A grounded theory of being 'gatekept' in multigenerational stepfamilies
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[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Gatekeeping is a process by which individuals control access to kin. Gatekeeping is facilitative to the extent that others' involvement with kin is encouraged through information-sharing and cooperation; gatekeeping is restrictive to the extent that others' involvement with kin is restricted by withholding information or refusing contact or interaction. Despite recognition that gatekeeping is a dyadic phenomenon that occurs in many types of family relationships, researchers have largely explored gatekeeping from the perspective of gatekeepers. The experiences of individuals who are gatekept remain unaccounted for. Using a grounded theory approach, this study explored how individuals in multigenerational stepfamilies experience and respond to being gatekept. Data from 15 stepgrandmothers and 9 stepgrandfathers reporting on relationships with 153 stepkin reveal that the type of gatekeeping experienced (restrictive vs. facilitative) varies by gender, personal evaluations and perceptions of being gatekept, remarriage timing, and time spent in the remarried household. As families become increasingly complex in structure and functions, exploring gatekeeping processes that inform how families establish, carry out, and flex their rules, roles, and boundaries can strengthen our understanding of how families come to forge identities that promote relational positivity and stability. Keywords: stepfamily, stepgrandparent, stepgrandchild, intergenerational, grounded theory
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