Based on the interviews I performed for this exercising. I now have a broader position of the term household. For this exercising. I interviewed four persons that were of Asiatic beginning. specifically Filipino. or persons arising from the Philippines. Based on my research and talk with my interviewed topics. the Philippines is such a little state in the South East but these Filipinos can be found populating all around the universe. To an anthropologist. the term household merely pertains to the biological construction composed of two parents and at least one kid.
This structural unit is what has long been accepted in the Western universe as the basic unit in society. However. there are rather a few alterations to Asians and more specifically. to persons arising from the Philippines. In Filipino civilization. the footings household and extended household can be used interchangeably. because their civilization is frequently associated with a place that is inhabited by a married twosome with kids. every bit good as the grandparents and relatives-in-law.
In the Western universe. the drawn-out household is rarely observed in one family and would merely be necessary in particular fortunes such is wellness conditions that affect the normal operation of a household. In the Filipino tradition. the term household merely means the full household every bit good as all the relations that could perchance suit into the house and live for even an drawn-out period of clip. It has been explained to me that such closely knit household ties have been adapted by Filipinos from the Chinese travellers in the early centuries ( Joaquin. 1988 ) .
Hence in the family. one sleeping room can be inhabited by two misss that are non sisters but really cousins. The term affinity. on the other manus. technically means the biological connexion of an single such as the affinity of the male parent or the affinity of the female parent of a household. In the Asiatic point of position. affinity can intend any person that is related to any member of the household. This non merely includes those of with a biological connexion. but besides those persons that have been related through matrimony. or the in-laws.
It is therefore interesting to see how different civilizations perceive the footings household and affinity. What amazes me is that the Filipinos that I interviewed have such a great fond regard to the thought of household. that they call other elder non-related Filipino friends “Uncle” or “Aunt” . It has been explained to me that such version of these salutations are a signifier of regard to these elder persons. even if they are non truly biologically related.
It can therefore look like one Filipino can hold a 1000 uncles and another 1000 aunts because all of them are addressed with the same term that is used to turn to their biological aunt or uncle. Another interesting observation that I collected from my interview is that Filipinos tend to see a non-biologically related person as household if they have been in touch or in communicating with that individual for at least a twosome of old ages and that they would even try to assist these persons out to the best of their abilities. even offering the last of their nutrient to such friend.
These persons have large Black Marias and are more than willing to assist out any person who needs support. When I asked how they would see a group of unrelated persons that have lived together in a peculiar topographic point. they responded that they consider this group as a household. excessively. and non a abode group.
The members of this abode group are therefore considered as brothers and sisters. depending merely on the age of each member of the group. or if one person is elderly. so that person will be called and considered as the group’s male parent or female parent and that the youngest member of the group will be considered and called the group’s babe. Reference Joaquin. N. 1988. Culture and history: Occasional notes on the procedure of Philippine going. Solar Publishing. Metro Manila.
