Sociological Concepts in Marriage - Research Paper Example

? Marriage Table of Contents Part Summary 3 Part 2: Sociological Concepts Application 4 Part 3: Critical Evaluation and Implications 5 Appendix: Interview Questions 6 References 7 Part 1: Summary The customs and practices pertaining to marriage and the establishment of families, including the bearing and rearing of children, are complex for Fil-Americans, and show within those customs and practices tensions relating to the pull of Filipino traditions and the counter-pull of entrenched American norms. This is not to say that American norms for marriage and family are static, but that they are largely more liberal and more atomic compared to those for Fil-Americans. The findings include that marriage for Fil-Americans is largely also a social affair, with the emphasis on the preservation of ties with the extended families of both parties to the marriage including extending ties to families left in the Philippines. The interesting finding as far as the marriage act itself is concerned is that while the two parties have spent all of their adult lives in America, both chose to get married in the Philippines, and to involve relatives both in the United States and in their ancestral countries. Their Catholic religion and strong ties with Filipino extended family members in the Philippines were strong factors that influenced the decision to get married there. They also mentioned that there is no divorce in the Philippines, an indication that they wanted to stay together for life and not consider divorce as an option. On the other hand, the values that they seem to want to impart to their children are a mix of Filipino values related to respect for elders, as well as more American, pragmatic values of independence, drive, self-reliance, and excellence in academics. Moreover, while the marriage partners themselves see their lives and their families as being tightly linked to their extended families in the US and in the Philippines, they wish that their children would be more tightly integrated to mainstream American society. They also see their children as being successful if they are able to find success in America. Meanwhile, the extended family also plays a large role in the rearing of the children, in terms for example of relatives in the US, who are sometimes neighbors, helping out in overseeing and babysitting the children for the parents (Cherlyn, 2004; De La Pena, 2008; Demleitner, 2004; Cooper et al., n.d.) We see that there are historic shifts relating to the assimilation of Fil-Americans in two generations of this family that we interviewed. On the one hand, the parents themselves are tied to their old families, and that reflects in their choices for marriage venue, and the tight relationship with extended family in the US and in the Philippines. On the other hand, even the parents envision their children to be more tightly integrated with American society and implicitly less tied to the Philippines and family there (Cherlyn, 2004; De La Pena, 2008; Demleitner, 2004; Cooper et al., n.d.) Part 2: Sociological Concepts Application It is clear that certain aspects of the rituals and traditions that the married couple chose to retain and to bring forward as they established their own families have very defined roles and functions relating to the preservation of the psychological health and the social well-being of the new family. For instance, it naturally follows that the parents want to anchor their marriage on traditions that they grew up with, and traditions which allow their extended families to relate and be part of the ritual and the family. Moreover, the emphasis on the extended family in the United States is, for the Fil-Americans, a way to establish a community that they can feel at home in and belong to, something that can be easily observed as well as an organizing principle for other minorities in the United States. The extended family for the Fil-Americans serve as the community on which they can build their lives. It is a support network as well as a community with which they share a large potion of their cultural and psychological identity. They retain many aspects of their old culture in the Philippines and that reflects in the tight relationship with extended family especially in the US. This can be seen as a transition reality, as their children grow up to be more American and less tied to their ancestral land. On the other hand the findings here also map well with families and marriage arrangements even in the US being in flux and is always a mix of the old and the new., as well as being shaped by the reality that people find themselves as they live their lives as migrants and as Americans. The research confirms how diverse and in flux family and marriage arrangements are (Cherlyn, 2004; De La Pena, 2008; Demleitner, 2004; Cooper et al., n.d.). Part 3: Critical Evaluation and Implications ‘From the preceding analysis, it is clear that the marriage practices and family arrangements that the couple adhered to in forming the family is something that guarantees the psychological and social well-being of the parties involved. They are necessary and not just blind preferences that have no context. The emphasis on Filipino customs and the Philippines as choice of venue for the marriage reflects anchoring on what is known. The conscious cultivation of ties with the extended families in the US and in the Philippines further reinforce the sense of belonging and continuity that the new family needed in order to thrive in the US. The extended family also serves to beef up the family's support system as they raise their children. On the other hand, the marriage and family customs also somewhat limit the degree of integration of the family with mainstream American society. This latter tighter integration is left for the children to accomplish (Cherlyn, 2004; De La Pena, 2008; Demleitner, 2004; Cooper et al., n.d.) Appendix: Interview Questions 1. Please tell us how you got married. Who were involved? Where did you get married and under what institution? Was family invited from both parties, and to what extent was extended family involved? Please feel free to add anything that you think is important to your story 2. Are you a part of a neighborhood that has a fairly large representation of people that are also Fil-Americans? How connected are you to extended family in the United States? In the Philippines? 4. Do extended family members play a part in rearing and taking care of the children? 5. How do you see your children growing up? Do you see them being as close to your extended family as yourself? 6. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your own level of integration with mainstream American society? With your own community? 7. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your affinity with Philippine culture and tradition relating to family? 8. Please explain freely your own views about the role of your culture in your own family life. How large is the impact of your Filipino heritage on your family life? Do you see this heritage as a negative or a positive in the context of living your life in the US? References Cherlyn, A. (2004). The Deinstitutionalization of Marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family 66. Retrieved from http://www.casamariposa.org/Prop8/Attachments/DIX0049.pdf Cooper, C. et al.. (n.d.). Values and Communication of Chinese, Filipino, European, Mexican, and Vietnamese American Adolescents with Their Families and Friends. University of California at Sta. Cruz. Retrieved from http://www.bridgingworlds.org/pdfs/paper4.pdf De La Pena, W. (2008). Migration Narratives: Intersections in Philippine and Latin American Writings. Paclas.org. Retrieved from http://www.paclas.org.ph/PAPERS/PACLAS-ConferencePaper-ForPublication.pdf Demleitner, N. (2004). How Much Do Western Democracies Value Family and Marriage?: Immigration Law's Conflicted Answers. Hofstra University School of Law. Retrieved from http://www.hofstra.edu/PDF/law_lawrev_demleitner_vol32no1.pdf Read More