Parent-in-law

Parent-in-law

A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse.[1] Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship. A person is a son-in-law or daughter-in-law to the parents of the spouse, who are in turn also the parents of those sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law (if any) who are siblings of the spouse (as opposed to spouses of siblings). Together the members of this family affinity group are called the in-laws.

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Fathers-in-law

A father-in-law is the father of a person's spouse. Two men who are fathers-in-law to each other's children may be called co-fathers-in-law, or, if there are grandchildren, co-grandfathers.

Mothers-in-law

A mother-in-law is the mother of a person's spouse. Two women who are mothers-in-law to each other's children may be called co-mothers-in-law, or, if there are grandchildren, co-grandmothers.

In comedies, the mother-in-law is sometimes shown as the bane of the husband, who is married to the mother-in-law's daughter. Mothers-in-law are often stereotyped in mother-in-law jokes.[2]

Some Australian Aboriginal languages use avoidance speech, so-called "mother-in-law languages", special sub-languages used when in hearing distance of taboo relatives, most commonly the mother-in-law.

A Mother-in-law suite is also a type of dwelling, usually guest accommodations within a family home that may be used for members of the extended family.

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ Floyd, Kory; Morman, Mark T. (2006). Widening the family circle: new research on family communication. SAGE. ISBN 978-1412909228. 
  2. ^ Settles, Barbara H. (1999). Concepts and definitions of family for the 21st century. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0789007650. http://books.google.com/books?id=MlM5PvsUHr4C&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2011-11-17.