Chinese Family : The Keytone Of Family In The Chinese Family

In Ancient China the father of the woman decided who that his daughter would marry. There was no agreement between the two fathers. The father would talk with an astrologer who had a birth chart on every child. By looking at the time and date of their births he would then decide whether or not they would be compatible for one another. The father when then make the decision whether they would marry, the daughter’s thoughts and opinion’s did not count.(9) The woman was required to be completely devoted to her husband. After the marriage a Chinese women was expected to bow to her new in-laws and offer them tea. This showed them that she now belonged to her husband’s family. It was required of her to obey her new

Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing to the early 20th century, many Chinese families struggled to gain social, economic, and educational stature in both China and the United States. In the book, A Transnational History of a Chinese Family, by Haiming Liu, we learn about the Chang family rooted in Kaiping County, China, who unlike many typical Chinese families’ exemplified hard-work and strong cultural values allowing them to pursue an exceptional Chinese-American lifestyle. Even with immigration laws preventing Chinese laborers and citizens to enter unless maintaining merchant status, Yitang and Sam Chang managed to sponsor approximately 40 relatives to the states with their businesses in herbalist

Firstly, the relationship expectations in Chinese customs and traditions were strongly held onto. The daughters of the Chinese

Children in Ancient China had different expectations laid out for them, mostly dependent on gender and age. One of the most important values instilled in children was respect. Children were expected to respect authority figures above all, but also to respect those in their immediate family. Religion and philosophies in Ancient China played a major role in what was expected of Chinese children. Expectations also varied depending on the child’s social status. Confucianism in particular is acknowledged as the major influence in the daily lives of Chinese people, but especially children.

As a patriarchal society, China favored the men over the women, particularly in marriage. At Lindo’s wedding, her husband, “Tyan, yanked the scarf off [her] face and smiled at his friends and family, never even looking at [her]” (59), illustrating the clear male hierarchy. The woman doesn't even matter. All that matters is the husband’s success in life and a not becoming a widower. Not only is the woman subordinate in marriage, but women are also subject to becoming concubines “not for love, but because of the prestige of owning what so many other men wanted” (234), showing not only a lack of love and passion in marriage but also a regard for women as property and a way to sexually pleasure oneself. There is a complete lack of regard for women and their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Often the only way for women to survive, especially those who have been widowed, was to consent to be a man’s concubine because of “his enormous wealth” (234). If a woman did not have a man, husband or otherwise, to take care

An oppression is when people are governed under unfair and cruel way and have no freedom or opportunities. There are different types of oppression, such as racial and religious conflicts, conflicts between dictatorial governments and their citizens. Also, the battle between sexes, conflicts between management and labor, and conflicts between heterosexuals and homosexuals.

The idea of “ Three Obediences” was common in China this signification a women’s subordination first to her father, then to her husband and then to their son. Customs that ancients practiced when a baby girl was born also show the inferiority and subordination that she will be place in the future. Under this ideology very few women were allowed to exercise political authority, specially mothers because they were considered wise counselors for their sons. However, peasants women did not follow all this rules since their labor was required on the fields.

The chinese family was proud of their family name. They were so proud that the family name would come first in their writing. Most families were large. They were large because they needed farmers and everyone in the family worked on the fields. The older sons made their own crops. Everyone in the house had to respect the older men of the house. The oldest male was usually the head of the house, but sometimes it would be a brother. Whoever the head male was, the wife had to obey them. They practiced filial piety. The men of the house went to school and ran the government.

A common theme in Chinese society that people exist through is that people are defined by their relationship with others. Their behavior is determined by particular moments in their lives. This basis of “different treatment” was also seen in the teaching of Confucius, which had five essential relationships within which one must sustain in his role requirements. These are father and son, ruler and minister, husband and wife, elder and younger, and brother and friends. Prevalence of these relationships is given to the father and son followed by the ruler and minister. When all parties honor their requirements in the social relationship, social order is sustained.

Family roles play an important part in family life all over the globe. There are a variety of different families, and family structures that are prevalent in different parts of the world. In some cultures, the mother is the head of the family, and leads from a position of authority and respect. In other cultures, the father is the authoritarian figure within the household. Yet, in others, there are more significant roles for children. Family roles have been influencing daily life, since ancient times. Both the ancient Romans and ancient Chinese had specific family roles that shaped the activities that each family member participated in throughout their daily life. Some of the roles are the same, while others are somewhat different.

6 Based on Liu's book, discuss what are some of the major themes, theories and concepts such as the sojourner tradition in Chinese society, family as a social network, a transnational life and family.

A blended family is a family where at least one parent has children that are not genetically related to the other spouse or partner. Either one parent may have children from a previous relationship. Children in a blended family may live with one biological parent, or they may live with each biological parent for a period of time. In addition, visitation rights mean that children in stepfamilies often have contact with both biological parents, even if they permanently live with only one. A child is referred to as the stepchild, stepdaughter or stepson of their biological parent’s new spouse, and that person as the stepparent, stepfather or stepmother of the child. A stepfather is the husband of one’s mother and not one’s biological father. A stepmother is the wife of one’s father and not one’s biological mother. Similarly, a stepbrother is the son of a stepparent who one is not biologically related to. A stepsister is the daughter of a stepparent to whom is not biologically related. A parent’s spouse of the same sex may also count as a stepparent. Alternatively, in Australia Under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), a ‘stepparent’ in relation to a child, is interpreted as a person who is not a parent of the child; and is, or has been, married to or a de facto partner of, a parent of the child; and treats, or at any time while married to, or a de fact partner of, the parent treated, the child as a member of the family formed with the parent.

Before the communist revolution in China, its’ society was based upon Confucian thought and practices. A main concept of his was that the family was a fundamental unit of society. Although this was similar to communist values, it was quite different. Confucius saw it to be ideal if family had hierarchy, with men superior over women, as well as elderly over the young. Society was very patriarchal during this era, as much as it was in many different parts of the world. However, it took a turn when the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) arose in the midst of the Guomindang (Chinese Nationalist Party) to take power with Mao Zedong guiding

Given the high sex ratio in recent China population report, the abnormally excessive male birth exemplifies the persistence of son preference on women’s fertility behavior. Son preference rooted in Chinese agriculture-based economy and historical feudalism, in consistence with the reliance on laborers and continuing the family line. Older people prefer to depend on their sons to get financial and physical support, while daughters are regarded as property of their husband’s family since the day of marriage.

The research topic for the ethnography article was to explore the involvement of Chinese grandparents on their adult children in the way of parenting practices in the United States. The authors likely chose qualitative research for several reasons, one being the language barrier. Since the first author spoke Mandarin it likely made the interviewees more comfortable not having to go through a translator. Likewise, if the participants had been asked to speak in English or to a researcher that only spoke English, it could have turned some participants away. The research topic for the narrative inquiry was to discover the opinions of students that attended Early College High School (ECHS) in Texas in regard to their academic as well as social experiences while in the program. The author likely chose qualitative for this topic because it was about giving the students’ their voice. What better way to allow their words to be heard than through direct quotes? Another reason why the authors of both articles likely chose a qualitative approach is they did not appear to be looking for an answer per say, as much as describing a particular point of view, something that quantitative research does not lend itself to. It seemed there was more focus on observation and less on the generalization for both articles.