable research as to why these kinds of families are multiplying in our society. It also discusses in some detail the huge effect of poverty on these families even though the statistics poorly depict their lifestyles, and discusses the solution.
From the Paper "Eighty-four percent of all black children will live in a single-parent family before they are eighteen years old (Clegg). Currently, in the black community, the birthrate of out-of-wedlock babies is sixty-nine percent, while in the white community, the statistics are edging toward twenty-five percent (Rector). Do these facts sound alarming to you? Is there something about the white community that is different from the black community? To the modern world, being a single, black parent and raising a child is not very uncommon ? not to mention simply being a single-parent to begin with. We as a society like to believe that there really is no difference between black and white ? that we are all equal. This may be the case, but there are still some aspects of our daily lives where black and white can be very different. The issue of race and single-parent families has been the subject of enormous controversy. The extended black family, often considered a source of strength and stability, has declined steadily since 1940, as has the white extended family. A disproportionate number of black children have been raised by single parents, a trend that can lead to family instability, poverty and welfare use. As we look at some alarming statistics, we see that the black community has indeed seen a rise in the numbers of single-parent families. The rise of single-parent families in the black community has a great impact on the lives of those children involved and also on the community around them. In the following paper, I will share with you some of the statistics that I have come across during my research on this topic, and I will also include insight on its impact on society."
Abstract Therapeutic work with families is a recent scientific phenomenon but an ancient art. Throughout human history, designated persons in all cultures have helped couples and families cope, adjust, and grow (Samuel T. Gladding). In the preface of his book, Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods, Family Therapist, Michael P. Nichols stresses the importance of an elaborate session with the unhappy family, and the goals it accomplishes that are very much absent from the regular, traditional approaches or the academic sessions.
Abstract This essay contains varied responses to issues that concern a sociological study of Canadian Families. Included in this paper is a summary of research conducted by the writer (telephone surveys), and summary explanations of general issues that relate to families in Canadian society, such as family income, poverty and single-parent families, effects of stress and family crisis, and at-risk youth.
