READING MATERIALS FOR CHAPTER 4

Filipino Family Issues and Relations

Filipino family is undergoing many changes due to myriad

factors that affect the family per se, among these are geographical
mobility, increasing population, industrialization and urbanization,
the changed status of Filipino women, and mass media (Panopio,
2004). Today, emerging patterns include mate selection based on
free choice. Sex norms have changed. Young girls initiate in inviting
the boys out. Premarital sex, early pregnancies, children out of
wedlock, and live-in unions are now accepted and permitted.
Marriage markets are now available via social networking. There is
also the emergence of solo-parent families because of marital
separation, migration, illegitimacy and adoption even by single men
and women.

Key Concepts
Family – primary agent of the child’s socialization.

Socialization – is the process by which people learn the characteristics of their group- the
knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and actions thought appropriate for them

Homogamy – is the tendency to choose to marry someone similar in age, education, religion,
social class, and race

Heterogamy – refers to the tendency of people to marry others not like themselves on the same
characteristics

These social changes bring about conflict in values and

mores, which may in turn bring about social problems. Problems
that may beset the Filipino families today are conflict in the families,
separation and desertion, abortion, illegitimacy, prostitution,
juvenile delinquency, drug abuse and others. The extent of these
problems is difficult to ascertain.

Key Concepts
Monogamy – permits a man to take only one spouse at a time

Polygyny – is a plural marriage wherein a man can marry to two or

more women at the same time

Patriarchal family – is one which the authority is vested on the

oldest male in the family, often the father

Matriarchal Family – is one which the authority is vested on the mother’s kin
READING MATERIALS FOR CHAPTER 4

Egalitarian family – is one which the husband and wife exercise a

more or less equal amount of authority

Motherhood – woman’s obligation to dedicate her life unselfishly to the

raising of her children and to be constantly on call for her child’s need

Fatherhood – father’s obligation in raising his family

Househusbands – men who give up their breadwinning roles to take

on primarily responsibilities for household tasks and child care

Mothers and the Single-Parent Household – the single mothers who

take the sole responsibility in raising the children as a result of
separation, annulment, and divorce

Fathers and the Single-Parent Household – the single fathers who

take the sole responsibility in raising the children as a result of
separation, annulment, and divorce

Gay and Lesbian Families and Relationships – children raised by

homosexuals are apparently recognized and accepted

Summary

Family is considered the primary agent of child’s

socialization. It is within the family that the first socializing
influence is encountered by most children, and this influence affects
them for the rest of their lives.

Selecting marriage partner is governed by certain norms

which limits the choices of couple in choosing a mate which could
either be homogamy to marry someone similar in age, education,
religion, social class, and race or heterogamy to marry others not
like themselves on the same characteristics. Gender role in marriage
is trapped with the traditional view of family where wife do the
domestic tasks including child care while the husband is the sole
breadwinner. However, the traditional nuclear family is challenged
upon entry of women in the work force paving the way to egalitarian
family so much so that the household chores and child rearing are
equally divided by the spouses.

Furthermore, alternative families to traditional families are as well

emerging due to various factors that cause the significant change in
the family structure like the househusband, single-parents, and gay
and lesbian relations.

Inevitably, families are affected by social change brought by mass media, increase of population,
industrialization and urbanization and the like