Area

History

Current Issues

Anthropology

The Bedford’s are a blended African-American family. It was 15 years ago that Roger and Brenda got married. They live in small Midwestern town. When Roger was recently divorced, he and his son James moved across town to live in the larger home of his new wife, Brenda who had been divorced 3 years earlier.

Keisha and James are now grown and from outward appearances they have moved on. They are currently married, but both of them are troubled by significant marital problems.

Biology

When Roger married Brenda, James was 11 years old and Keisha was 13 years old. One of the greatest marital strains existed when the children fought. Unfortunately more often Brenda would side with Keisha and naturally Roger would more often side with his son.

Keisha was married and left home at age 19. She had one daughter and then was divorced a few years later. Keisha is currently married again and has two more children, but is very unhappy in this marriage as well.
James was married two years ago but is now in the process of getting a divorce.

Child Development

Both children are very unhappy with their parent's divorces and current remarriages. Keisha had been an excellent student until her parents were divorced. After that she lost interest and started having discipline problems in school. James was still in shock over his parents divorce when suddenly he was thrust into a new home with new traditions and routines. A new school, and a new older sibling to rule over him.

The blended home was a war zone. It seemed as though both children had agreed to make the home intolerable. They twisted the words and actions of their step parents to use as weapons against them. The kid's feelings were hurt easily, and then they would rant and rave at the slightest thing. The children's behaviors included turning on the silent treatment, disrupting family gatherings, refusal to cooperate, and questioning every little thing. Now it seems that the habits formed as children have followed them into adulthood.

Counseling

None.

Keisha had premarital counseling before her first marriage, at her parent's insistence. Unfortunately her parents were right, she was too young to get married. Sadly she did not listen to them or the counselor.

Demography

As a child from a divorced home James felt kind of homeless because he bounced back and forth every other week from his mother's home to his step mother's home. On the other hand Keisha had to give up her own room and move into the den so that her step brother would feel welcome. Yet this infuriated her, she felt she had no place for her things and no privacy in her own home.

Both James and Keisha moved out of town after they graduated from High School. They currently have very little contact with each other and with their parents.

Economics

When Roger and Brenda were first married they still had significant economic stress. They worked long hours to pay the bills. But the incoming was always less then the outgoing. They never had enough and the children were always demanding more.

Even though the children are married and grown they still borrow money from their parents often. The loans are never paid back. And the parents are never pleased with their children's poor financial decisions. But their only connection with their children is through money, so they never complain.

Education

Because Roger and James moved across town after the marriage, James was able to get into a much better school district. Unfortunately the disruption caused by moving and losing his friends made his attitude toward the new school very negative.

Roger pays for his son to take college classes part time. Yet even though Keisha would like to go to nursing school however her step father, Roger, feels that he should not offer to pay for her education because she already has her hands full with three kids. This double standard is a significant sore spot with Brenda.

English

When the kids were living at home Brenda felt her step son's language was disrespectful. Roger had always bonded with his son by trash talking in the past. But now he goes along with his wife's wishes, siding against his son on this issue.

Roger has become fed up over the years with Brenda's hang up on manners but he still gives into her demands for courtesy and politeness in the home.

Gerontology

Divorce and remarriage doubles the number of grandparents and extended family members. Therefore there was significant disagreement as to where the family would visit for the holidays. Eventually everyone split up and each went their own separate way to solve this problem, which resulted in even less family time spent together.

This family has continued to follow the tradition of spreading apart and visiting their own families over the holidays.

History

When Roger and Brenda first met they discovered that they had so much in common. Same likes and dislikes, as well as similar backgrounds and histories. They were so happy to have discovered one another that they never considered the possibility that their children would not be as happy as them about their new found love for one another.

James has come to feel that his step mother is jealous of his relationship with his Dad. Then on the other hand, Keisha has come to feel that her mother has betrayed her by marrying her Roger and loving him and his son more than her.

Home Economics

This family is constantly on the go. The kitchen table has never been used for a family meal since they have been married.

Roger and Brenda have never developed the habit of budgeting. Even though they have fewer expenses now that the kids are gone, they still spend far more then they make.

Law

Much family animosity exists between the unequal comparisons of child support that Brenda's ex-husband pays next to the higher amount deducted by Roger's employer from his paycheck each month.

Keisha has tried to get her real dad to help her out financially over some rough times in the past after she got divorced. But her dad told her "after you turned 18, I don't owe you another red penny!"

Psychology

Out of the father's overwhelming concern for the emotional health of his son he has gone the extra mile to spend as much time building a relationship with him as he can. However, he has not put nearly any effort into building a relationship with his step daughter. Therefore she rejects his parental authority toward her.

Because the daughter has never had a positive long term relationship with any male figure in her life she is subconsciously keeping her own son emotionally at a distance from her.

Public Health

Stress has caused muscle pain and headaches for both Roger and Brenda being under a high level of stress related to new adjustments to the household.

Years of living off of fast-food has caught up with this couple. Both are overweight and at risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Religion

Neither parent is able to agree on whose church to attend. Both children have their own friends in their own church. So they could never agree which church to attend.

Both children have failed to connect with any church because they never set down meaningful roots in one congregation. So they never developed ownership of their parent's religion.

Sociology

Roger and Brenda have been determined to make this marriage work. However they came to accept the fact that that their children were going to oppose their marriage. Yet they know as long as they maintain a love for each other they will eventually pass through this crisis.

The children no longer believe in the fairy tale description of marriages as "happily ever after." They have given up on the concept that marriages are supposed to survive as life long relationships.