Culture Of Vietnam And Pakistan
What is culture? Culture is set of learned
behaviors, beliefs, attitudes,
values, and ideas that are characteristic of a
particular society or population.
In this paper, I will compare and
contrast Pakistani and Vietnamese culture.
Furthermore, I will discuss
what I have learned from this exercise. In Vietnam
traditional role of the
woman in society has been that of nurturer: to stay
within the confines of
the home for the purpose of caring for the family. In
Pakistan and
Vietnam women are raised and taught how to become good daughters,
wives, and
mothers. They are told that they must obey their husbands, respect
their
parents and their parents-in-law, and work hard to support the family.
In
Vietnam parents does not prefer their daughters to go to school or
work in a
position that is normally occupied by a man. Most of the women do
not work. They
stay home and look after their family. In Pakistan most of
waves and daughters
stay out of sight of other men because of the religion
strictness. Pakistani
women stay in the house, behind the veil, in special
sections of buses, and in
the "family" area of the restaurants. For Pakistani
Muslims this is
the way to show respect and devotion towards women. Pakistani
does believe in
education for their daughters and sons. However, sons get the
first priority and
higher education. Also girls must go to separate school
from boys until she will
reach University, which is 4 year in college. In
other words, until she is
engaged and mature enough not to fall in love with
someone her parents restrict.
In Vietnamese and in Pakistani culture,
their older siblings arrange marriages.
Marriage is more like compromise,
which is made between two families. But as the
time has changed girls are not
forced to marry however when girl is the one to
choose she will pick her
companion base on love and family agreement. When
parents choose a guy for
their daughter it's usually the best offer which means
that guy is educated,
have stable future, and wealthy. But when girl is being
picked parents want
to have healthy, hard working daughter-in-law, who would
take care of their
family's welfare. A likely scenario under these circumstances
is a marriage
between a 17 years old girl and a 7-year-old boy. When that
husband reaches
adulthood, he would realize that his wife might be too old for
him; and he
would be entitled to take a younger girl as his second wife.
Polygamy was
accepted in Vietnam but remarriage for the wife is not allowed
since,
faithfulness to her first husband is required. Thus the first wife,
being
restricted by the old custom, must remain a lonely slave with her
husband's
family until her death. In Pakistani culture woman has no saying in
any aspect
of her life, including her own marriage, and when betrothed,
belongs excessively
to her husband's family. When guy's parents look for a
mate for their son not
that she has to be beautiful and well-mannered girl
but also who will bring
great amount of dowry. To all extents and purposes
she is an alienable property,
and once the bride price has been paid, she
cannot be returned, whether in a
state of divorce, separation or widowed. In
both cultures girls must obey her in
laws in order to gain respect in her
husband's house. In Vietnam and in Pakistan
family is very important. They
have joint family system. After the marriage
daughters move out of the house
however sons stay with their parents atlongest
they can. Family size in
Vietnam is fairly large. Back in the days 12-16 was
normal family size.
However, as poverty and population has increased so the
family size has
decreased to 3-4. On other hand side, in Pakistan typical family
size is
about 3-5. In Pakistan and in Vietnam parents prefer to have sons
than
daughters. In both cultures Parents expect their children to be perfect
and
obedience. Therefore, strict physical punishment is used for discipline.
Parents
are usually very hard and strict on girls however they are flexible
when it
comes to boys. Parents are more protective about daughters and they
expect girls
to know and does everything for instance: cook, clean, sew, and
in other words
perfect in house chores. Guys are very spoiled, they get
everything they want
but they are expected to find perfect "angel" wives so
she will obey
her in laws. Also son is somewhat head of the family after the
Mom. Learning
about different cultures, and people always fascinated me.
Because of my
interest I have traveled all over the world. But what really
interests me that
how women are treated in every country. How women are
treated in male dominant
society and what women are fighting towards
femininity independence. While I was
interviewing these two individuals from
two different cultures I was surprise to
see how similar they are. I have
learned a lot not only about Vietnamese culture
but my own. I never thought
that girls are treated less than boys because we are
only two sisters and I
don't remember my parents ever restricted us from doing
something we desire.
In conclusion, Vietnamese and Pakistani culture have more
similarities than
differences than I thought and especially role of woman. Both
cultures are
male dominant and women's fate is defined by their men, and
their
subservience to them is absolute. Through out my interview, I have
learned a lot
not only about my own culture but how other country in the
world shares similar
beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and values.