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http://dx.doi.org/10.6115/fer.2017.018

The Study on Mother-Daughter Differentiation, Solidarity and Relationship Satisfaction between Mother-in-Law and Son-in-Law: A Comparative Study on Mother-in-Law and Son-in-Law  

Jeon, Sesong (Major in Child & Family Studies, School of Child Studies, Kyungpook National University)
Yoo, Jaeeon (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Graduate School, Iowa State University)
Publication Information
Human Ecology Research / v.55, no.3, 2017 , pp. 233-247 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study compares how mother-daughter differentiation influences solidarity and relationship satisfaction between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. The subjects of this study were 167 mothers-in-law (mean age, 59.6 years) paired with their sons-in-law (mean age, 36.9 years). Participants were given quantitative survey questionnaires on their relationships. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted for the social and demographic characteristics of mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. Ordinary least square multiple regression analyses were also conducted to examine the level of mother-daughter differentiation, solidarity, and relationship satisfaction between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. The results show that a higher age of the mothers-in-law results in lower relationship satisfaction between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. Next, an increase the level of mother-daughter differentiation (which means more balance between intimacy and detachability) results in a higher overall solidarity, affectual solidarity, giving functional solidarity, and consensual solidarity between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the receiving functional solidarity and normative solidarity between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. Finally, the results show that a higher level of mother-daughter differentiation produces a higher relationship satisfaction between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law. The findings could provide a better understanding of inter-generational relationships in Korean family dynamics. The results also have implications for providing counseling for the development of healthy relationships between mothers-in-law and sons-in-law.
Keywords
mother and daughter differentiation; solidarity; relationship satisfaction;
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