Royal University of Phnom Penh ISE 101

Institute of Foreign Languages Assignment Group 2

Department of English

Asian Family

Polygamous families

A Polygamous family is a family system of one spouse, men or women, having multiple other
spouses. having more than one wife. Polygamy is divided into two, which is polygyny and
polyandry. Polyandry which is a family of when the wife has more than one husband, Polygyny
is much aligned to most culture have men seen as breadwinner of the family as its deep-rooted to
patriarchal societies where the husband(s) needed to bring in enough money to support the
family because the wife(s) couldn’t work and added with economic factor and financial factor of
the family, it can be seen why polygyny is much more popular.

Due to culture reform of many countries, the polygamous family structure has become less
common and overall is banned in many countries. Due to many recorded cases of one spouse
having discriminative behavior, jealousy, poor martial satisfaction, competition between spouses,
the lack of trust between spouses and as well as many other mental problems which leads to the
unpopularity of polygamous family and subsequent outlaw of the family type in general.
However, the legal status of polygamy is varied in different countries as polygyny is much more
accepted in Muslim-based state.

+ In India, an Indian Muslim cannot have more than one wife at a time, but polygyny is much
more common within the royal of India. Similar laws existed in China as well, but such law does
not affect individual that live outside of China. However, only a few wealthy Chinese men have
more than one wife if he only can financially support.

Family structure in Southeast Asia

Extended family is not so closely knit in most parts of Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, closely knit
extended family is not very important, but they can be found among Balinese and the
Minangkabau people of western Sumatra. In the urban areas, nuclear families consisting of
parents and unmarried children are more common. The senior male member is the most
important person in the Vietnamese family structure. He is referred to as the Truong toc, which
means 'head of the family'.

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In Java, other members of a nuclear family can include one or two relatives of either the husband
or the wife. The Javanese family is also obliged to look after the children of their deceased
relatives. Newlyweds sometimes stay with their parents until they can afford to move into their
own house but will prefer a separate kitchen of their own to cook.

In Thailand, nuclear family is common. However, the relatives are always helpful and
cooperative, they help each other carry out certain religious ceremonies. Family Structure in
Southeast Asia.

New trends

The trends in Asia today are towards nuclear families. Because due to the desire for an improved
lifestyle. The extended family life was important in the old days, but now in modern lifestyle
people in Asia tend to break down extended families. Nowadays, more and more Asians family
are living in the cities. Therefore, it is difficult to get and maintain large homes in the cities.

⁃ In some cases, especially in China and Vietnam, the government discourage extended families.
However, a simple extended family exists in these countries. Example: Cambodians also tend to
have a strong sense of attachment to members of the extended family, close neighbors and
friends. Mostly if extended families live together, it is often due to financial reasons.

⁃ Generally, an aged couple would stay in the home of their married son. Although more and
more Asian families are becoming nuclear, the relationship between kinsmen remains strong. The
welfare of relatives and maintaining family traditions is still regarded as important. Most things
that family traditions help to create are a positive, healthy family culture.

Family Structure in Southeast Asia.

Summary: A Polygamous family is a family system of one spouse, men or women, having
multiple other spouses, it is divided into two, which is polygyny and polyandry. The ideal
Household in Southeast Asia is patrilineal based, extended, patriarchal, patrilocal sometimes
matrilocal, and a corporate economic unit. And the trends in Asia today are towards nuclear
families, due to the desire for an improved lifestyle.