The Alternations of Chinese Family Structures, Essay Example

Throughout the ages, Confucian families have evolved. On that note, the ideal Confucian family is that of extended family that is compromised of multi-generational, patrilineal, and patrilocal individuals. Through descent, these families are able to build ties together and unite as families. Confucianism is alive and well today. In today’s technologically advanced world, Confucianism reaches individuals who live in rural areas as well as those who live in urban areas. These kinds of families play a vital role in all kinds of Chinese families. The majority of today’s modern Chinese families located within the People’s Republic of China are described as patrilineal families. This means that the fathers are given the ability to practically run their family however they want. Factors of a patrilineal family have to do with the father’s ability to be able to educated children and manage the property that the family owns. This whole situation has changed over time, however, especially today. With the improved status of women within society, women are now being allowed to take up more responsibility within Chinese households as opposed to the kinds of responsibilities that they have been given in previous years.

Furthermore, gender inequality is a contributing factor to Chinese families. This factor is something that should be dealt with immediately and should not be taken with ease. The controversy with this gender inequality is that in the majority, if not all, of.

Chinese households, the boys are considered to be more valuable than the girls. Obviously, this is a big misconception that many Chinese families must come to understand before the boys begin to adopt the mentality that they are far superior to the girls. In addition, a variety of Chinese families believe that the more children they have within their households, the happier the household will be. Some families go as far as to believe that more children will bring more luck to their family. Such ideologies cause a multitude of families to embrace the thought of having more than one child, completely disregarding the One-Child Policy. Despite the fact that families know that having more than one child will place a burden on the family (they must pay triple annual family income as a fine for not being adherents to the policy), may families would much rather have “luck” and “happiness” brought about by the additional children than to worry about being in debt.

The conservative, classic Confucian family is seen less and less today. In addition, these kinds of families are not easily spotted in the People’s Republic of China. This is due to the fact that individuals (more specifically, families) are always learning to adapt to new environments. Under the One-Child policy, families are to have only one child. Those who pay heed to this policy, then, only have one child and his or her spouse or husband.

Throughout the article “China Gets Older and Lonelier”, the author Rachel Lu perfectly portrays another incentive as to why Chinese families are continuously changing in this invariably changing world: “For thousands of years, elderly Chinese had lived with their children and grandchildren, but that is rapidly changing too, as young people leave their hometown for education and employment opportunities.” (“China Gets Older and Lonelier.”) Here, Ms. Lu attempts to show that man families are changing because more and more children (or young adults) are leaving their house at an early age in order to be exposed to more opportunities in the real-world. The young individuals who must leave home for work at such a young age receive a lot of pressure. Of course, space constraints are another factor as to why the Chinese family’s children are not always able to reside within the household for years to come. In opposition, there are some Chinese families that decide not to have babies at all. These kinds of families are referred to as “Dink” and are known to challenge the traditional ways of Confucianism.