Research On The Evolution Of The Relationship Between Mother-in-law And Daughter-in-law At Han Village In ShanXi Province

The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is a special family relationship formed by the establishment of marriage.It is neither marriage nor blood,while it is closely connected with marriage and blood.The relationship directly affects the stability and harmony of the family.The family relationship model has gradually changed from a father-son relationship to a husband-wife relationship in modern Chinese society,and the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law also has a significantly changes.This research,based on the field investigation,analyze the evolution of the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at Han village in the 70 years since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in detail,and explores the way that the interaction between the social structure and acting subjects including mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,which have a work to promote the reproduction of relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.This study analyzes the changes of the status and relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from three aspects: the daily family management,major family events and direct interaction between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.On the whole,the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at Han village has undergone a transformation from “mother-in-law higher level than daughter-in-law” to “daughter-in-law higher level than mother-in-law” in family status and the relationship between both has also shown a transition path of "stability-unstable-stable".This is not only reflected in the main daily family labor transferred from the daughter-in-law to the mother-in-law,but also in the growing control of the family economy and power by daughter-in-law.In addition,the investigation of the terminology and conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law proves the above-mentioned trajectory of the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.The two structural reforms of the state are the structural basis for promoting the evolution of the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.The formerbreaks the traditional family system and the ethics,and separates individuals from the traditional family.The latter directly pushes the family into the modern social system.The market logic of pursuing rationality and rationalization of individual desire is rapidly internalized into the action logic of villagers.It is also important that the positive actions taken by both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law using local customs,such as separation,betrothal gift and so on,also promoted the evolution of the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in Han village.