Different Cultures and Roles in Families

Throughout the week, we spent some time focusing on the different kinds of cultures and roles that there are in families in different parts of the world. Some of those cultures may be focused on different things when it comes to families. Typically, here in the US, both of the parents nowadays work jobs to try to provide for their children and each other. Back then, usually, one of the parents would be the provider, working to help maintain themselves and their families. Nowadays, only one income for the family is nowhere near enough to help support a family.

Another difference in cultures that we have seen was the difference between back in the days before our generation and now. There are decisions and events in people’s lives that are either celebrated, frowned upon, or even supported by others, depending on what the decision is. An example that we may see in this is when a couple announces that they are having a baby, people back in the day used to celebrate and be happy for them, saying, “congratulations,” or “that is amazing!” Nowadays, whenever a couple is having a baby, it is more frowned upon or people wonder what the couple may do to help support each other and the baby, but again, depending on the couple’s situation and where they are in life, also depends on the kinds of reactions people may give when they announce having a baby. The Church these days, still teaches what they have taught for a long time, they encourage people to be married and have children to become families and united together, the main purpose of having children is to support one another, to multiply and replenish the Earth, and to help it define not only the parents’ lives, but the children’s lives that will help them become the best that they can be in their lives.

Another cultural difference that I see is how things work in different countries. I have not traveled a lot out of the country, but I have visited my home country, Argentina in 2019 for the first time in my life. One of the biggest differences that I have seen in the culture is that it is centered on families. In businesses, they take certain times of the day where they take two to three hours off from their work and labors to rest, spend time with families, or to do whatever they need to, this is what they call, a “siesta,” but mostly that time off is mainly dedicated to families. In the United States, nobody really has that, they may spend the entire day working to help provide for families and then will have time for their families at the end of the day, but there is a good chance, that the provider may be tired to exhausted from the works and labors they have done for the day.

Speaking from personal experience, I have seen similar cultures between the families in Argentina and my family on how we spend time together. There are families where they may work together to help provide for each other, where each family member has a role to help other family members. One of the cultures that my family shares is we enjoy spending time together, no matter how or what we do together. Whenever we take a trip to the cabin, we spend time making sure the grounds around the cabin look nice, we spend time cutting the grass, cutting firewood, cleaning inside the cabin, and getting food ready for the family. Even though we may be working to help provide for each other, the culture we have is spending time together and to enjoy what we do together as a family, the culture and depending on what people may do as a family together may help result the outcome that can help families grow closer together and to cherish each other.