Analysis Paper for the Family

Analysis Paper for the Family

The United States has a unique cultural dominance on the bases of marriages and families. For instance, when one looks at the dominant Ethiopian Muslims culture on marriages and families, it will be different from that of The United States (McGinn, 2016). In The United States, the issue of big families is not there. Most families in The United States compost of two parents. The case is different when it comes to Ethiopian Muslims (Abbink, 2008). According to the tradition of Muslims, man’s status and worthiness were determined by the size of his family. A man was allowed to marry up to four women. The number of women and children that a man had was used to reflect his ability (Ezra, 2003). The community, therefore, espoused extended families. Muslims also were not supposed to use contraceptives, methods promoting small families. A woman was supposed to give birth to as many kids as her womb could hold.

Additionally, the cases of divorce were minimal in a Muslim society(Ezra, 2003). The society considered the family system theory. They thought families as emotional units that had a complex and intense relationship that had to be respected. Even when a man passed away, his brother had an obligation to take care of the family and marry the wife(Abbink, 2008). In The United States, the issue of contraceptives is dominants, and in recent days, divorce is not a big issue. According to Americans, the conflict theory was highly promoted(Lichter, & Qian, 2004). Women felt unequal distribution of power in the marriages, and they fought for their rights. No big families in the country, most families have single parents, and the number of kids does not exceed four.

In the Ethiopian, marriage was to include the parents of both sides meeting and agreeing on the matter. In implication, the attachment theory was highly employed in the Muslim society(Ezra, 2003). A child had a right to be conceived by her mother, reared, and provided with everything until he or she got his or her family sought by the parents. In The United States, the issue of parents looking for a woman for their son is not there. Women who are the marriage for the case of Ethiopian Muslims were deemed inferior(Abbink, 2008). They had no power, and they were subjects of their men. According to the Americans culture, the power distribution in marriages is almost equal, and women are taking part in the labor market. They are still fighting through unions for more powers(Lichter & Qian, 2004). The differences between these two cultures are many in terms of views on marriages and families. However, in the recent days, cases of divorce have started emerging in the Ethiopian Muslim community, the use of contraceptives is being employed, the extended family structures are ending, and people are espousing small families. Children no longer depend on their parents for marriage partners. The implication is that due to the interaction between these two diverse communities, Ethiopian Muslims’ culture is being changed by the American culture. The two communities, however, promoted attachment theory, whereby there must be at least one caregiver for the kids (Lichter & Qian, 2004). The issues of street kids in not encouraged in any of the two communities. Following the differences that are notable between the two cultures, it is vivid that The United social structure has substantially changed the views of Ethiopian Muslims on marriage and family..

References

Abbink, G. J. (2008). Muslim monasteries? Some aspects of religious culture in Northern Ethiopia. Aethiopica, 11, 17.

Ezra, M. (2003). Factors associated with marriage and family formation processes in Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34(4), 509-530.

Lichter, D. T., & Qian, Z. (2004). Marriage and family in American society. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

McGinn, N. F. (2016). Marriage and family in The United States.  Journal of Marriage and the Family, 305-313.