1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This study suggests examining the processes that come into play in a range of circumstances to better understand outcomes in stepcouple relationships.» (p. 519)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«[T]his article presents findings on two research questions: (1) Were there observable links between stepfamily break-up and the participants’ family-of-origin experiences and previous marital relationships? (2) Can we identify major events or defining moments that are associated with the separation of the stepfamily couple? If so, why was it that these events led to the break-up of the stepfamily couple?» (p. 519)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The sample included 26 adults, almost all living in a stepfamily household between 1 and 5 years before they separated […].» (p. 523) «The respondents, who were from Québec, a largely French-speaking province in Canada, were either in formal marriages or cohabiting unions.» (p. 524)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«Several respondents who broke up with their partner had experienced major difficulties in their childhood. In certain cases, they saw obvious ties between their past and their relationship problems. These parents said they did not want their children to be raised in the same type of adverse conditions that had left such painful marks on them. In these situations, the first underlying mechanism of break-ups that revealed itself was a refusal that things repeat themselves. Respondents did not want to go through or have their children go through the same negative events that had occurred earlier in their trajectory. That being said, the relationships of people who had had positive experiences in their family of origin also sometimes ended in separation. In these cases, other mechanisms came into play to explain the stepfamily break-up. Accordingly, although previous negative experiences can influence the repetition of family instability, the contrary is not necessarily true; positive experiences in the past do not guarantee that a stepfamily will succeed.» (p. 533-534)