Continuity and Change in Family Arrangements in China. a Comparison with the Uk Family
Continuity and change in family arrangements in China. A comparison with the UK family 1. Introduction This essay is aim to compare the two countries with long shining history. China has got 2000 years’ feudal history which leads to the deep-rooted patriarchy and sexual discrimination. The UK used to be the empire on which the sun never sets, with the strongest economic and military power, patriarchy didn’t weak until recent years. These two giants have changed hugely nowadays. With the on-going of research, we will try to get the true reasons of the start and fading to patriarchy.
Analysis of the different conditions in two countries can demonstrate a major image of society status obviously. 2. Main Body 2. 1 Firstly we need to give family a definition As is known to all, definitions of the family may vary and change over time and according to areas of interest. One early definition of the family was that offered by the anthropologist George Peter Murdock (Erera 2001): The ancestors are amusing accumulation characterized by accepted residence, bread-and-butter cooperation, and reproduction.
It includes adults of both sexes, at atomic two of whom advance a socially accustomed animal relationship and one or added children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults. For short, it can be concluded as “married man and woman with their offspring” that is known as the nuclear family (Van der Klis 2008). The other one is extended family which extends beyond the former one, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives, who all live nearby or in one household. 2. 2 About the Patriarchy
Patriarchy is an arrangement of association in which the ancestor or earlier macho is arch of the ancestors and coast is traced through the macho line. Feudal patriarchy will abuse and afflict the spirit of addition and advancement. 2. 2. 1 Patriarchy in China When talking about the patriarchy in China, Confucian has to be the accomplished criminal. With the enactment of patriarchy, the acceptable Confucian abstraction on women that men are above to women has taken shape. On one hand, traditional culture is still prosperous depending on marriage living condition.
On the other hand, the booming economy just makes a great contribution to the liberty of women. With the improvement of education and family economic conditions, women get a bigger chance to live with their parents instead of their husbands’ families. Besides, the urbanization process also makes a contribution to exceed the traditional custom of patrilocal residence which cannot be ignored. According to the research on the influence of family and community level on marriage patterns, the living conditions of married women stayed static. Patrilocal residence is still common and taking a rise.
On the contrary, men who are living with their wives’ family are rare to find. After more than two decades of headlong rush to transform China from an autarkic centrally planned economy into a limited open-market economy. Now cultural heritage and economic factors restrict women’s choice of residence after marriage. In fact, at the beginning of 1970s and 1980s, the government had implemented an action which accustomed parents alive in state-owned enterprises to retire aboriginal and align their developed accouchement to plan in the aforementioned enterprises.
In appearance of the “replacement” policy, developed accouchement lived with their parents in the aforementioned cites and formed for the aforementioned enterprises. In all, admitting the official against Confucian culture, because of such affectionate of Chinese-style socialism and abridgement of labour market, a lot of developed accouchement maintained abutting accord with their parents. Even the abridgement ameliorate started in 1978, it had not afflicted the bearings of low advancement abundant until the mid-1990s. 2. 2. 2 Patriarchy in UK
Before the 18th century, scholars in Europe had believed, based on Aristotle and interpretations of Bible, which the political development of society began with patriarchy. The thriving of feminism from late last century has greatly overturned many patriarchy standards. (Hughes & Fergusson 2004)The patriarchal family is based on a hierarchical social structure which positions the man as the head of the family “ruling” over women and children. (Asifa 2010) Conservatives fear the changes as producing a breakdown of order. So they believed the change should be slow and natural. . 3 Marriage and Sexual Equality 2. 3. 1 Different Marriage Conditions We all know companionate marriage, that men and women are equal partners within the institution of marriage. (Erera 2001) No denying that, this may be a solution of patriarchy and high divorce rate. So it has become very popular among the younger people in the UK. After their relationship has been settled, they wouldn’t get married directly. Instead, they find a place to live together and get to know each other more. It will be common to see a three children’s dad remain unmarried.
In China, more and more people are living west style, but the society cannot endure the companionate marriage. It really goes against the traditional Chinese culture, so they cannot receive any allowance from their parents, expect for the ones who are living far far away. 2. 3. 2 Sexual Equality and Other Social Problems In the UK, from the 1960s onwards there have been significant changes in attitudes to gender equality, sexual relations and sexuality. 2. 3. 3 Education China has now become a more liberal society, with greater emphasis on sexual equality and personal freedom.
More and more girls can go to schools to experience a life that their grandmas can never imagine. In the big cities, sexual discrimination on education has been dead and gone forever. But in some rural areas, which are less developed or still living in poverty, girls have to make room for boys. They have to keep food on the table for the whole family, which means no more study, no more happy childhoods. Now these poor areas have received more and more donations to help them with the facilities and basic equipment for school. For instance, books, desks and chairs, even computers.
Chinese government has made efforts to improve the education level, but still remains much to be done. The unbalanced development can’t be ignored. The good side is more people being able to receive high class education; the bad one is the average rate throughout the whole country is still low. 2. 3. 4 Working Women complain about the discriminations when they are seeking jobs. They find that even a master degree cannot help them, company prefer male worker in a variety of fields and females always receive lots of restrictions.
So we get a serious situation here, women believe that finding a wealthy husband is the top mission. University is just a place for them to find future Mr. White. Dressing and making up are always on the top of talking list. Years of hardworking gives no payback, those girls have to make this choice. It’s quite common in some major Chinese cities, which I believe is a huge regress for the society. They just give up the equality so easily that the earlier feminists fought for generations to acquire. 2. 4 Family Condition
With the development of medical condition, the admeasurement of couples animate is actual top now. The majorities of the aged cannot alone get affecting abutment from mates, but as well accomplish bread-and-butter support, which reduces the charge of depending on their developed children. In the old days, all the majority of the aged accept several developed children, and their accouchement all may accommodate abutment for them. As reported, anniversary ancestor has three developed accouchement active in the aforementioned city, and their accouchement can action advice for them in general.
Some commentators worry that “the one-child policy” of China would affect future pension issues. However, we should pay more attention on the mid-aged than the elders; they are responsible for two generations and the whole society. They are the main force with great pressure (Whyte 2005). Here is an interesting result, although we have mentioned that children are taking responsibility to take care of their parents, it does not mean only seniors get benefit from the relationship (Yang 2005).
In the past, parents acclimated assorted means to advice their children, such as allowance them access acceptable schools and acquisition acceptable jobs, accouterment money for their marriage, and accouterment houses for them. To abounding developed children, their parents’ helps still abide in altered ways, for example, parents’ advice to yield affliction of children, go shopping, do housework, accord suggestion, and break specific activity problems application clandestine relationship. Until not long ago, the association does not absolutely accommodate account or accessibility for consumer.
Therefore, even a lot of adolescent couples accept full-time jobs, if they don’t get abutment from their parents, it will be absolutely difficult for them to handle the city-limits life. 3. Conclusion The family is a social institution that contributes to the ordering of society. So the research on family arrangement is seriously meaningful. And the comparison can deepen our understanding about the world. The backgrounds of these two countries are totally different, but because of the globalization, younger Chinese people are having a half-west lifestyle nowadays.
Although the causes of patriarchy in old families are not the same, they could end in similar way. With civilization marching on, women will acquire more benefits from equality. We have to say that the long-cherished dream of the feminists will come true in the end. All the efforts are not in vain. Preference Erera, R 2001, Family diversity: continuity and change in the contemporary family, Sage Publications, London Hughes & Fergusson, 2004, Ordering Lives: Family Work And Welfare , Routledge in association with The Open University, London
Van der Klis, M 2008, Continuity and change in commuter partnerships: avoiding or postponing family migration, GeoJournal, pp. 233-247 Whyte, M 2005, The Change and Continuity of Family Life in Chinese Urban Area, Open Times Yang, J 2005, Continuity or Change? Socioeconomic Development and Marital Living Arrangements in Transitional China, Population and Development Asifa, S 2010, British married Muslims and the patriarchal family structure, Springer Science + Business Media, pp. 195-214
