Stepfather-stepchild relationship quality - The stepfather's demand for conformity and the biological father's involvement

Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households, the authors investigate how a stepfather's demand for conformity from a stepchild infl uences stepfather-stepchild relationship quality. Drawing from normative re source theory as well as from Coleman's theory of social capital, the autho rs consider whether the effect depends on the social capital that the stepc hild derives from his or her relationship with the biological father. The a uthors find that when the stepchild's social capital from this relationship is great, the stepparent's demand for conformity negatively affects stepfa ther-stepchild relationship quality. Otherwise, its effect is positive.