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This Research focuses on the relationship between Vietnamese daughters-in-law and their Taiwanese mothers-in-law. Will they have conflict or harmonious relationship? If it is the former, why they dispute? At the same time, how do they think about each other? On the other hand, I compared the article of Kung Hsiang-Ming (1999 ) with this thesis result. Researcher can discover that Taiwanese mothers-in-law treat Vietnamese daughters-in-law and Taiwanese ones in different ways.
The data collection method is semi-structure interview. We interviewed eleven Vietnamese daughters-in-law and six Taiwanese mothers-in-law of them by purposive and snowball sampling.
According to the data, we find that the relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law in Taiwan family displays harmonious model. However, because of misunderstanding and distrust, there are constant conflicts between Taiwanese mothers-in-law and Vietnamese daughters-in-law. Frequently, Vietnamese daughters-in-law have difficulty speaking to their mothers-in-law. Vietnamese daughters-in-law complain about their Taiwanese mothers-in-law. That’s because Taiwanese mothers-in-law restrain them from working and contacting their family. The mothers nag, even intervene in the way they dress, pressure them into giving birth to babies, and distrust them. Taiwanese mothers-in-law also have complaints. 1. Mothers-in-law do not agree with their sons on marrying Vietnamese brides at the beginning. 2. They are not happy if their Vietnamese daughters-in-law want to have a job. 3 They don’t think that their Vietnamese daughters-in-law are willing to learn to speak Taiwanese. 4. Vietnamese daughters-in-law take the taxi often. Once in a while they phone and provide the money for their family. Sometimes they even return to Vietnam. All the four points mentioned make mothers-in-law feel bad.
On the other hand, the major difference was discovered when I compared my thesis result with Kung Hsiang- Ming (1999 ) “Intergenerational Interaction Between Mothers- and Daughters-in-law”. The relation between them in Kung’s study presents more harmonious state. Taiwanese daughters-in-law complain about the intervention their mothers-in-law take when it comes to education of child. Furthermore, the daughters-in-law are unfairly treated and their privacy is invaded. For Vietnamese daughters-in-law, however, they don’t have these complaints. In addition, mothers-in-law dissatisfy with their Taiwanese daughters-in-law. The former consider the latter, impolite and individualized, different from traditional Chinese daughter-in-law. This is not the case for Vietnamese ones, either.
We find that there would be better atmosphere when Taiwanese mothers-in-law get along with Vietnamese daughters-in-law. Conflict and problem is less serious, and they praise each other more other than complaints. Vietnamese daughters-in-law regard their mothers-in-law as respective elder for some reasons. 1. Their mothers-in-law do not interfere with their life. 2. Daughters-in-law from Vietnam are unfamiliar with Taiwanese culture, but their mothers-in-law are willing to teach them all the things about Taiwan. 3. Mothers-in-law care about their Vietnamese daughters-in-law, and help them do housework. 4, Mothers-in-law would not hurt their feelings purposely. 5. They even consider that mothers-in-law love them more than Taiwanese daughters-in-law.
Taiwanese mothers-in-law satisfy with Vietnamese daughters-in-law. That’s because the latter are diligently doing in housework, submitting to instructions, and could play the role of“traditional good daughter-in-law”. In addition, the daughters-in-law are willing to give birth to sons to further the family generation. To sum up, Taiwanese mothers-in-law and Vietnamese daughters-in-law regard each other as beloved, and this improve their relationship.
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