Family Structures Bearing offspring, especially sons, was the primary obligation of young couples. 4 out of 5 generations of kin living under the same roof headed by the great-grandfathers was the ideal pattern. In the past, the separation of male and female roles, with the female subordinate occurs, but this still exists in many villages.

Family Structures Arranged marriages, or exchange marriages (where a girl marries and in exchange her brother acquires a bride from the man’s family,have been traditional in Chinese history. Women obey her father, her husband once married, and her son when widowed.

Family Structures Women are expected to make the best out of a bad marriage without the option of divorce. Many saw a divorced woman or remarriage by a widow as immoral. Women had their feet bound at a young age.

Bound feet

More Bound Feet

Unwrapped Bound Foot

Bound Feet

Inside the bound Foot

Family Structures Today women do work more but still receive unequal pay. More than 70% of divorces are now initiated by women, and the most common is because the husband had an affair. Many women today have even taken their families to court to choose their own marital partner.