Research Paper on "How Families Are Different in Various Cultures"

Research Paper 8 pages (2246 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Sociological Differences Amongst Cultures of Womanhood

An understanding of sociology allows us to understand why particular people act the way they do. A family is just one of the many units within each society. Across cultures, we all share the fact that we are nations and religions and cultures comprised of families. This particular paper shall examine how the sociology of the family, and specifically, the distinct role of women within the family unit across two different regions and cultural systems -- systems which many people on both sides of the world misunderstand.

The lens to be utilized is one employing cultural relativism or the premise that different cultural groups think, feel, and act differently; however, one group is not necessarily dominant over the other and that there is, indeed, an important purpose to be served by understanding instead of judging first. When understanding occurs first, according to the cultural relativist viewpoint, then negotiation of differences may occur because each group understands the societal underpinnings for said differences (Tilley, 2000).

In a downtown restaurant in New York City in 1995, a well-meaning mother visiting from another country left her young child outside on the sidewalk while she and her husband casually completed and sought to enjoy their meal. However, her meal was interrupted and, as a result of her perceived wrongdoing, she was promptly arrested for child neglect and abandonment. However, in her home country, what she did was common practice. Interestingly, this mother was from another Christian-based Western nation ("Danish Mother Sues," 2005). Accordingly if disparities amongst sex roles and the expectations and duties of women differ amongst two Westernized countries such as

Denmark and the United States, one can rightfully assume that roles of women as wives also are different amongst women in Western nations whom practice Christianity and women in Muslim nations whom practice Islam,

If we take a cultural relativist position and seek to truly understand the differences amongst women which are the result of sociological norms of the predominant religion underpinning her respective society, then we might be able to approach our differences with empathy as opposed to with blind judgment and misunderstanding. By doing so, we might build bridges between cultures as opposed to further drifts, misunderstandings, and ideological as well as literal war.

The role of women as wives

The Western world's conception of women and marriage

At the outset, it must be noted that within the Westernized world wherein Christianity is widely practiced, there are four main views: (1) women have full equality of roles and rights, (2) women have full secular equality, but restricted Christian roles and privileges, (3) women have restricted rights in both the secular and church life, and (4) a mixture of all three of the foregoing depending upon the context. This paper recognizes the diversity within each of the foregoing subsections. As such, research and analysis pertains to the relatively recent postmodern views of women as a result of social change, capitalism, and consumerism in society after World War II, with a brief discussion of the origination of women's roles based upon Christian values prior to World War II.

Traditionally, women in the Christian world were considered property and, as such, the bride's family received a dowry (economic compensation) from the groom or his family. While the dowry today appears to be means by which to solely liken the woman to cattle or other personal property, the dowry also attempted to protect the woman in that if the man committed a grave offence against the wife, it would be returned to the wife's family (Britannica, 2005). Furthermore, prior to modernity, it was unusual for a woman to enter into marriage based solely upon amorous feelings (Horne, 1993). Until 1882, wives were not allowed to hold property in their own names; all assets were to be in the name of the husband. If a woman did not want to marry, then her only other option in society at this time was to join a convent. Through joining a convent, a woman was allowed to hold property since she legitimately did not have a husband ("Catholic Sociology of the Church," n.d.).

In the 1900's, the role of women as wives began to change allowing for wives to have more rights, duties, and status within society as well as within the marital unit. One of the major changes was the shift from arranged marriages based upon allocations of property and social status to the idea of marrying for love. Ironically, as a result, the divorce rate due to incompatibility became common as opposed to the previously-based sole grounds of committing an egregious and serious violation of the marital union. Furthermore, while polygamy is the norm in American society, due to the expansive practice of divorce, women and men are taking more than one life partner albeit not simultaneously (Flynn, 1981).

One of the major reasons for social change in the United States in the 1900's was due to the need for women to enter the workforce during the two World Wars since there were not enough men on the domestic front to manufacture ammunitions and perform other jobs that traditionally women had been excluded from (Hartmann, 1982). Until that time, women were predominantly relegated to the household as a result of the Bible's scriptures that describe women as literally in subjection to their husbands (Flanagan, 2007). The latter half of the 1900's certainly saw women take great strides with regard to the shifting of gender molds and today, women may have a husband or even a gay partner, a profession, and children (Hartmann, 1982). Some have affectionately termed this as "having it all." While a constitutional democracy such as the United States relies upon an educated public and, therefore, the education and employment of women is critical to the functioning of our nation, it cannot and should not be forgotten that the women who do both are oftentimes hurting themselves emotionally and physically by enduring the stress involved in taking care of everyone else but themselves. As noted by Gloria Steinem, who eloquently summarized this sentiment: "I've yet to be on a campus where most women weren't worrying about some aspect of combining marriage, children, and a career. I've yet to find one where as many men were worrying about the same thing" (Steinem).

Women and marriage in Islamic societies

The Muslim culture believes in the idea of the cosmos wherein there must be order and balance in the universe. They bring this notion of the need for order and balance to the main institution within their society: the family unit (Ahmed, 2007). In order to create balance within the family unit, each person holds an equal spot so as to keep the balance within the unit itself and each, additionally, to create order each person has clearly defined roles (Ashraf, 2004).

Women are brought into the marriage oftentimes as a result of an arrangement between parents and senior family members; however, the children are consulted during the process. With regard to finding an appropriate husband for his daughter, tradition (as opposed to religion) provides that a father may decide the daughter's marital partner through setting up an arranged marriage. Unions are usually made between members of an extended family which then makes it more difficult for the husband to be disrespectful to the wife because by doing so, he would also be disrespecting his own family (Ahmed, 2007). In fact, many Muslims assert that this is one of the reasons why Muslim marriages are more stable than Western marriages (Haddad & Esposito, 1997).

Within the family unit, the mother is held in high regard. According to the Prophet, "Heaven lies beneath the feet of the mother" (Ahmed, 2007). Generally, the Qur'an emphasizes that members must always act according to the highest and most ideal moral character. Two specific virtues which are highly important in Muslim countries are modesty and dignity. It is the woman's job to model to the other women of the family how to rightly conduct oneself. Part of showing modesty and dignity involves avoiding clothes that suggest the body's countours or expose parts of the body to others and this is done traditionally by wearing the hijab. However, wearing the hijab and the veil is not only controversial when discussed by Westerners, but it is also a controversial issue amongst many Middle Easterners. To some, the veil symbolizes a denial of sexuality and freedom. To many Muslims, they explain the rule to wear the veil as related to her own protection since by dressing in this way, she will not be viewed merely as a sexual subject, but as an equal and she will also be able to be appreciated for her intelligence as opposed to her body or her beauty (Ashraf, 1998).

The husband, according to the Qur'an, has the role of the protector both financially and otherwise of his wife while the woman is the protector of the home. The Qur'an specifically… READ MORE

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