The extended family, too extended?

            Apart from the regular nuclear family patterns practiced by some Filipinos, majority of the society would be observed to be having or practicing the extended family type. This means that distant relatives, “such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren, would be living under the same roof or in the same compound” (Basbas 2007). In this situation, families have ready access to certain resources, most of which would be related to financial aid and division of responsibilities where needed, while others would be related to personal needs. Naturally, we take notice of individuals and groups from both the mother’s and father’s side, and acknowledge them equally as family.

            While the Filipinos may have been influenced by the Western culture, we would be considered to have one of the strongest family ties sharing the traditional extended family type. As unique as it may seem to some westerners, this would actually post different benefits within the family which other family types may not experience. With the closeness of relatives, there would then exist a foundation of closeness among family kin. Much like our usual experiences with the rest of society, from investing in friends and different connections, it would become inevitable that we as members of the family would help each other in times of need. Whether it be in the form of physical, financial, or moral aid, help would almost always be given.

            In addition to relatives set by blood or adoption from and by the parents, an additional set of relatives come into the picture as ‘godparents’ (ninong and ninang), usually gained for religious rituals or ceremonies. Influenced by Spanish colonial Catholicism, parents of the newborn would search for friends or acquaintances who would typically lie on the wealth or powerful side of society. They would then act as a surrogate parent of the child, acting as a sponsor during the religious rites of baptism, confirmation, and marriage. Just like other members of the extended family type, the godparents would also assist in times of financial aid, would see to it that their godchild would have a good education, and would even aid them in finding employment in their early stages of adult life. Because of this extended lineage of family, a typical Filipino would most likely consider more or less a hundred individuals as relatives in their family.

However, with the relatively rapid growth of economic need among the Filipinos, families are either moving to the more urban areas of society, such as cities, or even abroad in order to support themselves. Consequently, this extended family type is gradually turning into a nuclear family type, slowly ridding the culture of the extended family type, a practice which existed even before the time of the Spaniards. This process of modernization, however, would be vital in our lives if we were to survive in a changing world. While migration would be helpful for some families, researches have shown that while growing your extended family might be beneficial, it is suggested that they limit family members in order to support what they can only afford.

            In this growing need of meeting economic expectations, however, would future generations still be able to experience the culture of what used to be the main heed and driving force of the Filipino society, the extended family?

References:

Basbas, e. a. (2007). Learning and Living in the 21st Century. Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Chen, A. B. (n.d.). Family and Kinship. Retrieved from Multicultural Canada: http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/Encyclopedia/A-Z/f1/5

Family Structure. (n.d.). Retrieved from Living In The Philippines: http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/culture-and-people/philippine-culture/1308-family-structure

The Filipino Family in Modern Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from Living In The Philippines: http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/culture-and-people/philippine-culture/92-the-filipino-family-in-modern-society

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SocSci10 Z Group 5

Enriquez, Ryan
Flores, Nathaniel Lorenz
Galido, Noel Joseph
Jimenez, Rica
Paican, Maria Luzviminda
Vergara, Bryan