Patterns of Support Among In-Laws in the United States

Abstract

Based on a review of research, this article outlines patterns of support associated with in-law relationships in the United States. The analysis is organized in a four-part framework. The first part is devoted to parental aid to married children and indirectly to their spouses. Part two focuses on help patterns directed specifically toward children-in-law. In part three attention shifts to in-law support in later life, and part four addresses the effects of marital dissolution on in-law support. The article concludes with a discussion of how various demographic factors may affect the nature of the in-law support structure.

Communicative and Relational Dimensions of Shared Family Identity and Relational Intentions in Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law Relationships: Developing a Conceptual Model for Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law Research

“…In her review of support across the lifespan of the in-law relationship, Goetting (1990) found that many parents-in-law provide a great deal of financial and instrumental support to their children and children-in-law, particularly during the first 10 years of marriage. Due to the lack of research on intangible support, however, we do not yet know whether couples are also receiving emotional support and what impact that is having on the family system.…”

Adult Child–Parent Relationships

“…Adult children and parents who are in middle class occupations, are more highly educated, and have higher incomes are more likely to be involved in exchanges of emotional and instrumental support than are their working class, less well educated, or lower income counterparts (Hogan et al 1993, Goetting 1990, Kulis 1992, Lawton et al 1994a, Mutran & Reitzes 1984, Rossi & Rossi 1990. Socioeconomic status differentials are particularly marked for parents provision of financial assistance to young adult children for college expenses (Steelman & Powell 1989).…”

Women in Conflict: on the moral knowledge of daughters‐in‐law and mothers‐in‐law

“…According to Schlien (1962), the mother-in-law feels that the daughter-in-law is taking her place in the love life of her son (the new husband) and he remains the only connection in the intimate relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Other sources of conflict between the women revolved around the mother-in-law's criticism regarding the way the daughter-in-law brings up the children (Fischer 1983;Marotz-Baden & Cowan, 1987;Goetting, 1990).…”

“…This 292 R. Linn & S. Breslerman limited focus seems to create great concern among family educators who question whether we can educate for family life without knowledge about all the "living units" in the family (Thomas & Arcus, 1992, p. 5). Even those feminist researchers who focused on women's problematic role in the family Qohnson, 1988) or delineated the problems associated with the conceptualisation of the domestic moral sphere (Okin, 1989;Faludi, 1991;Code, 1991;Haste & Baddley, 1991) failed to address the unique position of the mother-in-law in western family and culture, and her relationship to her daughter-in-law (Goetting, 1990). This paper questions whether the existence of the problematic relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law is a myth or a psychological fact.…”