Unclear Motherhood: Ambiguity and Role Conflict Among Double Mothers

ABSTRACT Motherhood is a culturally and individually important role that shapes identities and behaviors. Typically, we think of motherhood in biological terms, but women are mothers in a variety of other ways. Double mothers are women who are both biological and stepmothers. Role identity theory was used to assess the mother identities and roles of 31 double mothers. This theory suggests that identities are shaped by cultural role definitions with effects on individual affect based on role enactment. Results of in-depth interviews demonstrated that these women sought to enact both of their mother roles in terms of the biological mother-role but were limited in doing so for their stepmother role. This was due to the stigma applied to stepfamilies as well as the influence of their stepchildrens’ biological mothers. The distress experienced by these women shows the lack of adjustment by social structures to changing family forms.