{"title":"Managing Conflict with Parents-in-Law in a Secular Society Steeped in Islamic Traditions: Perspectives of Married Turkish Couples","authors":"Emel Genç, Joyce A. Baptist","doi":"10.1080/08975353.2018.1516986","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In Turkey, conflicts with parents-in-law can be shaped by opposing viewpoints that can emerge from the coexistence of modern secular and Islamic traditions. The integral role of parents-in-law in Turkish families makes it important to understand the nature of conflict between couples and their in-laws, and how these conflicts are managed. Guided by structural family theory, this preliminary study aims to explore the nature and management of conflict between parents-in-law and couples. This interpretive phenomenological study analyzed semi-structured interviews conducted with four Turkish couples. Conflicts with parents-in-law appeared to be gendered in nature and stemmed from unmet expectations and family roles. Gender also influenced how conflict was resolved. Daughters-in-law tended to avoid conflict by remaining silent, and sons-in-law were more forthcoming about their dissatisfactions or took the blame to avoid conflict. In-laws of opposite sex appeared to have more contemptuous relationships compared to in-laws of the same sex. Implications for clinical work and research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":44427,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Psychotherapy","volume":"30 1","pages":"20 - 39"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2018-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/08975353.2018.1516986","citationCount":"10","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Family Psychotherapy","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2018.1516986","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"Psychology","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 10
Abstract
ABSTRACT In Turkey, conflicts with parents-in-law can be shaped by opposing viewpoints that can emerge from the coexistence of modern secular and Islamic traditions. The integral role of parents-in-law in Turkish families makes it important to understand the nature of conflict between couples and their in-laws, and how these conflicts are managed. Guided by structural family theory, this preliminary study aims to explore the nature and management of conflict between parents-in-law and couples. This interpretive phenomenological study analyzed semi-structured interviews conducted with four Turkish couples. Conflicts with parents-in-law appeared to be gendered in nature and stemmed from unmet expectations and family roles. Gender also influenced how conflict was resolved. Daughters-in-law tended to avoid conflict by remaining silent, and sons-in-law were more forthcoming about their dissatisfactions or took the blame to avoid conflict. In-laws of opposite sex appeared to have more contemptuous relationships compared to in-laws of the same sex. Implications for clinical work and research are discussed.
期刊介绍:
Designed with the practicing clinician in mind, the Journal of Family Psychotherapy features a case study orientation that makes for very interesting reading. Highlights include: •Case Studies: Focused studies of a single case seen in family psychotherapy, illustrating the etiology, maintenance, and/or process of change of the problem. •Program Reports: Descriptions of treatment programs that have been used successfully to treat specific problems or new orientations used generally in family therapy. Clinical case examples are included.