Intimacy and self-disclosure in Ghanaian in-law relationships

Abstract

Intimacy and self-disclosure are strong indicators of relationship stability and satisfaction. In-law relationships are described as uncertain, and intimacy and self-disclosure may be tools used to reduce these uncertainties. We adopt a socio-ecological approach to examine how the Ghanaian ecology affords intimacy and self disclosure as relationship-enhancing tools in Ghanaian parent– child-in-law relationships. We interviewed 17 individuals in longstanding relationships in the Ashanti Region of Ghana on the closeness of their in-law relationships. Data were analysed inductively and thematically. Participants described the intimacy in their in-law relationship as insecure, conditional, and unfamiliar. Participants further used caution when disclosing personal information to in-laws, a phenomenon they described as ‘fɛreɛ’ in the in-law relationship. The findings suggest that intimacy and self-disclosure may be relational tools that are afforded by some ecologies and not others.