Open AccessRelationships Between Parents-In-Law and Children-In-Law of Differing Racial and Ethnic Backgrounds
Author(s) -
Micah Saviet,
Geoffrey L. Greif
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advances in social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2331-4125
pISSN - 1527-8565
DOI - 10.18060/23935
Subject(s) - ethnic group , race (biology) , sociology , project commissioning , family law , social work , law , qualitative research , population , publishing , criminology , gender studies , social psychology , psychology , political science , social science , demography
In-law relationships have drawn recent interest from family scholars. Historical trends demonstrate a significant rise in newlyweds marrying someone of a different race or ethnicity. Given this growing population of inter-racial marriage, the need to know more about these couples and their families is paramount. This article describes four themes that emerged from qualitative interviews with nine parents-in-law discussing their relationships with their child-in-law who is of a different race. The overarching themes identified for in-laws included: being initially hesitant based on race and/or culture; managing barriers pertaining to communication, language, and/or culture; differences that were enriching to the in-law relationship; and bonding related to shared minority status. Based on these findings, social workers may assume a supportive role for members of interracial families as they navigate not only social barriers but also their in-law relationships.