‘Don’t be Loud’: Challenges and Issues of Women in Post-Marriage Family Structures of Pakistan

This paper aims at analyzing the social, cultural, financial and psychological issues and challenges faced by married women in post-marriage nuclear and joint family structures of Pakistan. It is a descriptive study following the qualitative research approach to investigate the proposed problem with the semi-structured in-depth interviews. Respondents of the study are 12 newlyweds married women (6 from nuclear family structures and 6 from joint family structures), their husbands and their mothers-in-law in Lahore. Total 36 participants are selected through a purposive sampling technique to collect the data. Through thematic analysis of the responses under the light of Functional Fit theory and family System theory, this paper concludes the findings at multiple levels. It was observed that newly married women from nuclear families are more independent, confident, financially better, socially active, culturally freer and psychologically stronger than those women who live in joint family structures. It was also found that the personal bond between husband and wife from nuclear family structures is much stronger than that of couple from joint families. They would be happier than those couples whose relationships are influenced by in-laws specifically mothers-in-law. It was further concluded that women feel free to work, cook, give birth to their children, adopt prenatal and postnatal care procedures, and in their lifestyles in nuclear family structures. Their level of satisfaction towards married life and husband is much higher than those who share their houses with their in-laws.