Domestic Harmony in the Diaspora: Conflict Dynamics, Coping Strategies, and Support Systems among Nigerian Migrant Couples in Europe

Abstract

This study explores how Nigerian migrant couples in Europe negotiate domestic harmony amid the cultural, structural and relational pressures associated with migration. Drawing on an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative design, the research is based on in-depth individual and joint interviews with 19 Nigerian couples residing in several European countries. The findings reveal that migration fundamentally reshapes marital expectations, roles and identities, often unsettling established gender arrangements and intensifying financial, parenting and acculturation-related stressors. Conflict was commonly expressed through the language of “pressure” and “misunderstanding” rather than overt confrontation, reflecting cultural norms that discourage open discussion of marital difficulties. Couples employed a range of coping strategies, including communicative negotiation, selective silence and faith-based practices, that were shaped by both Nigerian cultural values and the realities of life in Europe. Informal support networks, particularly church communities and co-ethnic friendships, played an important yet ambivalent role: they offered significant emotional and practical assistance but also reinforced expectations that sometimes-limited help-seeking and equitable negotiation. Formal support services were underused due to concerns about cultural mismatch and institutional intervention. Overall, the study demonstrates that domestic harmony in the diaspora is a dynamic, negotiated process requiring continuous adaptation, mutual meaning-making and the strategic use of available resources.

Keywords: Nigerian migrants; domestic harmony; marital conflict; coping strategies; diaspora families