Daughter feeling it's a step down (8)
I believe the answer is:
demotion
'a step down' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'daughter feeling' is the wordplay.
'daughter' becomes 'd' (genealogical abbreviation).
'feeling' becomes 'emotion' (emotion is a kind of feeling).
'd'+'emotion'='DEMOTION'
'it's' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for demotion that I've seen before include "Motioned about reduction in rank" , "Reduction to lower rank as punishment" , "put down" , "reduction in status" , "A lowering in rank or position" .)