Publication Date
Spring 5-2010
Type of Culminating Activity
Thesis
Degree Title
Master of Arts in Communication
Department
Communication
Major Advisor
Dr. Laurel Traynowicz
Abstract
Recognizing that family (of any type) is a negotiated construction of individuals provides an insight into how people create the unique relationship that we call “family.” To gain a deeper understanding of stepfamily identity and how a sense of family is constructed, a life story interview approach was used to gather narratives from 20 adult children of stepfamilies. The narratives were analyzed using a qualitative/interpretive method, resulting in a balanced view of stepfamilies as having both positive and negative features similar to any other family type. It was found that individual adherence to rituals within the stepfamily provides a sense of family through symbolic communication. Additionally, it was found that children of stepfamilies describe a sense of family resulting from negotiating a complex set of relationships using an offer/accept interaction. This symbolic communication interaction provides children and stepparents the opportunity to accept or reject individual relationships within the larger framework of family rituals.
Recommended Citation
Lang, Donna Jean, "Stepfamily Stories: How Stories about Rituals Communicate a Sense of Family" (2010). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 83.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/td/83