Abstract

LOBO, Cristina. Social parenthood, siblinghood and intergenerational relationships in blended families. Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas [online]. 2009, n.59, pp.45-74. ISSN 0873-6529.

This article aims to provide a sociological account of the fabric of relationships between some of the protagonists of blended families - stepfathers, stepchildren, blended siblings and social grandparents. It considers relationships that are non-institutionalised or self-regulated, i. e. imbued with both social and legal ambiguity and invisibility. This is equivalent to saying that these roles are open and, for this reason, need to be thought about, invented and negotiated over time. In blended families, the number of children varies in accordance with the history of each member of the couple. The existence of these children from earlier marriages or relationships increases the complexity of these families. Hence, blended families are families with variable geometry. An analysis of intergenerational relationships in the post-divorce phase may be seen to be an excellent opportunity to “have a look” at the way in which the roles of the parents and grandparents are redefined. In the broader blended family, both the paternal and maternal grandparents maintain their positions but the “social grandparents” are not to be overlooked, that is, the immediate predecessors of the mother/guardian’s possible new companion or the father/non-guardian’s new partner.

Keywords : family blending; stepfathers; stepchildren; blended siblinghood; social grandparents.

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