Emmarlone Salva Ravago Sociology

September 14, 2010 Mr. Robert Paul Jurado

Top 5 Filipino family problems: 1) Poverty 2) Domestic violence against women and children 3) Broken families 4) Degrading family values 5) Lack of parental care and respect towards parents 2) Domestic violence against women and children. This may include abuses such as fatherdaughter sexual abuse (incest).

Incest Regulation Incest comes from the Latin word Incestus which means sexually impure. Incest, as defined by the dictionary, is sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that marriage is illegal. Exclude: Divorce/broken families and abortion (common). Root word of Incestus is castus meaning pure. Incestuous relationships are universally forbidden. However, certain societies have provided certain exceptions to the rule, ex. Hawaii, Spain and Indonesia. In the past, brothers and sisters of the Hawaiian royal family were encouraged to get married. The idea was to keep the wealth of the family intact they had no concern for its biological effects. On the other hand, in Indonesia, fraternal twins could get married. The belief was that they had already been intimate in the womb of the mother and, therefore, they might as well continue this intimacy when they reach adulthood. Violations of incest rule are prevalent in the Philippines, especially cases of father-daughter rape. These are attributed to pornography, drug use, the absence of the mothers (migrant workers), and the fact that, mostly in the urban poor, all the family members share the same room. Ex. Leo Echegaray.

Theories and effects: Normally, Children raised together do not develop sexual attraction to each other, their tendency is to seek a mate outside of the family. 1) Incestuous relation between father and daughter is a total disregard for authority (how can the father impose discipline to his daughter when their relationship is entirely of a different order). 2) Incestuous relations delimit ones parameter of relations. 3) Muddles kinship relations (if ones father is not only a father but also a husband, their offspring becomes his grandchild as well as his child). Muddle or mess up.

Nuclear Families in Contemporary Philippine Society and the Future of the Family in the Philippines In the past, the average size of the Filipino family is from six to eight children. Children then were viewed as investments. In rural areas, they were considered as farm workers and parents insurance in their old age. Now, children are viewed as liabilities. At present, however, more and more young couples, especially in urban areas, opt for much smaller families, an average of two to four children. Younger couples realize the value of having fewer children, not only because of the economic cost but also the moral and emotional investment involved. More and more men and women would want to have stable jobs before marriage as they realize the responsibilities which accompany the formation of a family. Hence, no job = no family! Eventually, in the future, Filipino families would decrease not only in number but also in composition. Nevertheless, Filipino families remain to be a strong and vital institution not only in society but also in changing its future. There is still hope. We can still change our future! But not for us priests and seminarians, we leave this job to our professor. Instead, we should include this in the intention of our daily mass and prayers (hopefully, all of us are regularly attending our daily mass and prayers). Family, become what you are. - Pope John Paul II

Sources: A. Books PANOPIO and ROLDA, Society and Culture, Introduction to Sociology and Anthropology (Quezon City: Bookman, Inc., 2000). B. Internet http://www.maybenow.com/Top-5-filipino-family-issues-q8189889