The type of family described above has for thousands of years produced a family
dynamic where lines to hierarchy and authority are clearly drawn. Male members of
the family, acting as authority figures, are heads of the households and make all of the
major decisions. Women are seen as caretakers of the children. The roles just men-
tioned are learned very early in life. Boys are given much more freedom of expression
than are girls; boys are encouraged to take part in the religious festivals and activities
as a means of introducing them to the spiritual world, and girls are asked to help with
the chores that keep the family functioning. It is also hoped that a girl will grow up to
be a good wife who devotes herself to her husband’s well-being through her perfor-
mance of religious ritual and household responsibilities. In addition, as a wife, she is
expected to“spend much of her time with her husband’s family”and reflect “a
demeanor of submissiveness and modesty.”^78
To assist their sons in securing“good wives,”arranged marriages are still com-
mon in India. These types of marriages have been part of Indian culture since the
fourth century. For most Indians the rationale behind this practice is as valid today
as it was then. In fact, according to UNICEF, arranged marriages make up 90 per-
cent of all marriages in India.^79 There is a belief that arranged marriages benefit
not only the parents and the bride and groom but also the entire culture. For
many, these arranged marriages continuea long tradition, offer parents control
over their children, continue and preserve the ancestral roots, consolidate much
of the family property, and enable the elders to preserve the concept of endogamy.
The procedure for selecting the correct mate is not a random process but rather
“rule governed”and driven by a set of specific objectives. For example, Nanda
and Warms note,“Different patterns of choosing a mate are closely related to
other social and cultural patterns, such as kinship rules, ideals of family structure,
transfer of property at marriage, and core cultural values, all of which are rooted in
how people make a living.”^80
The long history of preferring males to females has created what some call“gender
disparity”in India. It often means an inequality in employment and a limiting of edu-
cational and ownership opportunities. In spite of what we wrote about the roles of
males and females in India, the perception and treatment of women are undergoing
major changes. As is the case in so many cultures, globalization has had an impact on
the Indian workforce, which in turn has brought about some changes in gender strat-
ification throughout India. Today, the number of young women in India receiving
higher education is larger than ever. Many of them are becoming scholars, scientists,
and medical doctors in greater numbers than their American counterparts.^81Arabs. Before we begin our discussion of families and gender roles for our next cul-
ture, we need a word or two of clarification. First, as is the case with all cultures, it is
important to keep in mind that not all Arabs are the same. Arabs are spread through-
out the world and engage in a variety of child-rearing practices. Second, just as we
had to make some distinctions between Hispanics, Latinos, and Mexicans, we also
have to explain our use of the word“Arab”instead of“Muslims.”To begin, not all
Arabs are Muslims. And all Muslims are not Arabs.“[O]nly 20 percent of the world’s
1.5 billion Muslims originate from Arab countries.”^82 There are also Arabs who are
Christians and even Jews. However, a majority of experts finds the word“Arab”
most appropriate, as it“is a cultural and political term”^83 and relates more directly
to the kinds of issues we examine in this section.86 CHAPTER 3•The Deep Structure of Culture: Lessons from the Family
Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).