Stepfamilies

Abstract

In the present article we investigate the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of stepfamilies and compare their living arrangements with those of intact and one-parent families. We use census data from 1990, 2001, and 2011, and also the microcensus of 2016. We try to understand whether the social disadvantages of stepfamilies are connected with the fact that generally the parents in these families have a more unfavourable status within the social structure or whether these disadvantages are rather connected with the family structure itself. In reference to the social disadvantages we analysed the income poverty rate and the difficulty in making a living, while in relation to the social networks of adults in stepfamilies we investigated the bonds of friendship and family networks. Our findings show that the social disadvantages of stepfamilies are the consequence of both the unfavourable social status of parents in stepfamilies and the family structure itself, but that the effect of the unfavourable social status of parents (for instance the educational level of parents) is stronger.