Mother-father and daughter-male relationships: a comparison

Abstract

A two-generation study of pregnant nulliparous women (daughters) and their mothers is presented. The women in both generations were interviewed. Daughters from homes characterized by marital discord between the parents (as judged from the report of the mother) were compared to daughters from harmonious homes. Daughters from discordant homes reported a poor emotional relationship with their father. In contrast, the emotional relationship with the mother was little influenced by parental discord. Daughters from discordant homes reported less stable and gratifying relationships with male partners and more sex partners than daughters from harmonious homes. At the time of their first pregnancy, daughters from discordant homes received little support from the father of the child. They more often described unsatisfactory housing and financial conditions. Poor parental interralations may impair the daughter's ability to establish gratifying relationships with men. One explanation is the daughter's identification with her parents. During the identification process, the daughter of discordant parents assimilates her parents' negative patterns of relating to each other. These unsuccessful patterns may later undermine her ability to establish positive relationships with men.