RESEARCH_FILE
Crystal Kwan
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Known for:Qualitative research on how daughters-in-law in rural China negotiate care obligations and autonomy with parents-in-law
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“She'll never think I'm good enough for him”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I'm not auditioning for a place I already occupy in his life.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Before the next visit, write down three true things about yourself that have nothing to do with her opinion of you. Reread them once in private the morning you see her.
Key findings
- 2021
In a qualitative case study of daughters-in-law in rural China, Li and Kwan find that daughters-in-law actively negotiate — rather than simply accept — the intergenerational contract of care and obligation with their parents-in-law. Daughters-in-Law in Negotiating the Intergenerational Contract in Rural China: A Qualitative Case Study ↗
- 2021
The study documents daughters-in-law balancing filial obligation with a push for greater autonomy, framing the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship as an ongoing negotiation rather than a fixed cultural script. Daughters-in-Law in Negotiating the Intergenerational Contract in Rural China: A Qualitative Case Study ↗