The Incomplete Institution: Exploring Stepfamily dynamics - Essay Example

Exploring Stepfamily Dynamics Contrary to what Lamanna & Riedmann declares in the book Marriages, Families and Relationships, stepfamilies or remarried families are not incomplete institutions. Instead, they are an opportunity for children to be brought up in a familiar environment with access to care and love of both parents. For instance, if a partner divorced the husband for being abusive, which normally traumatizes children, getting another chance to love comes as an advantage. It offers the young child a platform to learn the role both parents should play in a family.

Besides, the authors opinion that remarriages are incomplete is to some extent a misconception. Incompleteness should be used to define something that is not whole. In a case where two single families join, or a lady who gave birth prior to marriage gets married to a man different from the biological father of her child, the union becomes complete. There is the presence of both a mother and a father figure for the child.The issue of stepfamilies results from various trends observed in the past and in the present times.

First, the issue of divorce, which, despite the declining trends in the number of couples opting for it (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012), is one of the reasons why people remarry. Research (U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, 2013), shows that most men remarry, especially those of Asian and Hispanic origins as compared to whites and black women. The death of a marriage partner is also another causative agent of remarriages. Societies changing trends in values and ethics have also caused a significant impact on the rise of stepfamilies.

The authors’ argument is valid as it tries to make the society realize its shortsightedness. It would be unfair to refrain two consenting adults in a happy reunion the ability to be happy, on the basis of inherited ideas that have been passed down from generation to generation. The challenges that affect us today can in no way be compared to the livelihood of our forefathers. Therefore, the society should develop an open mind because stepfamilies are here to stay.The stepfamilies dynamics have not been embraced in our society because of the various channels that impact public opinion.

The media, for instance, have had and continued to influence the societys perspectives on stepfamilies. 58% of all movie plots viewed by the general public portray stepparents as inconsiderate human beings who can sexually molest step children or physically abuse them (Butler, 1998). On the contrary, statistic research reports from the UK (Smith, 2008), show that mothers raising their step children rarely spank them because they intend to offer the best of what they can afford in comparison to their biological children.

Another channel is the societies subjectivities. We have been raised believing that your biological parents are the only people you ought to refer to as mom and dad. With this notion then, it becomes impossible to impact to people that this institution works, and it is totally no different marriage of biological parents. Due to the societal pressure, the stepfamilies of today communicate as they are portrayed in the movie and the media. This is because it is the only place where they are orientated on what to do and how to interact with one another.

Children from stepfamilies rarely reveal the truth about their families because they are afraid of being made fun of.From a personal observation, there is the need to change peoples view on the subject matter using the following recommendations;i. Authors, writers and movie directors should come up with a better portrayal of stepfamilies through conducting researches, interviewing children, parents and even biological relatives of the stepfamilies, instead of making assumptions. ii. Awareness groups should also develop campaigns that make people realize how petty their thinking is.

In conclusion, the remarried couples should be given a chance to work their marriages and receive guidance and encouragement from the society like any other family. In fact, churches should embrace them because it is through the church that the society will acknowledge remarriages.ReferencesButler, S. C. (1998). The portrayal of Stepfamilies in Movie Plot Summaries. Psychological reports, 879-882.Lamanna, M. A., & Riedmann, A. (2011). Marriages, Families, and Relationships: Making Choices in a Diverse Society.

Stamford: Cengage Learning.Smith, J. A. (2008). Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: Sage PublicationsU.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. (2013, October). Marriage and divorce: patterns of gender, race, and. Monthly Labor Review.U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). American Community Survey. United States Census.