Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine how women living with men who have children from previous relationships construct their social family role. This construction is understood in the context of the negotiations taking place in the family, individualization processes and images of motherhood. The study is based on interviews with nine women in this family situation and participant observation of a parental group for this group of women.
The result shows that the division of labor in the home is based on three principles: equal division, biological ties or the idea that the woman is responsible. The result further shows that the relationship between the woman and the stepchild is highly dependent on personal qualities in their relationship, that the biological mother is an important negotiator in the construction of the stepmother´s role and that the stepmother often experience unclear premises on which she should be involved in the stepchild´s life. This creates and recreates the woman´s social family role in relationship to the stepchild and it´s biological parents. Finally the result shows that the woman feel expectations of what she should do and feel and how she should construct her picture of family and these beliefs and expectations affect the stepmothers experience and construction of the family role. Overall standards for how these women should act and feel seem to build on traditional ideals of good motherhood. This may be problematic since they contrast with modern notions of independence and individuality.