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Willingness to Stepparent

Attitudes About Partners Who Already Have Children

Brown University, Providence, RI, Frances_Goldscheider{at}brown.edu

Gayle Kaufman

Davidson College, NC

Marriage markets have become increasingly filled with those who already have children, which may discourage marriage. Research has generally failed to assess the role of prospective stepchildren in new union formation, particularly from the point of view of the men who might become their stepfathers. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), the authors examine willingness to marry someone who already has children as well as partners who have been previously married, are of a different religion or race, or are unlikely to hold a steady job. The most consistent determinants of attitudes toward stepparenthood are related to exposure to and/or approval of other nontraditional families, particularly the experience of own parenthood. This suggests that these unions could become more common in the future.

Key Words: stepfamilies • marriage • gender • family attitudes

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 27, No. 10, 1415-1436 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X06289646


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