Abstract
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships in Asian/Asian American families have stereotypically been portrayed as conflict ridden, with the older women wielding tremendous power. However, these relationships are far more complex and diverse than they are commonly depicted (Shih and Pyke 2010). Drawing on interview accounts of 15 second-generation Chinese American daughters-in-law, this chapter focuses on their overt and covert power dynamics with their mothers-in-law as well as the strategies they engage to manage their relationships. I also explore the role a husband plays in mediating the relationship between his mother and wife and how it shapes family dynamics. Implications for therapists and professionals who work with Asian American or Asian immigrant families are discussed.
This chapter is a revised version of Shih, K. Y., & Pyke, K. (2010). Power, resistance, and emotional economies in women’s relationships with mothers-in-law in Chinese immigrant families. Journal of Family Issues, 31(3), 333–357.
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Shih, K.Y. (2017). Addressing Power and Resistance with Chinese American Daughters-in-Law and Their Immigrant Mothers-in-Law. In: Quek, KT., Fang, SR. (eds) Transition and Change in Collectivist Family Life. AFTA SpringerBriefs in Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50679-1_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50679-1_2
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