|
|
Article: Reconstructing the stepfamily: old myths, new stories.
- Article from:
- Social Work
- Article date:
- April 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 National Association of Social Workers. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
The privileged status of the biological nuclear family in American society contributes to the stigmatization of all nonnuclear families, but especially that of stepfamilies. On an institutional level, this privileging is evidenced by disparate treatment in the family court system, schools, churches, and the media. On an individual level, it is often more subtle and insidious. In social discourse, the liberal use of euphemisms for stepfamilies, for example, "blended," "reconstituted," as well as the often-used label "stepchild" to convey inferiority (Coleman & Ganong, 1987), reflect a deeply imbedded societal discomfort and depreciation of the step relationship.
...