Upset friend in the middle of a couple arguing (Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock)
NEW YORK — The age-old wisdom is to avoid talking politics at Thanksgiving. However, a new survey finds that Americans should actually avoid the subject 12 months out of the year! It turns out that the average American clashes with their in-laws once a month. One in three admit things get heated as soon as politics come up.
An exclusive survey conducted for Newsweek by Talker Research also revealed that 16% actually fight with their in-laws more than once a month. It’s no surprise that politics ranks as the number one topic straining the relationship between Americans and their extended families.
The survey, conducted between August 27 and 29, sampled 1,000 Americans and found that 31% argued with their in-laws about politics, exceeding other contentious issues like lifestyle choices (22%) and disputes about a romantic partner (21%).
Money (19%), parenting decisions (18%), and cultural issues (14%) were other common arguments, with home-related issues (13%) and gender or sexuality (3%) also coming up from time to time.
Due to these anger-inducing arguments, 27% of the panel say they would not enjoy a weekend with the in-laws, and one in three (33%) would refuse to go on vacation with their spouse’s family. On top of that, only one in 10 would be happy with their in-laws looking after their children instead of their own parents.
“Identification with political ideals often represents a deep sense of how we view ourselves and the way society should work. These rights and wrongs are usually oversimplified and lack nuance, leading to disagreements,” licensed psychotherapist Tara Arutunian tells Newsweek in a statement provided to StudyFinds.
As for why these arguments are likely to crop up, Arutunian points to generational differences. Above all, however, she notes that political arguments are not likely to change opinions with a shouting match over the dinner table.
“In-laws may view themselves as more seasoned and knowledgeable than younger generations,” Arutunian concludes. “And younger generations may feel their in-laws just don’t understand the modern world. This type of impasse is not likely to shift, so agreeing to disagree and sidestepping future conversations will likely bring about more harmony in relationships.”
Survey methodology
This random double-opt-in survey of 1,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Newsweek between August 27 and 29. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research.
