How are families organized? Is the family evolving? How are these attitudes reflected in the language?
You need to be a member of The SDLAP Ning to add comments!
This reply was deleted.
How are families organized? Is the family evolving? How are these attitudes reflected in the language?
You need to be a member of The SDLAP Ning to add comments!
Replies
Norwegian culture puts a great deal of emphasis on the family. Even in daily life, family time is exceptionally important. The lack of emphasis on the individual in Norway derives from a strong family life. However, in comparison to other cultures, especially those in Southern Europe, the nuclear family is most important. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, though important, serve a much lesser role in the daily lives of Norwegians. Parents and siblings are the foundation and support for all Norwegians. This is not dissimilar to the culture we have here in America; though arguably, because of our "melting pot" nature, the range of families is correspondingly larger. In Norway, the idea of a small family goes all the way back to Viking times. However in many ways the concept of the traditional Norwegian family. Gay Marriage was passed in 2009 in Norway, contributing greatly to a morph in the classic idea of the family. A steady decline in marriages has occurred over the past two decades perhaps as a direct correlation to the increase in civil unions and cohabitations, as well as divorces. Regardless of marital status, mothers are greatly supported by the welfare state and are given financial benefits as well as significant time off from work. Though the words for family members are quite similar to those in english (mor=mother, bestemor=grandmother, far=father, morfar=grandfather, søster=sister, bror=brother, tante=aunt, onkel=uncle), last names, or family names, have a great deal of significance for the Norwegians, especially considering the vast commonality of a relatively small selection of first names (Anna, Petter, Ole, etc).
Family is highly valued in Korea. Strong relationships are prioritized within the family and Koreans are proud of this. I learned that korean families are called "small societies." Family members are responsible for one another and use their homes as a time to socially prepare each other. for It is very important to respect onces elders and it creates a sense of nobility. Elders will often give advice to younger people and the younger people are considered disrespectful if they don't follow this advice. Many families often live with three generations under one roof and a typical household could have up to 12 people. It is the duty of the first born son to take care of the parents when they are really old. I found this interesting since my mom is the youngest daughter with 4 siblings, but her mom lives with us instead of her older brother. I think there have been many changes to the culture of a family in Korea as modernization takes over. When more cities developing in Korea, more people also move to smaller apartments in these urban settings so 12 people won't fit. It is an increasing trend, but family still remains highly valued.
Family is extremely important in Afghan culture; arguably, the most important aspect of every Afghan's life. Personal interactions and development often occur within the family. Families are reliant upon one another, and stay close together. Furthermore, as is the case in many other cultures, elders are expected to be shown respect. Essentially, if someone is older than you, you must show that person respect by greeting them when they enter the home, or when talking. It is never good to get into arguments within the family, but it is imperative not to create conflict with those older than you.
The family dynamic also plays roles in marriage. Arranged marriages still occur in Afghanistan, although much less so than in the past. Most arranged marriages are constructed by family members who find potential wives or suitors for their children, grandchildren, niece, nephew, etc. In some cases, marriages do occur within the family between cousins.
The family is a very important part of Swedish society and organized around a typical family nucleus: mother, father and children. In Sweden however, family structures vary greatly with the recognition of co-habitation and gay marriage which contribute to the diverse family structures. What does remain common is the role of the nucleus and absence of extended family in most cases. In comparison to other cultures where grandparents and cousins are integral in the family structure, elder members remain rather independent and self-sufficient members of the family preferring to live separately with government aid and pension. In addition, financial and social independence is valued and nurtured at a young age and it is not uncommon for teenagers to live independently at a young age. These customs are also reflective of a generous welfare system that allows for greater independence for both younger and elder family.
In addition to family dynamics, the Swedish language is structured in an interesting way which supports the relations of extended family members based on their connection to the family nucleus. In English for example, aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandparent are all individual names for each family member, whereas in Swedish to refer to grandmother you must indicate whether she is your maternal or paternal grandmother: "mormor" or "farmor." A direct translation to: "mother's mother" and "father's mother." There is a distinction embedded within family names which reinforces the importance of the nuclear family.
In Afghan culture, family is extremely important! Families are really dependent upon one another. Women are responsible for household duties while men are expected go into the professional world. The head male of the family is responsible for protecting the honor of the family. Daughters usually don't have as much freedom as the sons. When it comes to dating, the son will usually be able to start dating at a younger age. Also, it is not uncommon for families to arrange marriages for their children. Once the children get older, they stay closely connected with the family.
Similarly to Afghan culture, in Iranian culture family is very important. The typical Iranian family involves a small immediate family but a large extended family. Elderly family members are kept in the home, rather than a nursing home. Loyalty to the family comes before anything.
To add on to the conversation about attitudes about family in Indian culture, I'll try to focus primarily on family attitudes in northern India, since I'm not as familiar with southern India. It seems to me that in an Indian family, a lot of emphasis is placed on respecting one's elders, which is even seen in the way children/adolescents are taught to greet older individuals, by making a gesture that is as though they are about to touch the individual's feet or the ground. This is also seen in both Hindi and Punjabi, because in each language, you should use the formal case when you greet a relative who is older than you -- in Hindi, this is "aap" and in Punjabi, this is "thusee." In addition, in traditional Indian families, the older generation lives with the younger generation as well (like a grandmother living with her son or daughter's family). However, this trend is diminishing, especially if Indian families immigrate outside of India.
There is also a large emphasis placed on having close family ties with relatives, which is definitely reflected in both Hindi and Punjabi. Unlike English, where "aunt" or "uncle" can basically mean any one of your aunts or uncles, in Hindi and Punjabi, there are specific words denoting which aunt or which uncle. For instance, in Punjabi, "thia-ji" means uncle -- but specifically, your father's older brother, vs. "chaachaji," which means father's younger brother (so still an uncle, but related differently to your father). It is somewhat complex, so I'm looking forward to learning the equivalents in Hindi this semester.
Growing up in a Sikh family has given me an interesting perspective on families that speak Punjabi. Growing up there has always been an emphasis on family. Whether it was keeping up with your cousins academically or setting the standards for another family member such as a younger brother (in my case). Punjabi was usually spoken among the parents and grandparents. I grew up not knowing very much Punjabi, but over the years I have learned most of the language except for writing. Another thing with Indian families is that they want the younger generation to respect the heirarchy, for example, when there is a family gathering at my grandparent's house. The kids were to eat with the women until they were old and mature enough to sit with the men and carry on a conversation without making a full out himself. Also when you are young you do not speak when the adults are talking, unless they are asking you something. Families for the most part are fairly strict.
My family has been evolving, instead of an arranged marriage for instance, I am able to date and find a girl who is right for me. My parents speak English at home (as they always have). We still retain our culture but it is subdued because of our environment. I feel that this might have hindered my ability to learn Punjabi but it has also let me choose which culture to embrace, avoiding the identity crisis that often occurs with first generation Americans. I think that this evolution/assimilation has given my family a leg up. The Punjabi language has been used out of anger, but more recently just in normal conversation. Attitudes are usually shown in facial expressions and tone in Punjabi. I have not noted any other signs of attitude based around the language.
In Korea, families are organized in very hierarchial manner. There are specific designations for each family member in terms of age, side of the family, and gender. For example, in America, one could call their mother's older sister "Aunt Mary". In Korean, it would translate to something along the lines of "big (older) mom", which would actually distinguish her status as someone's aunt on her mother's side who is older than her mother.
The same applies for all other positions, and in the immediate family, there are different designations for an older brother, older sister, younger sister, or younger brother, depending on the person's sex. Often, I remember that as a child, I would be scolded for calling my brothers by their English name, as it removed the aspect of filial respect.
Despite these seemingly strict rules, it seems that Koreans have not changed their method of referring to family members. With that, follows the sense of propriety, even among siblings. I do not predict that there will be an evolution in the dynamic of Korean families as long as the same type of language is used. It serves as a foundation for determining the closeness in relationships.
that's really interesting. it's very much an eastern thing i think to denote a lot of things by what title your relative has.
Family is of high priority and in one way or another everyone is family. You call people (depending on their age) "aunty" or "uncle" or "akka (big sister)" "thangi (little sister)" "adgi (grandmother)" and so on. It's a very patriarchal society. Women don't really interact with men as much as they do in the US unless those people are family. It's very community and family based....everyone is talked to like some sort of family member. It's cool.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next