How Does Family Life Differ Across Cultures - Essay Example

How does family life differ across cultures? It is a fact all over the world that family life is different in varied cultures. This is because it has been seen that people associate with one another distinctively and hence segregation comes in quite uniquely. Family life is after all a blessing which is viewed in a number of contexts by people and that too for quite a few reasons. There have been family stories that have been narrated because there was always a need to do so. There are family instances which have been told time and again, and that too for good measure. However, what has been suggested all this while is that the family unit has been reinforced so that people derive comfort and solace from it. The cultural angle has also been detailed which shall be explained within varied perspectives in this paper. Culture usually plays its due role because it pinpoints how people shall connect to their near and dear ones, and how they must gel together to form a single unit. According to the first perspective, how family life is in essence is a direct result of how people believe in their own respective clans. This viewpoint bases its opinion on family members staying together at all times and hence doing all that they can for one another. Some of the more backward areas of the world believe in such a perspective because they do not have the resources to explore new pathways and hence stick to their families. Especially so, within Asian countries, and more specifically within India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the families are tied as one unit and the belief is such that they would live with one another as long as they are alive (Marcia, 2013). This focuses attention on the tangent of marriages between cousins, joint families and elders living alongside the couples. Even though this calls for spacing measures as such but emphasis is on being tied as a single unit, and that too for good measure. Perhaps it is cultural system that ties the family together and makes it a cohesive one. Another stance surrounds the fact that families are asked to live separately from one another. The family members explore options since these are available to them. They would go to any lengths to make sure that their educational and professional plans are met even at the expense of the family members going abroad or long distances to make that happen. These types of families are usually present in the West where the young ones are allowed to sway from their main family unit and explore new options as they wish. This is because the culture is such that the families wish to see their young ones grow beyond the ordinary and do something on their very own. Indeed it is difficult for a youngster to go on his own and do something good for his professional basis but then again this is how things shape up within such cultures. How people view family life is something of a distinctive discussion. This is because family life will always suit the family that is being spoken about rather than a dictum. It must be customized to bring about harmony for the sake of the family that one is talking about here. A personal entity as far as family life is concerned is always something that shall define the culture itself rather than the other way around. There has to be a thin line which must rule supreme rather than following a rule which has little or rather drastic effect on the family itself (Margaret, 2013). Some perspectives are built upon how the single unit changes the mindset to move on towards the liberal domains which have been mentioned in the last paragraph. While the opposite is also true – for the most part, it remains negligible. This is something that carries on the discussion further because it highlights pointers that are true to a specific culture. In essence, any culture will have its own sets and subsets of family life which will reign supreme, and any adaptations that there are shall be an indirect attachment which has taken over the basic culture with the advent of time. Essentially speaking, perspectives of family life under different cultures seem to change with the passage of time. This is true in the case of many ideologies that come under the tenets of culture. Family life within different cultures will continue to be seen differently. What is needed now is a vision to do things as per the requirements of a given family at any one time. The customization and personalization should always supersede anything else. Family cultures will reunite as and when time is ripe, and especially when marriages take place between members belonging to varied cultures. This is indeed a natural selection process and is considered a good omen for mixed ethnicities making their voice heard within the world. The societies come close to one another and hence there is more understanding for different cultures of the world. What it essentially does is to change the course of the family lives once and for all (Brown, 2012). In the end, it would be sound to state that family life under different cultures will continue to be seen in different light because it has to suit the needs and requirements of the people belonging to varied cultures. Unless there is something drastically different that takes place, people will continue to interact and manage their families as they have been taught over the years. Hence it is something worthwhile to note that the family life under different cultures is highlighted for both good as well as negative reasons. Now what rules supreme under such perspectives is a vision to set things right for the sake of the family within varied cultures of the world because it is much needed. All said and done, this topic highlights how family life is seen to differ across varied cultures in a multifaceted fashion. References Brown, L. (2012). Family Life in Different Cultures. BMS World Mission. http://www.bmsworldmission.org/familystories. Marcia Carteret, M. Ed. (2013). Culture and Family Dynamics. Dimensions of Culture. http://www.dimensionsofculture.com/2010/11/culture-and-family-dynamics/ Margaret, K. Scarf. (2013). Two Different Family Cultures United In One Remarriage. Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-remarriage-blueprint/201309/two-different-family-cultures-united-in-one-remarriage Read More