Marriage and Family 91/92 [antikvár]

Historical and Cross-Cultural PatternsWhen we shut all the world out, we find that we have shut ourselves in.W. G. SumnerThis statement holds true both culturally and historically. It has been said that in order to properly understand the present and plan for the future, it is necessary to have some understanding of the past. This understanding encompasses many areas, including marriage and family. As social historian John Demos said, "Much of what we expect from family life bears the stamp of an earlier time." How often have you heard people talk of "the good old days"? Or how frequently have you heard or read someone's view of the ideal family that included references to "traditional" values? Have you wondered if things were really as they are remembered? It is only through careful historical and cross-cultural study that family patterns today can be understood or compared with those of times past or those characteristics of other cultures.In order to establish a historical and cross-cultural perspective on marriage and family, this first section will endeavor to meet several goals. These include: (1) to assist readers in distinguishing nostalgia from history pertaining to marriage and family patterns in the past and present; (2) to assist readers in separating facts from opinions pertaining to marriage and family patterns; and (3) to broaden readers' knowledge about the range of current and emerging marriage and family forms and styles in this and other cultures.The first article exposes the popular practice of decrying today's family while romanticizing the good old days. This opening chapter of a new family text, The Myth of Family Decline (Edward Kain, 1990), places today's family life within a broader, and more factual, historical context.The second article reviews a variety of legal and nonle-gal attempts to define today's changing family. The conclusions emphasize the need to look past the number ofmembers, blood relationships, and other traditional factors to the roles, functions, and ties that are present.The next three articles in this unit explore cross-cultural family patterns. The third article describes a current American family practice that was more common historically and continues to be more common in other culturesseparate bedrooms for spouses. The author asserts that if more American couples acknowledge their different needs, schedules, and styles, and adopted separate bedrooms, their relationships could benefit.The articles, "Here Come the Good Old Days" and "Asia's Rich Promise," discuss the impact of the demographic shifts now being felt in Asia and in many other areas, including the United States. The aging of the population and changes in mortality and fertility are profoundly affecting Asian culture as well as in the United States and other cultures before and into the twenty-first century.Looking Ahead: Challenge QuestionsWhy do people put on rose-colored glasses about the families of the past? How does this practice affect today's families?Can you write a definition of the family that represents the variety of types present today? What do you believe is the single most important characteristic of a healthy family?Have you ever lived with anyone (sister, brother, or roommate) whose internal clock, neatness level, or other important characteristic was so different from your own that living with him or her was difficult? Does this experience make you better understand why some couples choose separate bedrooms? Why or why not?What changes have you seen in your family and community that can be associated with demographic changes? Do you feel these changes have predominantly negative or positive effects on families? Why or why not?