The influence of in-laws in marriage breakdowns

Abstract

The aim of my research study was to identify if in-laws are one of the reasons for marriage breakdown. This study undertaken in the light of common perceptions that in-laws create trouble in marriages, especially the mother-in-law. The analysis was carried out with fifteen separated individuals. I made use of a descriptive exploratory design to increase the depth of understanding of the couples under study. Semi-structured interviews were used to capture 'the richness of people's experiences in their own terms' (Patton, 1991, p. 10). From the interviews, it became obvious that there was more than one issue that led to marriage breakdown. One of the reasons were parents and in-laws. Although some of the participants had positive relationship with their in-laws, others did not. The majority of the participants stated that indirectly their parents and in-laws were one of the reasons for marriage breakdown. One spouse stated that her parents were one of the direct reasons for marriage breakdown. Some stated that the parents and inlaws were not one of the reasons that led to marriage breakdown but confirmed that there were clashes between them. This shows that although the parents and in-laws may not be the main reason for marriage breakdown, they may exert negative influence.