“Modern” Daughters-In-Law in Colonial Taiwanese Families

Abstract

What were the experiences of daughters-in-law in the patriarchal household? Did they ever resist? By analyzing the life stories of twenty-two “modern” women living in complex households of colonial Taiwan, this article suggests that experiences of daughters-in-law differed a great deal from each other, according to family structures, family life cycles, and life cycles of the individual. It also argues that most of the daughters-in-law did rebel. Whether their resistance could be successful, however, depended a great deal on the rising of modern discourses, employment opportunities outside the home, and the possessed economic resources of the daughter-in-law and her natal family.

Seeing Mothers-in-Law Through the Lens of the Mothering Ideology

“…Social expectations regarding the emotional connection in the mother–daughter dyad are fairly clear; those of mother- and daughter-in-law, on the other hand, are far more ambiguous, contributing to disappointments and ambivalence (Turner, Young, & Black, 2006). Intergenerational tensions are also fueled when a mother-in-law regards her daughter-in-law as endangering her bond with her son, or a wife feels threatened by her husband’s affection and deference to his mother (Apter, 2009; Lin, 2005; Shih & Pyke, 2010). Mothers- and daughters-in-law clearly face challenges unlike those associated with mothers and daughters.…”

“…Negative stereotypes of mothers-in-law are also found in Asian and Asian American cultures. Scholars as well as popular East Asian television dramas paint a particularly bleak picture for Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean daughters-in-law, especially those in traditional family arrangements involving the younger woman’s coresidence with her in-laws and assumption of household tasks under the supervision of her mother-in-law, the primary beneficiary of her labor (Gallin, 1986; Kim 1996; Kung, 2014; Lin 2005; Shih & Pyke, 2010). This study examines the interview accounts that daughters-in-law provide of their coethnic mothers-in-law in a sample of Taiwanese Americans, Mexican Americans, and Taiwanese.…”

Iranian Women’s Divorce Style: A Qualitative Study

“…Although many factors are shared by different societies that lead to a marital relationship's success or failure, the success or failure of marriage is also influenced by specific cultural and indigenous factors of a particular society (Lin, 2005). Iran's constitution, which is based on Islam, emphasizes family preservation and discourages unnecessary divorces.…”