How Changes in China Are Affecting Family ValuesĮven though times and attitudes are changing, some of the practices are so deep rooted within the culture that it is almost impossible to erase them completely. Women's role in the family was firstly as child bearers, then as home makers and workers, always subservient to the men of the house. For example, if Miss Wang marries Mr Li, she becomes Mrs Wang, not Mrs Li. The names for family members on the maternal side begin with wai meaning 'outside'.Įmphasizing their external position, women who marry in China don't adopt their husbands' family name and retain their own family name. In the Chinese family every relation has a different name. Therefore, even after marrying into a household, women are seen as the outsiders.
In addition to being patriarchal, Chinese society is patrilineal. Men vs Women: Patriarchal Influence on the Family They were rigorously trained and prepared to serve their elders. Youngsters were always at the receiving end of family decisions. Children had no authority over their own life and decisions were always made for them.
