Nuclear Family vs. The Blended

¶ … Nuclear Family vs. The Blended Family

Pro-Nuclear Family

Ginther, Donna K., and Pollak, Robert A. "Family Structure and children's Educational

Blended Families, Stylized Facts, and Descriptive Regressions." Demography,

Authors Ginther and Pollak are economics professors; their research is very helpful in defining the difference between the educational outcomes of children from traditional nuclear families and children from blended families. Interestingly, the authors show through empirical research that outcomes of children in blended families (the step-children and their half-siblings, the joint children of both parents) are "similar to each other" and yet "substantially worse than outcomes for children" in traditional nuclear families. In fact this research uses sophisticated strategies with page after page of mathematical data relating to regression analysis, controls and variable-related data collected from surveys that span periods of time from 1968 to 1985. Among the results: after controlling for a mother's employment and occupation, researchers revealed that children living with both of their biological parents -- "or a single mother" -- have higher career success and educational attainment than do children who live with a single father or with a stepparent.

Prosen, Selina Sue, and Farmer, Jay H. "Understanding Stepfamilies: Issues and Implications for Counselors." The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 60.7 (1982): 393-398. The authors take several pages describing the roles of stepparents, stepfamilies, the effects on stepfamilies such as what each child must go through. Children thrown together in blended families are prone to "complicated and confusing emotional overtones" and conflicts because every child in a blended family is obliged to cope with stress that is linked to "…loss, change, and uncertainty." Moreover, the authors explain, there are important intervention steps that can be and should be undertaken with the blended family's parents and stepchildren. Among those interventions: increasing communication skills and adjusting discipline strategies;

reduction in anxiety, being fearful, depression, and in "cognitive confusion." All in all, this article points to the obvious advantages the nuclear family has over a blended family.

O'Leary, Daniel K., Heyman, Richard E., and Jongsma, Arthur E. The Couples Psychotherapy

Treatment Planner. Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley and Sons, 2011. This book provides a wide range of approaches to dealing with the behavioral, psychological and social problems that occur in a blended family. Not that nuclear families don't have their own stressors and problems, but the issues that Heyman, et al., present are unique to blended families and stack up as reasons why nuclear families are generally more successful. Behavioral issues with stepfamilies include: a) suspicions by the female partner that the male partner is

"sexually attracted to her daughter"; b) arguments between partners over "favoritism" or financial support and gifts for "biological vs. non-biological children"; c) frequent arguments over child discipline strategies; d) concerns as to leaving "opposite-sex teenage stepsiblings alone together"; e) divorce-related financial pressures for stepparents; and f)

jealousy and "distrust" re other partner's suspected "sexual connection" to ex-partner.