Stepdads: Stories of Love, Hope, and Repair

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.

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

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.

Review :
Gives families coping with marital change and family integration a great stepping stone toward healthy adjustment. 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. 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. 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. 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. The author has crafted an exemplary, thoughtful, and riveting journey into the worlds of stepfathers. Answers provocative and timely questions. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.