Close Relations with Sister-in-Laws

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   jainismusposted 13 years ago

   In India and Pakistan, husbands have  close and lovely relations with their sister-in-laws (sister of wife). A younger sister in law is known as a half wife. This relation is  accepted by the society.
   
   What about sister-in-laws in western countries?

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      Greek Oneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      depends if they are hot and if the wife works long hours away from home

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   2. 59

      cenabcn1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Its wrong to say

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      LookingForWaldenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Are you saying people are intimate with these half wifes ?

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2. 61

   ikechiawazieposted 13 years ago

   In Nigeria, it's illegal except the husband is a flirt

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      icountthetimesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not entirely sure what the poster means by "lovely relations". I didn't immediately think that we meant sexual. It's good to get so many takes on this issue from all over the world!

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3. 0

   icountthetimesposted 13 years ago

   Here it tends to differ from family to family. I don't see that there's any custom in the west that results in the husband having a special relationship with his sister in law.

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   1. 61

      ikechiawazieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      i agree, here in nigeria, its not encouraqged because it usually causes crises in the home

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4. 65

   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   In my particular family (US) I'd say my sister's husband had always more seen me as a younger sister (once he'd been in the family long enough to have started to feel more a part of it).  I think the same is true with my sister and my husband.  They're friends.  Maybe they see one another as a kind of brother/sister type of thing.
   
   That "half wife" thing seems pretty disturbing to me.  Believe me, as far as I've ever been concerned; my sister's husband has been more someone I'd see as a "friend" than even a brother.  I think in the US, as long as people mostly get along and don't hate the in-law (which happens too), the in-law relationship is its own thing - completely different from anything else.  They become family, but they're still more "friends".
   
   (I'd find it interesting to know what those "half wives" think of their brothers-in-law thinking of them that way.)  In general, and in Western society, people are very comfortable with the idea of in-laws of the opposite sex being good friends and/or being family members. It's probably safe to say that most people in Western society would find the term "half wife" imply (at least to some extent, even if it weren't the case) an incestuous relationship.  The relationship between two spouses is considered a very unique and special one, and it would be seen as offensive to "water it down" by even thinking in terms of "half wife".   (I don't want to offend another culture.  I'm only say how it is in Western cultures.)
   
   Here's another question:  If the sister-in-law is married and thinks of her brother-in-law as a "half husband" - how is that viewed?  Would her husband be OK with her having a half-husband?  Or, is the half-wife thing something that only the husband of a sister views his sister-in-law?
   
   In general, in the US, the ideal is that everyone get along well and like each other well enough.  The ideal is that there not be fighting in families or that people hate each other.  That's ideal.  Ideal doesn't always happen.  It's very acceptable (and again, ideal) for a brother-in-law and sister-in-law to have what we call "a good relationship" (but with our use of the term, "lovely", in general, we don't want in-laws having too "lovely" a relationship (or seeing one another a certain way).     To be honest, if my brother-in-law saw me as a "half-wife" I'd have to straighten him out.    It's bad enough he always acted like he thought I was "a little sister" (no matter how old I ever got).    Having said that, though, we've generally had a decent relationship and are friends.    (I hope you see my use of humor here as good natured - and not, in any way, not respecting your different culture.)
   
   If what you're kind of asking (in different words) is whether anyone worries about a close friendship between sisters-in-law and their brothers-in-law, no.  (although "iffy" things can/do happen at times)   In general, it's very acceptable for everyone to be comfortable with the two in-laws being good friends and nothing more.

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