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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Family is an important part of Indian culture. Extended families are quite common as people in India respect elder people and even more their own parents, once they have become old. It goes without saying, that family in India is naturally about authority and discipline. Children have to listen to their parents and the sovereignty of parents is respected. To illustrate this, there have been debates in parilament whether physical violence against children should be banned. It should not be surprising, that regulations which diminish the sovereignity of parents in terms of raising their children are not popular. Thus, as for now, it is legal to use moderate violence against children for raising purposes. This might seem inacceptable and antiquitated from a western point of view, but for Indians this is the norm. What regards dating, it is not well accepted if girls go out in the evenings or have boyfriends. Generally, girls are disrespected by HIndus as parents have to pay a substantial amount for the wedding dowry. Perhaps, this is why parents choose the parnter for their children they should marry. On the other side, children are taken well care of. For instance, it is quite common that children stay in their parents' house until, what might seem as quite a long time for western people, the age of 24/25, which usually is the age when they have finished their higher education and start to work full-time and make a living on their own.
Language wise, elder people are referred to as "aunty or uncle". Also, the suffix "ji" is used, giving respect for someone you do not know or is elder to you. In very formal families, the term "brother or sister" is directly used to adress an elder brother or sister.
Family is very important in Korean culture. Unlike American culture, Korean culture expects children to make decisions at any point in their life with their family in consideration. As a return for giving birth to the children and caring for them as they grow up, Korean children are expected to be obedient, take every decision with family in mind, take care of parents as they grow old, make proper funeral and post-death ceremonial arrangements, and carry on the bloodline. The Korean culture is hence very family-centric. It reminded me of my own country's culture since Indian people care a lot about family traditions as well.
Therefore, honorifics are an important part of the Korean language. Sentence formation can change according to the type of speech (formal, semi-formal, informal). There are different words for what to call someone older or younger to you (for example, unnie is a word used by a female to address an older female). The way you say everyday words like thank you and sorry change according to formality and age differences too (for example in the case of thank you, the formal way is kamsamnida, semi-formal way is gomawoyo, and the informal way is gomawo). The family-centric attitude can hence be clearly observed in the Korean language.
Koreans have a specific sense of values in regards to the family. Relationships within the family are the most highly valued in Korea. They have very deep and strong bonds within the family.
Although life can be hectic for the average person, Korean families usually tend to gather and unite for meals and special occasions.
Traditionally, Koreans are proud of their good relationship among family members. It has been noted that respect for the elder is the most noble attribute of Korean society. Elderly people give advice to the younger generation, and the younger people submit to the elder's wise advice. Interestingly enough, Korean families are called a "small society." The household keeps the family unit intact and Koreans don't forget that the family is the most important group for themselves. There are still many extended Korean families who live with three generations. Oftentimes, the children of the parents feel that that they have a responsibility to take care of their parents, even into old age. This is a common attitude that many Asian countries such as China and Japan hold as well.
Bae Ji-Sook writes, “Family is everything. Lots of things change in life, in society, but there is one truth _ family is everything for a man, and that value never dies,'” said Choi Jong-soon, a 78 year-old man. He doesn't live with his children, but he still believes that family puts both of his feet on the ground and helps him live his life.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/05/117_2341.html
In Korean culture, family is extremely important in every Koreans life. The welfare of the family overrides the welfare of the person. If a person were to act in a manner that is seen as rude or inappropriate, this is a poor reflection on the family itself. Therefore appearances are important since in the end it goes back to the family.
Koreans must always respect their elders as evident by formal words in the language. In Korea, elders are highly respected. During times of eating, no one can sit down until the elders or oldest people are seated first. Additionally the younger folks can't start eating until the elders at the table are seated and have lifted their utensils to eat. Before eating, it's polite and customary for the younger folks to say jalmeogaetseubnida which is "I will eat well" to the elders. Never refuse anything from elders, it's rude.
Families are tight-knit and large. Koreans have extremely close family ties and elders are often dependent on younger generation. It is believed that ancestors never really die, instead they still live in spirit among us. Therefore worshiping of ancestors is an important cultural value where respect is paid to elders even after death.
Additionally, the country's residents are divided into hundreds of bon-gwan or regional family clans.
Fathers are responsible for their families and must always be respected. Elders are addressed with proper formal titles and in formal language.
While we may think this may be the case, families are evolving today to such an extent that they don't necessarily reflect this mentality that is the base of Korean culture. Here is an interesting article that was published last year that reflects this changing mentality that is plaguing Korean elders today:
Elderly suicides
www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/world/asia/in-korea-changes-in-society-a...
The family is the most important part of Korean life. Confucian views on family are still very prevalent. As a result, the father is considered the head of the family and is generally responsible for earning money and approve the mariages of other family members. The eldest son has special duties first to his parents, then to his brothers (older to younger), to his sons, to his wife and lastly to his daughters. In an family, the welfare of the entire family is more important than the individual welfare of the family members. Moreover, the actions of every family reflect on the rest of the family. As a result, everyone in the family must conduct appropriately.
In fact, the teachings of Confucius outline the role of individuals in a family and society. Everyone should conduct themselves according to their obligations to other people based on their relationship with them. There is also a lot of emphasis duty, loyalty, honor, filial piety , respect for age, seniority and sincerity.
Ancestors also have a special significance in family. Sometimes the family register can trace the family line for over 500 years. However, ancestors are based on the the male family line. From the time children are born, they are thought to have incurred a debt towards their parents. Therefore, as children grow up, it is ingrained in them that they can never repay their debts to their parents. Hence, it is common to look up to and revere ancestors to the point of worshipping them. Ancestrat ceremonies are help several times in a year for the previous three generations particularly on Chusok, Korean Thanksgiving Day, and New Year's Day. On such ceremonies, people cook and set out food to celebrate their ancestors.
Israel is a small country which permits close geographic proximity and frequent personal contact among relatives. Relatives frequently gather for celebrations and help one another out such as babysitting for each other. In comparison to other industrial countries, Israel has relatively higher marital and fertility rates and lower divorce rates. This trend is unfortunately shifting though with higher divorce rates, particularly among the Jewish population. Most Israeli families consist of three children with the average family having 3.72 members and there is a growing trend of more families consisting of one parent. Israelis don't use formality when they talk to their families which is resemblance of American culture.
Family is a very important part of Indian culture. What family you are born into essentially dominates what level of education you will receive, who you will marry, and what job you will do. The concept of "Family" extends beyond what American's would deem their immediate family. Indian families are often ordered as a joint-family system. Under a joint-family system, when brothers of an immediate family grow up, they, their spouses, and their children act as a large family unit , sharing resources and looking out for one another. After the Children of each brother begin to grow up, the family slowly starts separating into distinct families to repeat the cycle all over again. Thus, In India, it would be more common for you to be close to or live with/near your Dada or Dadi (dad's parents) rather than your Nana or Nani (mom's parents). While the joint-family is still a very widely practiced concept in India, as India continues to grow economically and develop more "western" traditions, living in joint-families is becoming slightly less common, however, things such as arranging marriages, or deciding what a son/daughter will do (go to school/ employment/etc.) is predominately determined by the family. India, in general, is a hierarchical/patriarchal society. The family unit is no exception. Men outrank women of similar age and older relatives outrank younger relatives. This is reflected in how a person of a lower rank addresses a person of a higher rank. For example, a younger sibling won't refer to an older brother by their name, but rather by the term bhuy (brother). Overall, compared to the United States, it appears Indians typically have longer relationships with more of their relatives. This is what I pretty much expected to find as India is a collectivist society, where as the US is more individualistic.
When doing research on the view on families in Israel, I found that Israelis and Americans view families quite similarly. Israel has become extremely westernized in most parts of their lives. I have found that the American influence on Israeli culture comes from our strong political ties with the country. Similar to the US, Israeli families are made up from 2-4 children, but have an emphasis on having a couple of children to make sure they can financially support the entire family. Israel is a highly developed country and their standards of living are also quite high, similar to the US. The family value in Israel has evolved in a similar way as it has in the US. To me this means that although Israelis value their time spent with their families, the addition of technology into the home has created quite the distraction. Specifically this is seen at the dinner table when children have started using their cell phones at the meals and conversations have become less personal. The language Israelis use to describe their families is similar to the US also in that there is no formality in addressing one another.
Family is very important in the Indian culture. Indians usually have very large, close knit families. What is considered to be a small, Indian function or gathering would have at least fifty people in attendance. Children are cherished and considered a gift from God. In fact, children are encouraged to live at home with their parents until they get married. Marriage is one of the most important phases of an Indian's life. Arranged marriages were and still are very popular in the Indian/South Asian Culture. The decision of marriage is taken as a whole by the entire family. In India, a marriage is more than just a union between two individuals, it's a union of two families. However, now, although arranged marriages are still frowned upon, it is more acceptable to marry outside your race.
Indians are known to have "joint families." A joint family is formed by brothers, their spouses, and their children. Sometimes, a joint family will even live together in one big house. Traditional practices, religion, caste, and regional differences are things that influence family structures.
Generally, older members of the family take on the responsibilities in the house. For joint families, household work is split up amongst the members of the family. Once children are in their teenage years, they are expected to start cooking and doing house chores.
These attitudes are reflected in the language by having a distinctin between formal and informal. There is a certain way to address elders in a family. More respect is given to parents and grandparents. For example, you would say "Aunty Ji" The ji gives respect to the aunt.
Koreans highly value family. A typical family in Korea is large, with three or four generations living under the same roof. What is interesting is that, according to traditional Korean beliefs, when family members die, their spirits stay with their descendants for four generations. Children are seen as a blessing to the family, and they find it important to keep family together. This is because marriage is seen as the most important passage in one's life. This means if there is internal conflict in the family or if there is a divorce, it is regarded as a disgrace not only for the couple, but also for all their families. However, the family has slightly changed since the 1960's. In the past, no one was allowed to leave the family unless the father permitted, and the parents decided and arranged all marriages. Today, the eldest son can leave without the permission of the father and children are allowed to decide their own marriages. Though, arranged marriages are still popular. In general, families have become more liberal.
Family has always been a great emphasis in Korean culture. Therefore, the majority of vocabulary words for family have already been established (e.g. grandfather/mother, uncle, aunt, cousin (older and younger), and their equivalents for both the father and mother's side of the family). The attitudes of family are reflected in language as everyone in your family has a title -- respect is important. You should never call your elders or older cousins by their first name. You must call them by, for example, "older brother" unless permitted otherwise. However, disciplining does not begin as early as other Western cultures, as Koreans believe that one should not be disciplined until he/she has the ability to reason. As described in an article I read, "By the time he reached seven, a boy knew that he must use the respectful mode of speech to his older brother, and he knew that failure to do so would result in swift and certain punishment."
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