Anonymous wrote:Sometimes the discord in this relationship is evidence that feminism is working. In mine, discord arises when my MIL has unrealistic and unfair expectations of me that are clearly grounded in internalized misogyny. I push back because of feminism. She eventually comes around because she can’t really defend her expectations without saying “well yes, I do think women have to do everything because men are somehow both too important and too helpless to do it themselves.” And then we return to a good place.
Everyone thinks conflict us bad but sometimes conflict is necessary. People with smooth relationships with their ILs don’t have conflict likely because they are in agreement about gender dynamics and family roles. That might be good (with it ILs who don’t try to enforce retrograde expectations) but it also might not (I know plenty of modern women who still basically agree that women are in charge of kids and home and family relationships). I don’t worry about it because I have the relationship I need to have with my MIL based on who we are.
Anonymous wrote:Sometimes the discord in this relationship is evidence that feminism is working. In mine, discord arises when my MIL has unrealistic and unfair expectations of me that are clearly grounded in internalized misogyny. I push back because of feminism. She eventually comes around because she can’t really defend her expectations without saying “well yes, I do think women have to do everything because men are somehow both too important and too helpless to do it themselves.” And then we return to a good place.
Everyone thinks conflict us bad but sometimes conflict is necessary. People with smooth relationships with their ILs don’t have conflict likely because they are in agreement about gender dynamics and family roles. That might be good (with it ILs who don’t try to enforce retrograde expectations) but it also might not (I know plenty of modern women who still basically agree that women are in charge of kids and home and family relationships). I don’t worry about it because I have the relationship I need to have with my MIL based on who we are.
Anonymous wrote:It’s been their role to creat discord in family lives, how can women in these roles support feminism and other woman?
Anonymous wrote:By creating reasonable boundaries that mean their husbands or partners deal with the other primary relationships in their life themselves.
Anonymous wrote:Just because you are lucky, it doesn’t mean everyone is. Traditionally, this relationship has been the worst for feminism. Even now forums are filled with threads about these issues.
Anonymous wrote:Just because you are lucky, it doesn’t mean everyone is. Traditionally, this relationship has been the worst for feminism. Even now forums are filled with threads about these issues.
Anonymous wrote:It’s been their role to creat discord in family lives, how can women in these roles support feminism and other woman?