The present research describes favorable and unfavorable aspects concerning the relationship of mothers-in-law with their daughters-in-law, under the latter’s viewpoint The participants were 10 daughters-in-law whose age range was between 27 and 44 years, who have been married for at least four-years, and whose mothers-in-law were alive. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview with three main themes: mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law relationships, favorable aspects of the relationship, and unfavorable aspects. The data analysis was categorical and descriptive. The findings showed that most daughters-in-law describe their relationship with their mothers-in-law in such way as to suggest negative involvement, unpleasant and distant relationships. Moreover, daughters-in-law consider their mothers-in-law responsible for the difficulties in the relationship. The aspects that contribute for that perception are mothers-in-law’s jealousy and teasing behavior. Among the favorable aspects are maturation and life experience from both sides. The results seemed to give some support to stereotypical social beliefs that daughters-in-law hold about their mothers-in-law.
mother-in-law; daughter-in-law; relationship