China--- Family

From what I've read, traditional Chinese society was family centred, rather than individualist or communitarian. The family dominated most people's economic and social life: sons would usually follow the trade of their fathers, and women would work under the control of male members of the family. Everyday social life was conducted in family settings. If a man was successful, his whole family would gain prestige; his failure likewise would reflect upon his family. Another thing I would like to mention about this topic is that traditional family structure in China is known as the big family or expanded family. The adult sons remain with or very close to their parents. When a man marries, the new bride joins his household and has obligations towards her husband's parents was well as to the husband himself. Daughters leave the parental home when they marry and become a junior member of the groom's family. The big family comprises a father and mother living together with their male children and their wives and offsprings, with unmarried daughters and with surviving members of the older generation. This means that everybody lives under the same house. Compared this to American's culture, when you reach the age of 18, you will be on your own, and out of your parents' house. Chinese family structure is exactly the same as the Vietnamese family structure, where everyone lives under the same house after they got married and have kids.