Who Are the People in Your Family?

This article examines how stepmothers think about kinship within their stepfamilies. Based on interviews with 104 stepmothers, five different views of kinship were identified: a Nuclear model, an Extended model, a Couple model, a Biological model, and a No Family model. These diverse ideas about family were connected to, one, how the stepmothers defined their roles; two, the kinds of relationships to which they aspired in the stepfamily; and three, some of the conflicts they experienced as stepmothers. The stepmothers' views of kinship appeared to be shaped by a number of considerations, such as personal need, experience in their families of origin, and expectations from others.