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"Becoming a family": developmental processes represented in blended family discourse 

Authors: Dawn Braithwaite a;  Loreen Olson b;  Tamara Golish c;  Charles Soukup d; Paul Turman e
Affiliations:   a University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
b Cleveland State University.
c Pennsylvania State University.
d Univ. of Northern Co..
e University of Northern Iowa.
DOI: 10.1080/00909880128112
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Applied Communication Research, Volume 29, Issue 3 August 2001 , pages 221 - 247
Formats available: PDF (English)
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Abstract

We adopted a process-focus in order to gain a deeper understanding of how (step) blended family members experiencing different developmental pathways discursively represented their processes of becoming a family. Using a qualitative/interpretive method, we analyzed 980 pages of interview transcripts with stepparents and stepchildren. We studied the first four years of family development, using the five developmental pathways developed by Baxter, Braithwaite, and Nicholson (1999). Three salient issues identified in the family experiences were boundary management, solidarity, and adaptation. While the negotiation of these issues varied across the five trajectories, there were commonalities across family experiences that helped determine whether families had a successful experience of becoming a family. Implications for blended family researchers and practitioners are also discussed.
Keywords: Stepfamily; Relationship Development; Trajectories; Boundary Management; Adaptation
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