Stepdads: Stories of Love, Hope, and Repair

by William Marsiglio

Overview

In Stepdads: Stories of Love, Hope, and Repair, William Marsiglio addresses provocative and timely questions facing stepfathers, single mothers, and remarried couples today. Drawing on revealing in-depth interviews, Marsiglio explores how stepfathers and their partners with minor children of all ages make sense of their feelings and circumstances while managing the challenges of their unconventional families. He outlines individual, social, and legal strategies to enhance stepfathers,' mothers,' and children's lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742546646
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/14/2005
Edition description:	ANN
Pages:	319
Product dimensions:	5.14(w) x 8.64(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

William Marsiglio, professor of sociology at the University of Florida, has written extensively on the social psychology of men's sexuality, fertility, and fatherhood.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Preface
Chapter 2 1. Talking to Stepdads
Chapter 3 2. A Lens for Stepfathering
Chapter 4 3. Getting Started
Chapter 5 4. Opening Doors, Being Involved
Chapter 6 5. Overlooked Aspects of Stepfathering
Chapter 7 6. The Name Game
Chapter 8 7. Claiming and Bonding
Chapter 9 8. Fathering Visions, Philosophy, and Context
Chapter 10 9. Layers of Stepfathering
Chapter 11 10. Taking action
Part 12 Appendix A: Study Reflections, Lessons, and Recommendations
Part 13 Appendix B: Sample of "Key Issues" for Semistructured Interview Guides: Stepfather, Birth Mother, Child
Part 14 Notes
Part 15 References

What People are Saying About This

Kathleen E. Conroy

Gives families coping with marital change and family integration a great stepping stone toward healthy adjustment.

Editorial Reviews

The author has crafted an exemplary, thoughtful, and riveting journey into the worlds of stepfathers.

American Journal of Sociology

Gives families coping with marital change and family integration a great stepping stone toward healthy adjustment.

Kathleen E. Conroy

These true stories draw attention to the interrelated paths of personal, familial, and cultural layers of stepfathering, making this book a significant contribution to the growing literature on blended families. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.

Choice Reviews - D.A. Chekki

Stepdads is unique and timely in its in-depth research on pathways into stepfathering and the variety of stepfather families...This is a top-notch book, well conceived and written.
— Sandra Hofferth, University of Maryland

Contemporary Sociology

These true stories draw attention to the interrelated paths of personal, familial, and cultural layers of stepfathering, making this book a significant contribution to the growing literature on blended families. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.
— D.A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg

Choice

These true stories draw attention to the interrelated paths of personal, familial, and cultural layers of stepfathering, making this book a significant contribution to the growing literature on blended families. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.
— D.A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg

CHOICE

Written in accessible language, this book covers many of the challenges stepfathers face in trying to build harmonious homes and close relationships with their stepchildren. Although this book holds particular interest for stepfathers, single mothers and remarried couples, it also has a broader appeal because of how it addresses parenting issues.

Chicago Parent - Jeff Kelly Lowenstein

Stepdads is unique and timely in its in-depth research on pathways into stepfathering and the variety of stepfather families...This is a top-notch book, well conceived and written.

Contemporary Sociology - Sandra Hofferth

A 'must-read' book for stepfathers, their wives, and partners. And especially those who are 'thinking about it.' Beautifully written. .. an important book for our times.

Jeannette Lofas

Stepdads is the best examination yet of the inner worlds of stepfathers. It provides a good sense of the great diversity among stepfamilies and of the challenges that many stepfathers successfully surmount in creating a place for themselves in their new families.

Andrew Cherlin

Answers provocative and timely questions.

Family Times

In this useful and timely book, University of Florida sociology professor William Marsiglio tackles the little-explored territory of stepfathers' parenting experiences and inner lives. Written in accessible language, this book covers many of the challenges stepfathers face in trying to build harmonious homes and close relationships with their stepchildren. Although this book holds particular interest for stepfathers, single mothers, and remarried couples, it also has a broader appeal because of how it addresses parenting issues.

Chicago Parent

Marsiglio presents real-life interviews with stepdads, designed to help men with self-image and partial identity issues. The real-life interviews are fascinating; the issues and feelings are universal.

San Diego Family Magazine

Stepdads offers an intimate look at a rarely explored situation: living in a stepfather family. Marsiglio is an accomplished interviewer who describes in captivating detail the hopes, fears, struggles, and triumphs of his stepfather informants. Not only does Stepdads illuminate a wide range of personal experiences, but it also helps the reader understand the sociological significance of this increasingly common family arrangement. The book is must reading for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be a stepfather.

Scott Coltrane

Stepdads will be a useful resource to marriage and family conselors, family researchers and their students, and to a general audience of people trying to improve their stepparenting relationships. It can serve as a field guide to stepfathers as they develop new family relationships. It can serve as a field guide to stepfathers as they develop new family relationships, to students and reseachers who desire to gain insights into the expereince of men as they negotitate stepfathering relationships, and to policy makers and practioners who want to support families in diverse and complex relationship contexts.

Men and Masculinities

This book is a great learning tool for blended families. It will help you adjust to the changes and understand roles each person can take on. By confronting questions that many stepdads often ask, the book will give an outline to family dynamics and ways to bond, negotiate and discipline.

Atlanta Parent

Stepdads is a major contribution to the literature on stepfamilies. Despite the fact that stepfathers are increasing in number every year, we still know relatively little about their experiences, feelings, and views. Based on interviews with stepfathers, William Marsiglio provides an informative and sensitive account of what it is like to be a stepfather in America today. This book should be of interest, not only to stepfathers and their families, but also to family educators, counselors, and scholars. Stepdads is the best book currently available on this topic.

Paul Amato

Gives families coping with marital change and family integration a great stepping stone toward healthy adjustment.--Kathleen E. Conroy

Written in accessible language, this book covers many of the challenges stepfathers face in trying to build harmonious homes and close relationships with their stepchildren. Although this book holds particular interest for stepfathers, single mothers and remarried couples, it also has a broader appeal because of how it addresses parenting issues.--Jeff Kelly Lowenstein "Chicago Parent "

These true stories draw attention to the interrelated paths of personal, familial, and cultural layers of stepfathering, making this book a significant contribution to the growing literature on blended families. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.--D.A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg "CHOICE "

From the Publisher