Introduction to topic:

Women's status and life experiences have traditionally, historically, been strongly influenced by their family relationships: as daughters, wives, mothers, and in many cultures, sisters. "Family values" have played contradictory roles, as we've seen. Often they have restricted women, while on the other hand (and some at the same time) provided them with profound meaning and purpose in their lives.

Your task, through the group research and presentations, is to analyze your particular area's "family values." Research the following topics to present to the class. Answer the questions below, but you may also think of other important topics, particularly ones specific to your focus group's area.
 

I. Family overall

• What is the role of the family in your respective societies?
• What is the most prevalent family structure? (Nuclear, extended, single parent, etc.) Beware of internal differences of class, urban-rural distinctions, etc.
• Generally, what is the role of women within the family, in their various relationships?
• How has the family affected women's experiences and status?

• How can you characterize marriage in your societies?
• Did women marry young or not? Why?
• Was marriage important in your society?
• What was the role of married women in society? What was their status in society?
• What was their status in the marriage?
• How was their economic status affected by marriage?
• What was the role of children in the society? How is motherhood viewed in your society, and how did women's experiences of it affect their lives?

• What were the sexual mores of your society, and how did they affect women?
• Was sexuality a source of power? Was it something to be controlled by men?

Finally: how has all of the above changed (or not) in the past 100-150 years?