Stepfamily Relationships

Lawrence H. Ganong, Ph.D. is a professor of Nursing and Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Missouri (MU) Sinclair School of Nursing. A noted authority on post divorce families, Ganong's research has included intergenerational family obligations, post-divorce family dynamics and social cognitions related to family life. Ganong is a member of the National Council on Family Relations Board of Directors, and has conducted workshops for stepfamily members and for professionals working with stepfamilies. He is the co-editor of numerous articles, books, and book chapters on post-divorce family relationships and step families.

• 1 Studying Stepfamilies.- 2 The Cultural Context of Stepfamilies.- 3 Paths to Stepfamily Life.- 4 Courtship in Stepfamilies.- 5 Couple Dynamics in Stepfamilies.- 6 Gay and Lesbian Cohabiting Couples in Stepfamilies.- 7 The Dynamics of Parenting and Stepparenting.- 8 Effects of Stepfamily Living on Children.- 9 Siblings, Half-Siblings, and Stepsiblings.- 10 Grandparents and Stepgrandparents.- 11 Clinical Perspectives on Stepfamily Dynamics.- 12 Epilogue.- References.

From the reviews: "Anyone who studies stepfamilies should read this book. It provides as comprehensive a review as possible of the explosion of research on stepfamilies in recent years, with 30 pages of references in very small type. ... A rather interesting feature of the book is the attention given to clinical research on stepfamilies. ... this book serves well as a source of reference for family scholars, a basic text for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses, and a stimulus for further research." (Elizabeth Thomson, European Journal of Population, Vol. 23, 2007)