The Concept of Extended Families in the Japanese and Chinese Cultures - Essay Example

of CHANGE IN FAMILY STRUCTURE There was a time when the traditional Asian-American familieshad a common vertical family structure of male-oriented lineage and hierarchical relationships. Typically, the tree of authority and responsibility moved from father to son, husband to wife, and elder brother to younger brother. Women were considered as a passive individual responsible only for nurturing the well being of the family, forming close bonds with children, and doing household chores. However, over the generations, this pattern changed drastically; in fact most nations and states across the world underwent major changes in family structures. The traditional family structure which consisted of a married couple and children declined after the World War II. American families took form of diverse types of families; from single parent, stepparent, unmarried partners, to same-sex partners and multi-generations. While for Japanese Americans, the patriarchal pattern of kinship changed to a stem pattern of shared responsibility within the partners and inheritance for both sons and daughters. The gender structure of Philippines, in contrast to that of Japan, Korea, and China, became more egalitarian while kinship became bilateral. The older men from Southeast Asian countries lost their elderly traditional roles by which they were responsible to make important decisions, solve problems, and adjudicate quarrels etc. Moreover, the status of fathers reduced, as children started being more responsible and started earning; while on the other hand, women learnt more about their rights and protection from abuse and discovered that they could also provide income to the family by selling their intricate needlework. The concept of extended families prevailed in the Japanese and Chinese cultures, while that of joint families prevailed in Asian-Indian culture. (Asian American Families, n.d.) Factors causing this change The historical causes for this structural change trace back to World War II when the war uncertainty brought many young couples into the circle of marriage, and that too in rush. When they returned from the war, they started families immediately. As compared to the previous generations, women relatively bore more children and in quicker succession; this turned out to be the single largest generation in the US history, famously known as the ‘baby boom generation’. Moreover, the couples who had rushed into marriage during the war time went their separate ways, and the divorce rates considerably inclined during the post war era (1950s to 1960s). The family breakups forced the children (of the divorced couples) to go through bitter challenges, who grew up questioning the marriage worth and this eventually led to the launch of a sexual revolution. During this period, the idea of couples living together without being married became very common. The number of cohabiting couples kept on increasing from 1970s to 1980s, while young men and women put off marriage even more and did not have children until late. Women discovered career opportunities and delayed childbearing until they were in their forties. These circumstances, by the 1990s, broadened the ‘family’ definition which now included single parents, cohabiting couples, and same-sex couples etc. who might or might not have children of their own (America’s Families, n.d.) For the Asians, the scenario was a little bit different. With economic opportunities and upward mobility, younger professionals started moving their nuclear families away from parents. Some, for example, Filipino families, due to economic issues integrated their nuclear families into multiple families, while Vietnamese families consorted and traded material resources within family groups that led towards building a cooperative family economy. Quah (2003) highlights two major causes that led to family structural changes in East and Southeast Asia, and backs her literature with strong statistics. ‘Longer postponement of marriage and an increase in divorces are the prominent features’. The author says that young men and women from those countries with highest per capita incomes and economic development (e.g. Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong) postpone marriage because they want to utilize the career and employment opportunities. This delay in marriage is typically followed by a delay in the birth of the first child and a parallel decline in the total number of children. Marriage dissolution is another critical factor that, for its most part, affects children and their brought up. Other causes highlighted by Mello & Schirmer (1994) are the difficult economic circumstances that take a toll on families, specifically those that are taken care for by single parents and young couples. They say that even though women might want to prefer family and home over work, the financial crisis drive them into work. No doubt purchasing power is declining, while future healthcare and retirement plans are becoming way too costly. Parents are stressed, they can’t figure out how to spend more time with their children, even they are unable to give time to each other, and hence the family system falls into a discomfort zone where disrupting families devastate the children, the most. Outcomes The worst outcomes of nuclear families breaking apart involve children left with an economic, and more importantly, emotional baggage that always attends family disturbance. Even though these children may become more flexible, more developed, and more independent during this whole process, nonetheless it is never free of cost. It most certainly leads to quick and steep downfalls in their living standards and they suffer from increased emotional and behavioral problems. According to a research, children from single-parent families have the lowest levels of well-being, while those from stable intact families have this indicator as the highest (Spruijt & Goede, 1997). Another outcome on a global scale is the sharp decline of birth rates. The prevailing economic circumstances with the dependence of families on two incomes are two of the destabilizing influences on the family. Women have been driven into workplace which has increased constraints on time which they once used to devote to childrearing. Moreover, with declining birth rates, another inevitable outcome is fewer children. The youth population of today or that of the generation to come is considered as very low. Unless a strategy is made to support families retain slight touches of the traditional family and high profile assistance is given to children, along with declining birth rates, the US will even lose on attracting immigrants and retain residents. Another critical outcome of the changing or splitting family structures is the rapid expansion of households. With the prevalent trend of individualism rather than collectivism as well as the increased divorce rates, as more and more families split, separate living quarters or new households were formed as a serious outcome. Moreover, with increasing number of households, the number of persons living in each household was proportionately decreasing. It is hypothesized that if perhaps housing costs are increased and wage growth is slowed down by the policy makers, then young adults or single parents would find it hard to sustain independent living and rather would be propelled to start relying on the concept of extended family. Future Implications If policy makers intend to assist in mediating adverse consequences in the lives of children, they ought to encourage more family-friendly workplaces. Systematic address should be carried out on the structural issues of wages, benefits, employment opportunities, and gender equity etc. The productive co-existence of work and family life should be enabled and supported by the policymakers. Since there are (and may continue to be) fewer children among the highlighted nations for a number of years, it is highly imperative that the potential of every child must be realized and supported. Nations should invest in their children considering them as real big assets for future economic development purposes. Adequate child care, and quality of available work, are two crucial areas to work on. Since now people are more aware of the family issues caused by structural changes, this heightened consciousness has led the policy makers attend to a range of family issues that could drive an improved and constructive change. Works Cited America’s Families (n.d.) Changing Family Structure, Retrieved March 3, 2010 from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1315/America-s-Families-CHANGING-FAMILY-STRUCTURE.html Asian American Families (n.d.) Family Structures and Gender Roles, Retrieved March 3, 2010 http://family.jrank.org/pages/103/Asian-American-Families-Family-Structures-Gender-Roles.html Mello, M. S. & Schirmer, P (1994) Changing Family Structures, The Context of Change pp.10+ Quah, S. R. (2003) Major Trends Affecting Families in East and Southeast Asia, Retrieved March 3, 2010 from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:aoSahGkQ8nEJ:www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Publications/mtquah.pdf+changin+family+structure+south+east+asia&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESioJW_-ZqRU8q0F0Mq5AC2P8jHG5G9LaWBax7SLkc7bUig_ncFJuzDwa9J5Dk7GDsyGlQyVNELADNwAEJBxxmMr44lgiJjEA9yY17Q7KwV-zcXsZw49gwalcM3Xy_TfNzJxjV-T&sig=AHIEtbRzKEFzHKyKViYPk8HPkMOFmmpTaA Spruijt, E. & Goede, M. (1997) Transitions in family structure and adolescent well-being, Volume 32 Read More