Structured Interview Paper1 – The Blended Family

Week 4: Overview

Stepfather Families

 

Source:  Deposit Photos (Links to an external site.)

As you read chapter 5 on stepfathers, ponder what you typically think about the role of a father in a family.  Most research has been centered around absentee fathers and the pending impact.  Traditionally, fathers are usually considered the bread winners although this has changed considerably, and in fact, the father concept has moved beyond simply financial supporter to supplying emotional support as well.  With the emergence of new frameworks for understanding fathers in general, and stepfathers in particular, there is a need for new role models. Structured Interview Paper1 – The Blended Family

Our lectures this week will cover stepfathers and their experiences, dominant social myths about stepfathers, and issues of cultural diversity and stepfathers.  You will read chapter 5 of the text that covers the experiences of stepfathers, reviews the dominant social myths and the issues surrounding cultural diversity.  One take away concept for this week should be that while new frameworks of understanding have been created, old challenges still remain for stepfathers.

This week, you will participate in your weekly discussion board post and your first structured interview paper assignment on the blended family will be due.  The details of this paper are available on the  Week 4 Activities  page.

Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

· Recognize the dominant social myths of stepfather families

· Recognize the issues of cultural diversity and stepfathers

· Apply a new framework of understanding stepfather families

Week 4: Overview

Stepfather Families

As you read chapter 5 on stepfathers, ponder what you typically think about the role of a father in a family.  Most research has been centered around absentee fathers and the pending impact.  Traditionally, fathers are usually considered the bread winners although this has changed considerably, and in fact, the father concept has moved beyond simply financial supporter to supplying emotional support as well.  With the emergence of new frameworks for understanding fathers in general, and stepfathers in particular, there is a need for new role models.

Our lectures this week will cover stepfathers and their experiences, dominant social myths about stepfathers, and issues of cultural diversity and stepfathers.  You will read chapter 5 of the text that covers the experiences of stepfathers, reviews the dominant social myths and the issues surrounding cultural diversity.  One take away concept for this week should be that while new frameworks of understanding have been created, old challenges still remain for stepfathers.

This week, you will participate in your weekly discussion board post and your first structured interview paper assignment on the blended family will be due.  The details of this paper are available on the Week 4 Activities page.

Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

· Recognize the dominant social myths of stepfather families

· Recognize the issues of cultural diversity and stepfathers

· Apply a new framework of understanding stepfather families

Week 4: Lecture

Experiences of Stepfathers

 

Like the ever increasing changes in gender roles the stepfather aspect is not different.  The typical role presentation will be heightened in a stepfamily model.  Moreover, like was mentioned in the introduction, the stepfather is becoming more and more complex.

The text eludes the development of “twin responsibilities of providing economic and emotional support for their family” as a component of the stepfather role.

As counselors-in-training, I encourage you to pay special attention to the roles of a stepfather identified in the chapter.

Schenck et. al. (2009) identified the following roles for fathers (referred to later as the 5Ps):

· participator/problem solver (engaged, need fulfillment for children, direct contact, availability; fostering responsibility, independence, and self-reliance)

· playmate (more high-energy physical play than moms engage in, muscle building, coordination, physical contact, dream exploration)

· principled guide (away from punishment, guidance to socially acceptable behavior, differences between right and wrong; experience and understand consequences of actions; correcting and encouraging)

· provider (still a vital role and critical societal expectation, to provide care in addition to resources)

· preparer (for life challenges, family values, and morals; advise about educational and career goals, importance of education, of being honest and valuing work; teach children how to be parents) Pp. 51-52

After reviewing Schenck et. al.’s specification of the 5Ps of fathering, it is easy to recognize the challenges of the role beliefs facing fathers.

It is important for counselors-in-training to understand the experiences of the stepfather.  Stepfathers face four types of challenges.  The first revolves around the stepfather’s status within the stepfamily.  The second challenge is that of space: where does the stepfather fit, or perhaps, does he fit at all within the “parenting” picture held by each stepfamily member?  The third challenge shares that the amount of authority the stepfather attempts to exercise is negatively correlated with mattering to the stepchildren.  The fourth challenge for stepfathers is related to the stepfamily relationship evolution.  In the end, the text reminds us that stepfathering is more complex and less negative than initially imagined, but distinctly different from biological fathering.

Week 4: Lecture

Dominant Social Myths About Stepfathers

As we explore the emerging roles of the stepfather beyond simple finances, we must also delve into the social myths that cloud the stepfather.

The text shares 4 myths. They are listed below:

Myth #1: The Stepfather’s Job Is to Discipline the Children

Myth #2: The Stepfather is a Friend of the Stepchildren

Myth #3: The Stepfather’s Responsibility Is to Compensate for an Inadequate Experience With the Biological Father

Myth #4: The Biological Father and the Stepfather Are in Competition for the Child’s Love and Support

Myth #5: The Stepfather Expects and Should Receive Immediate Loyalty (Gold, J., 2016: pp.55-56)

While these myth exist, upon closer review it easy to see the fallacy in believing them to be true. There is no immediate family dichotomy; you can’t be friends with your biological children and certainly not with your step children; you cannot replace the biological father; there is not competition; and loyalty is earned!

The final takeaway is to honor the new role by utilizing the 4 “R’s”: respect, roles, responsibility, and realistic expectations.

Week 4: Lecture

Issues of Cultural Diversity and Stepfathers

Chapter 5 continues to highlight the lack of literature on underrepresented populations. Specifically, the African American, Hispanic, and gay communities. In African American stepfamilies, there seems to be no reported differences with the biological father in terms of identity and involvement with children. For gay stepfathers, stepfamily life presents structural and psychological challenges not experienced in any other stepfamily constellation.

Given that the roles of stepfathers can get cloudy it is imperative that more research be conducted to provide outcome based data for professionals to work with stepfamilies. Defining a role on the basis of “values that honor relational ties based on affection and moral responsibility, rather than biology alone” (Gold, 2010, p. 213) would appear to be the challenge facing stepfathers today. Watch the video The Myth of ‘Broken’ Families by Nina Farr to learn more. Structured Interview Paper1 – The Blended Family

 

 

Week 4: Activities

Readings

Please read the following for this week as well as All Week 4 Online Course Materials:

· Gold, J. M. (2015). Stepping In, Stepping Out: Creating Stepfamily Rhythm. Wiley.

· Chapter 5

 

Video