Communicative and relational determinants of mother in- law/daughter in-law relationship in family drama: a content analysis of mother-in-law citizen Tv programme, Kenya

Abstract

Previous studies of Television programming has shown familial relationship portrayed in stereotypical ways, but none of them has narrowed down on determinants of mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law relationships. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the communicative and relational determinants of the relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters–in-law as portrayed in TV Family drama. The study aimed at: a) identifying the different families depicted in the Pro gramme and analyze the communicative factors revealed in the drama. b)analyzing the relational factors revealed in the Mother-in-Law program. c)determining the communicated and relational factors which influence mother in-law/daughter in-law relationship as portrayed in the programme. The study was guided by the following theories: Triangular Theory of in-law relationships,Relational dialectics, Communications Accommodation Theory, The Multiple Goals Framework theory, and Cultivation Theory. The study analysed eight Episodes of the drama, aired on Citizen TV Channel between August and September 2012. Critical content analysis was employed to analysed data, which was mainly qualitative.Quantitative data was generated by two coders who independently used a prepared code sheet to examine thedescriptive aspects of each character and the qualitative aspects defined by pre-determined categories. Reliability of the code sheet was established by piloting to determine inter-coder agreement. The study established that the relationship between MILs and DILs is a dialectical process, in which conflicts could potentially arise as a tussle between the needs for association and dissociation,certainty and uncertainty and openness and closedness and that the key locus of this dialectic process is the verbal interaction between the parties. In addition,independence in family set up, familial identity, supportive communication, and sense of belonging, accommodation, and cultural orientation were found to be the main relational themes communicated in the drama. With respect to the characters relationships, the mother-in-law was found to exhibit negative behaviour and negative personality traits towards her daughters-in-law whereas she displayed positivebehaviours towards her sons, hence, supporting the Triangular Theory of in-law relationships. The study found that personality traits of the MIL and DIL, MIL‘s support of marriage, spouse loyalty and support, and cultural orientation were significant communicative and relational determinants of the relationship between MIL and DILs. These findings are considered significant. The study recommends that TV programs should avoid invariably casting MIL–DIL relationships in negative stereotypes; instead, they should occasionally come up with Episodes on how such relationships might be improved, using factors established in this study.