Although our popular culture stereotypes relationships with in-laws as problematic, these relationships have largely been overlooked by communication researchers. In contrast to existing studies focusing on dyadic relationships, this study looked at how in-laws are assimilated into the family group as newcomers, using structuration theory to examine how routines are reproduced in families. In personal interviews, participants described how their families had assimilated newcomers or how they themselves were received into their spouse's families. A thematic analysis revealed specific communication routines that had to be adjusted upon entry of newcomers, including conversational topics, expected amount of interaction, use of joking, and conversational styles. Adjustments to these routines, although difficult to negotiate because they were not openly discussed, helped to transform the family of childhood into the family of adulthood. Structuration theory would suggest that the perceived stress in relationships with in-laws occurs because newcomers upset the comfort of families by disrupting their communication routines.Keywords: Structuration Theory; In-Laws; Assimilation; Socialization; Family Families have routines that they have produced and reproduced throughout the course of their life together. According to structuration theory (Giddens, 1984), these routines create a sense of ontological security*a sense that all is right with the world, that this is how a family should conduct its daily life. When a family member introduces a new spouse into the family, routines are inevitably impacted. The negative stereotypes of in-laws presented in our popular culture, in part, construct our low expectations for relationships with in-laws. However, what may be problematic is not that in-laws themselves are problematic, but that families live within their own routines and expect the newcomer to adjust to the family's routines,

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”New vocationalism,” the concept of integrating occupational and academic courses in order to enrich both liberal arts and vocational programs, attracted a great deal of attention during the 1990s. However, a number of barriers, such as faculty resisitance and a lack of institutional resources, have prevented widespread implementation. This article describes several case studies and pilot projects underway at community colleges and discusses the obstacles to implementation as well as proven strategies.

The interview is the basic technique of qualitative research. In contrast to a standardized interview, the qualitative interview positions the participant as an equal partner in a free‐form conversation that can lead into unexpected topics. The purpose of this conversation is to create and share meaning by inviting participants to offer their insights in the terms and forms of their own choice. Most qualitative interviews have an intercultural dimension because the researcher stands outside the culture under consideration, or perhaps stands partially in both cultures, and is attempting to create meaning that can be shared with an audience of a different culture. Qualitative interviews are used as a stand‐alone method or with other qualitative or quantitative methods to expand understanding and to provide examples of communication practices as they are enacted in cultures.