What are the attitudes about family in the culture(s) you are studying? How are families organized? Is the family evolving? How are these attitudes reflected in the language?
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In Korea, family values are more conservative on a whole than in America. For examples, leftover from traditional Confucian society, filial piety is a huge part of the family structure. Parents have near absolute authority over what their children do, and for a longer time than parents in America typically do. Families are also more closely knit in Korea: for example, kids typically live with their parents into their 20s or until they marry. Also, its common for kids to gift their parents a house as they get older and the children find success in their jobs. The Korean traditional holiday Chuseok stresses reuniting with one's family. As society progresses and Koreans pursue job opportunities farther and farther away, children are not able to see their parents as often, which has eroded some family ties. However, Korean families have otherwise tried to maintain their traditional values.
In Korea, family is in integral part of their culture. This semester, students who are studying Korean have repeatedly brought up the importance of showing respect to their elders and seniors. As expected, this theme is very heavily carried throughout families. Everyone is expected to always respect their parents, aunts, uncles, etc. but especially their grandparents and great-grandparents. This is reflected upon the fact that you generally use the "formal" method of speaking to the elders in their family, or that there is a tradition of bowing to them every new years. What I do think is interesting is that things seem to be getting a lot more casual with the new generation. I have seen a lot of Koreans my age who speak with the "informal" language to their parents or even their grandparents, while using aegyo as well. However, this is not to say that respect is being forgotten, because while they may be speaking differently, most Koreans seem to show a lot of respect to their family members.
The Siraiki and Urdu speaking worlds share similar cultures. This is because these two languages developed together in the same geographic region. They were subject to similar external forces in the forms of invasions or natural disasters. Therefore, it would be fare to say that the cultures are relatively similar as well. Much like all South Asian cultures, the Siraiki culture lays heavy emphasis on the hierarchy within the family. The older you are in age, the closer you are to the top food chain. One has to show great respect and admiration to their elders. Family is considered the most important and basic unit, which is the center of your universe. You are raised to serve your parents, even when they are in old age. The concepts of retirement homes are alien to this part of the world. People look down upon individuals who are negligent of the duties to their parents. In the family structure, after the parents, the eldest son is highest in the hierarchy. He has two major roles to play: to serve his parents and to keep the family from falling apart. The latter part is very important as family feuds are very common in my part of the world and it comes down to the eldest son to ensure that these internal strifes do not rip the family structure apart.
When it comes to the attitude about family, Koreans place importance on family relations.
In marriage people, Koreans hold relatively traditional gender roles within families, which is similar to that in China. For example, women should take care of housework and families while men’s job is to earn money.
Regards to divorce, Koreans hold conservative attitude similar to most asian countries. However, the transition can be seen as the increasing divorce rate in Korea.
Close family ties and dependencies are highly value in Korea. Children live with parents until marriage. Even after marriage, it is very common for a new wife to move in with her in laws. It is common in Korea that parents are usually take care of and advise children in most aspects such as academic, career and even marriage. Children are expected to fulfill their filial duty such as treading parents respectfully at all times take care of the in their old age, performing ceremonies for them after their deaths. This can be seen in Korean language that how people address younger and older people differently.
The viewpoints about family in South Korea are drastically different from the US. Korea, like most Asian countries, really value and respect a collectivist view towards life. This collectivist view of life stems deeply into the family. Everything one is brought up to do and know, is for the family and for the better of the family. Most of the time, one does not question your parents and children tend to give up on their own personal gains for the gains of the family. In Korea, I would say the language is another helping hand to the way parents are held in such high esteem. Speaking honorifics is such an integral part of the Korean language that respect in the family runs deep because of age. In the Korean household, grandparents are usually a big part of the familial picture and so are extended relatives- in terms of honorifics and addressing family. I would say that now, family is evolving in Korea. Men in this age, are more likely to take part in child-rearing (or at least open to the idea of helping watch the kids). As well, I don't think an emphasis on family will change in this culture, but I am hopeful that there will one day be less pressure on children to go to school once the Korean society has a new generation in power where they encourage their citizens to pursue their dreams and not just academics.
Less pressure to go to school? Can you clarify a bit?
As with many things in deaf culture, the attitudes about family and the way families are organized are pretty similar to the way we in the United States view family. The only thing I can think of that might cause attitudes to change is if some members of a family are deaf and some are not. For example, if a couple gives birth to a deaf baby or if their child suddenly becomes deaf, life will change immediately and drastically. For the most part, I feel as if the majority of families are willing to accommodate their deaf relatives, but it can be difficult to work, raise a family, and suddenly have to learn a new language. Deafness can be genetic, so I know a few families where at least one parent and the children are deaf. This is something that couples who have deafness in the family will need to think about: are they okay having children knowing that there is a chance they will be born deaf or hard-of-hearing? There are a few differences, but the family dynamics are generally the same in deaf culture as they are in a hearing family in the U.S.