HIST 115 Chapter 3: History 115 - Common Family System
Document Summary
Like china, vietnam embraced the concept of a common family system, living as many as three generations under one roof. The family was patriarchal in nature, with, at least in principle, the senior male playing the dominant role in family unit decision making. According to confucian doctrine, women were expected to obey their husbands (though actually they also played an influential role in family decisions). We had advised kids to follow their parents. Marriages were generally arranged, and the sons were expected to remain on the ancestral land after marriage in order to protect the family plot and provide for the needs of their elder. The rice farming demands have affected the life of the average vietnamese. Few had enough rice land to do more than just eke out a meager life for themselves and their families; litany had too little land or almost none.
