I pesonally think that the types of families between UK and Bangladesh have some different phenomena which are visible in our daily life.
First of all,the roles of men and women in UK families are not quite similar to my home country.In British families,men and women usually look forward to doing any jobs.Besides, they also do housework at home espeacially making food,responsibility of children and their own properities.All of the family members are almost involved with earning money.
In Bangladesh,men are the only money maker in the majority of families.Most of the women are unemployed,but Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated country in the present world.There are some reason for women unemployment in my country.These are:
1.family barriers,
2.lack of proper plan and education,
On the other hand, women have huge opportunity to do job in the united kindom.They have also freedom to choose their own job in the various sector.They are not dependant on men compared with women of Bangladesh.Additionally,the young people(aged 18)do not rely on their parents.They also have independent relationship with parents.
The family members are more in Bangladesh than UK families.On average, each family has four children.Young people dominate the country's population: 40 percent of the entire population is under the age of 24, while 25 percent are adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19. Girls continue to marry at early ages, many have their first child before they turn 19.Now 54 percent of all married women practice some form of family planning,but only 30 percent of married adolescent girls use contraception.
The member of the UK family are much more aware about their family planning.Girls are not going to marry at earlier ages.When they are married,they have their baby at the age of late thirties.On average,a family have 2.4 people in UK which is smaller than Bangladesh.Besides,UK families have two children roughly which is more than two times smaller than my own country.The family standard of living is also much more better than Bangladesh.
Now-a-days parents are sending their girls at school in Bangladesh.Consequently,they are getting admitted into college or university and after achieving university degree, they are doing jobs in the Bank,Multi-National Company and other various public and private sectors.They have also choosen teaching profession in the different levels.For example,most of my auntie are doing jobs in the highest level of their company and one of my sisters has completed her Phd from the university of Taxas in USA.
In conclusion,I would like to say that the family members of Bangladesh are trying to get their children standard of education as good as UK families.
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Home schooling or tutoring at home
There are good or bad things about home schooling,and for each family it depends on what will work for them.I personally believe that the responsibility of parents is the most important to create home schooling.
Some advantage of home schooling or tutoring:
Most of the families want their suucced and develop a clear understanding of all the material which is possibe to get from home tutor.They also want something different and better future of their children.
Students do not have to follow National Curriculum to complete their education,but they are able to take GCSE's, A Levels, IELTS, GMAT, SATS Tests out of the school environment.
Students do not have set hours,and They can spend a certain amount of time on a particular subjet.They can also go out and play for a while as well as have a freedom to choose something,beacause they are not worried to make homework or assignment and prepare for exam.
Home Schooling is being able to keep children closer and more protected because of parents caring.Parents can spend more time with their children. As a result,children will not be connected with real world issues such as smoking, drugs and any other bad activities.This can help them in the long run and learn some moral charater from their parents.
Some disadvantage homeschooling or tutoring:
The main disadvantage of homeschooling is that children will be the lack of socailization.They are not being able to learn with friends and associate with other kids of the same age.That is why, this could lead to some developmental problems.For example,They will be shy because of being unable to mix with a wide variety of people.Even they cannot perform well in their work.
School will have better books,and the teachers will have a better education than a parent does.Parents are not well-prepared to teach the children all the time.Children also can get a lot of opportunity to study in the library at school and borrow books for making their homework and assignment.
On the other hand,children of homeschooling purchase text books and learning materials.As a result,parents are to spend a huge amount of money to study at home.
Children who go to school are able to do research some science related subjet such as Math,physics,Chamestry, Computer And any other difficult subjets.
In fine, I would like to say that we all have to make sure to create a better learning environment for children.
Some advantage of home schooling or tutoring:
Most of the families want their suucced and develop a clear understanding of all the material which is possibe to get from home tutor.They also want something different and better future of their children.
Students do not have to follow National Curriculum to complete their education,but they are able to take GCSE's, A Levels, IELTS, GMAT, SATS Tests out of the school environment.
Students do not have set hours,and They can spend a certain amount of time on a particular subjet.They can also go out and play for a while as well as have a freedom to choose something,beacause they are not worried to make homework or assignment and prepare for exam.
Home Schooling is being able to keep children closer and more protected because of parents caring.Parents can spend more time with their children. As a result,children will not be connected with real world issues such as smoking, drugs and any other bad activities.This can help them in the long run and learn some moral charater from their parents.
Some disadvantage homeschooling or tutoring:
The main disadvantage of homeschooling is that children will be the lack of socailization.They are not being able to learn with friends and associate with other kids of the same age.That is why, this could lead to some developmental problems.For example,They will be shy because of being unable to mix with a wide variety of people.Even they cannot perform well in their work.
School will have better books,and the teachers will have a better education than a parent does.Parents are not well-prepared to teach the children all the time.Children also can get a lot of opportunity to study in the library at school and borrow books for making their homework and assignment.
On the other hand,children of homeschooling purchase text books and learning materials.As a result,parents are to spend a huge amount of money to study at home.
Children who go to school are able to do research some science related subjet such as Math,physics,Chamestry, Computer And any other difficult subjets.
In fine, I would like to say that we all have to make sure to create a better learning environment for children.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
My Ideal Family
In my opinion,My family has a great ideology compared to any other families in our area because of moral character of my parents.That is why, I am really proud of getting a member of this family.
My father is doing a buisness especially in the medicine sector and he is involved with many different social and welfare activities in some organization.When people call him,he will look forward to doing something for their betterment.he is well-appreciated by everyone in terms of honesty,strong commitment,understanding and eager to serve.For example,he has played an important role about admission at Glamorgon university.
On the other hand,My mother is not only a very kind woman but also humanitarian and hospitable.I always follow him to be perfect man.She is one the most influential mother that inspires me connected with some social work.She is not a well-educated mother,but I personally believe that every family needs a ideal mother to lead their family greatly and my mother has an excellent moral charecter which created strong relationship with our relatives and friends.My mother prays for me all the times for completing my higher education and wishes all the best for my future life.
In addition,My Maternal uncle who has helped me for giving a big amount of money to achieve higher degree from the university.He very often phones me to take care myself and gives valuable advice to study properly.When we have any special day or occassion,my mother and maternal uncle arrange a nice party as well as have a great opportunity to enjoy with our relatives and friends.
Last but not least,There are five members of our family.We are three brothers,but havn't no sister.My younger brother who is studying Honours in English and Literature at Northern University in Bangladesh and he is the final year of his studies.My youngest brother studies at the higher secondary level especially software engineering.
In fine,I miss all the family members, relatives and friends who love me very much,but I also cannot forget them.I wish their happiness and prosperity rest of the life.
My father is doing a buisness especially in the medicine sector and he is involved with many different social and welfare activities in some organization.When people call him,he will look forward to doing something for their betterment.he is well-appreciated by everyone in terms of honesty,strong commitment,understanding and eager to serve.For example,he has played an important role about admission at Glamorgon university.
On the other hand,My mother is not only a very kind woman but also humanitarian and hospitable.I always follow him to be perfect man.She is one the most influential mother that inspires me connected with some social work.She is not a well-educated mother,but I personally believe that every family needs a ideal mother to lead their family greatly and my mother has an excellent moral charecter which created strong relationship with our relatives and friends.My mother prays for me all the times for completing my higher education and wishes all the best for my future life.
In addition,My Maternal uncle who has helped me for giving a big amount of money to achieve higher degree from the university.He very often phones me to take care myself and gives valuable advice to study properly.When we have any special day or occassion,my mother and maternal uncle arrange a nice party as well as have a great opportunity to enjoy with our relatives and friends.
Last but not least,There are five members of our family.We are three brothers,but havn't no sister.My younger brother who is studying Honours in English and Literature at Northern University in Bangladesh and he is the final year of his studies.My youngest brother studies at the higher secondary level especially software engineering.
In fine,I miss all the family members, relatives and friends who love me very much,but I also cannot forget them.I wish their happiness and prosperity rest of the life.
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
History of Halloween
Halloween,one of the worlds oldest holidays,is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe.It has had influences from many cultures over the centuries.
The Celts started Halloween, but They called it Samhain which is considered by many to be former experts of the contemporary Halloween. Samhain was the New years Day of the Celts.It was celebrated on November first.It was also a day of the dead,Beacause The souls of people who had died during the year were allowed to access to the land of the dead.Many traditional beliefs and customs were associated with Samhian.It was one the most notable day.
The celts held four harvests a year.The last one of the year was Samhain(say-in).It was held on october 31st,so the first day of their new years was November first and that was over 2000 years ago.
The name Halloween came from a Christian celebration.Some Catholics honoured all saints in heaven with a day.So it was calledAll Saints Day or All Hallows on November 1st. The night before came to be known as All Hallows Eve. Soon October 31 first took on the abbreviated name of Halloween.
The positive aspect of the night was the Druids or priests of the Celts.Interestingly, Halloween's tradition of masks and costumes comes from this original October 31 first celebretion.The Celts clothed themselves in costumes.Dress was made from animal head and skins.They danced around the bonfire, told fortunes, and waited for the dark.
People carved pumkins with smiley or scary faces.They spookily lit with a candle from inside known as jack-o-lanterns.They had into the faces of ghosts or evil things to keep spirits away.In the US, these were symbolic of harvest festivities.Pumpkin designs and carving instruments have recently become sophisticated and imaginative.
Offereing sweet is like a fun. The thrill for most kids is the actual trick or treating .It is not so much eating the candy.Hopefully, the children will be happier to get their favorite candy.
The Celts started Halloween, but They called it Samhain which is considered by many to be former experts of the contemporary Halloween. Samhain was the New years Day of the Celts.It was celebrated on November first.It was also a day of the dead,Beacause The souls of people who had died during the year were allowed to access to the land of the dead.Many traditional beliefs and customs were associated with Samhian.It was one the most notable day.
The celts held four harvests a year.The last one of the year was Samhain(say-in).It was held on october 31st,so the first day of their new years was November first and that was over 2000 years ago.
The name Halloween came from a Christian celebration.Some Catholics honoured all saints in heaven with a day.So it was calledAll Saints Day or All Hallows on November 1st. The night before came to be known as All Hallows Eve. Soon October 31 first took on the abbreviated name of Halloween.
The positive aspect of the night was the Druids or priests of the Celts.Interestingly, Halloween's tradition of masks and costumes comes from this original October 31 first celebretion.The Celts clothed themselves in costumes.Dress was made from animal head and skins.They danced around the bonfire, told fortunes, and waited for the dark.
People carved pumkins with smiley or scary faces.They spookily lit with a candle from inside known as jack-o-lanterns.They had into the faces of ghosts or evil things to keep spirits away.In the US, these were symbolic of harvest festivities.Pumpkin designs and carving instruments have recently become sophisticated and imaginative.
Offereing sweet is like a fun. The thrill for most kids is the actual trick or treating .It is not so much eating the candy.Hopefully, the children will be happier to get their favorite candy.
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
MAN,WOMAN.AND CHILDREN OF FAMILIES IN BANGLADESH
Family a group of kith and kin related to each other by blood or by matrimonial tie. A family may be nuclear, consisting of parents and their children, or extended, when a large group of relatives live together or in close contact with each other. A third type of family, the augmented household, begins to operate when non-relatives are added with or without other relatives or children.
Majority of the households in Bangladesh consists of a husband, a wife and their children. Either of the marital partners functions as the mover of the routine household activities. From the point of view of the household head, the lineal membership includes father's father and his spouse, father, mother, wife, son, daughter, son's wife, grandson, grandson's wife, and granddaughter. Similarly, the collateral membership includes father's brother and his spouse, father's brother's son and daughter, brother and his spouse, brother's son and daughter and so on. In the lineal and collateral categories of membership, all the traceable ascending and descending individuals related to the household head in respect to both the lines may receive consideration for membership in the household, depending on continuous previous membership and mutual feelings of closeness.
The household constitutes a single unit, frequently with one or more married pairs having offspring or no offspring. It has a social and an economic base. Kin and social relations and institutions develop around this base and act together to reproduce it. In the development of a household the lineally traceable connections usually get priority over the collateral ones. Such connections constitute the economic and social subsystems of the society.
In the communities of Bangladesh, lineage members are defined and recognised as descended through father to son, that is to say, male descent lines. The patrilineal principle is combined with the norm of patrilocal residence according to which newly wed couples take up residence at the home of the male and his family. These sub-systems are reflected in a number of segments like badi (or bari, one or more households sharing a common courtyard), pada (neighbourhood consisting of several surrounding baris), and samaj (small community, in which members share common social, economic and religious interests). Possibly, samaj members can be traced genetically to a few common ancestors.
The segmentary organisation of Bangladesh communities required the adoption of a unilineal principle. Families of Bangladesh are practitioners of patrilineal institutions. In a wider sense, they form an open group and not a closed totality. Unity of married partners extends to other segments of kin groups. Both spouses share the obligations of a marital partner to kinsmen.
In Bangladesh, members of a household are recognised as associates of the same khana or chula (hearth unit/cooking pot). Married man and woman constitute a social unit. Their solidarity, joint interests, and responsibilities take precedence over obligations and interests any of them may have in any other relationship. Family members are dependent on each other and through sharing of assets, labour and emotions they operate the social, economic and political aspects of life.
In a specific generation, a female usually gets married to a male from a different lineage. Following marriage, she leaves her baper badi (father's house) and joins the family of her swasur badi (father-in-law's house) and begets offsprings. The children share genes of both paternal and maternal sides. As a result of this sharing, an offspring born to the parents maintains close links by visiting mamar badi (the house of mother's brother), which is also labeled as nanar badi (the house of mother's father). The mother joins her husband's bangsha (lineage) as a member of his household and becomes an affinal member of the new paribar (family).
A daughter belongs to her father's bangsha until her death. A married daughter's identity of her bangsha is reflected in her right to her father's property and visitation to her father's house mostly on the occasion of the birth of her first child, harvesting of paddy, marriage of siblings, and major routine festivals.
In Bangladesh, the average age difference between spouses is about 5 years, the female being the younger one. Usually, the female partner is subjected to double subordination on the counts of being female and younger. The percentage of ever-married men and women in the age group 45 to 49 is more than 99 in the country. By the institution of the family, one's domestic life is organised in respect to the rules of appropriate behaviour for household, wife and children, and other dependants, the responsibility of each, the inheritance of property, and so on.
The dyadic roles and relationships within a family, and cooperation and conflicts prevalent in it between kin types belonging to both Muslims and Hindus reflect attitudes that kinsmen have to one another. However, the ties of kinship and locality no longer firmly hold a family in Bangladesh in a specific geographic and social space. Families split in separate nuclear families on various social and economic grounds. In case a nuclear family departs to urban areas, it usually caters to the needs of its accompanying primary members, rather than those of the heads of the original family or its collateral members left behind. When the married male moves for employment in an urban centre leaving behind his wife and children, the responsibility of overseeing them are sometimes shouldered by the parents, brothers, or other household members of the migrant. In such a context, remittances provide benefit to them. The individual who intends to return to the natal home makes a constant effort to invest in movable and immovable properties to ensure financial security in old age. When a migrant moves out for earning parents, siblings and other relatives usually provide a temporary support to him. The migrant feels obligated to repay his debts through remittances.
The family as an institution plays a practical role in socialisation, and a potential one in reducing crime and violence. Within the structure of the family, the father is respected and obeyed by the children and from the mother, they expect tenderness and indulgence. The children belong to the family of the father. Marriage is patrilocal (ie, wife shifts to the local group of the husband), inheritance of property is mainly in the male line, and the family is patripotestal (ie, the authority over the members of the family is with the father). Therefore, in Bangladesh, for most purposes, kinship through the father is more important than that through the mother is. Among Muslims and Hindus, parents and children are united by religious guidelines and among them, females have limited freedom. However, with the availability of family planning devices and increase in nuclear families, the total fertility rate of women declined from 5.5 in 1978 to 3.6 in 1998.
In Bangladesh, the family is the basic economic unit. Almost invariably, male heads of households and other adult male members raise crops and get involved in outdoor economic activities away from home. Usually, female members of a household do cooking, housekeeping, child rearing, home gardening, preservation of seeds and grains, and participate in tending cattle and goats. Clothing and house-building and household materials are procured from market places. Unskilled labourers in the household remain engaged mostly in farming while skilled labourers get engaged in manufacturing centres. Under such circumstances, the earning members in the household are specially recognised for their inputs in facilitating the maintenance of the expected level of standard of living. In recent decades, over two million adolescent and adult females have taken up employment in garment industries and have left their household units for places of employment in towns. This has relieved many households from being burdened with many members and being economically weak. Large households with multiple units of spouses and minor children are getting reduced to simple nuclear family units consisting of only one couple and its children.
Many taboos and laws govern the behaviour among kin members of the household. Marriage among Muslims is prohibited between partners on the grounds of consanguinity, affinity, and fosterage. Degrees of prohibited relationship in marriage among Hindus include relationship by full blood, half blood and uterine blood, as well as relationship by adoption. Although Bangladesh mainly follows the tradition of arranged marriage, in many cases the couples themselves, and not the parents give the final decision. Most marriages in the country are monogamous and the emphasis is on the nuclear family. This emphasis tends to increase the number of households and decrease the number of members in them. It contributes to an increase in the autonomy of household management. It has now become expensive to set up a separate domestic unit or household. This factor contributed to the rise of age at marriage.
The ties of kinship and territorial affiliation hold the Bangladesh family in a specific geographical area and community somewhat firmly. The split of newly married couple to a separate domestic unit frequently resulted from exclusive preoccupation of marital partners for the attainment of personal satisfaction. Couples try hard to keep the marital bond intact until death. The elementary interactions between husband and wife are primarily attributed to the attainment of reaching the goal of reproduction and self-preservation. Only about 3% of married women aged 45 and above are childless in Bangladesh.
Most spouses in the country typically desire at least one male and one female child with option for one additional male child. The principal reason for male sex preference for offspring is the emphasis on patriarchal principles of the social system. The family name descends through the male line. Usually, every lineage has a title or name of a prominent living or dead member of the lineage. Among Hindus, the caste system recognises a large number of groups of different ranks. It is a hierarchy of endogamous groups that individuals enter only by birth. For a Hindu, occupation depends mostly upon the level of the group into which he was born. The families of a caste often have a common name. The origins of lineage titles are quite diverse. Lineage titles denoting high status often function as patronymics whereas other titles do not. In this sense they contradict the well quoted Islamic principles of egalitarianism. Frequently Saiyad (Syed), Sheikh, Pathan, Chowdhury and Bhuiyan refer to high status groups at the head of stratified Muslim communities. Saiyads claim direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Sheikhs derive their status from putative descent from Prophet Muhammad's tribe in Mecca. Pathans assert their total or imaginary descent from groups of foreign origin. People holding these titles in Bangladesh, however, usually do not claim any trace of non-local blood.
Female line has a social claim on the conjugal unit. The emphasis is on the immediate conjugal family, which forms the basis of residence, consumption and social action. This tends to increase the number of households and decrease the size of families occupying them. Bangladesh evidenced some changes in the role and importance of wives in families. Increased participation of women in productive activities enhances their respectful position in society. Status of women is also raised thanks to increased access to education, implementation of divorce legislation, and availability of family planning services.
All of the information have collected from family of the Banglapedia about some changes in the role of family in Bangladesh.
Majority of the households in Bangladesh consists of a husband, a wife and their children. Either of the marital partners functions as the mover of the routine household activities. From the point of view of the household head, the lineal membership includes father's father and his spouse, father, mother, wife, son, daughter, son's wife, grandson, grandson's wife, and granddaughter. Similarly, the collateral membership includes father's brother and his spouse, father's brother's son and daughter, brother and his spouse, brother's son and daughter and so on. In the lineal and collateral categories of membership, all the traceable ascending and descending individuals related to the household head in respect to both the lines may receive consideration for membership in the household, depending on continuous previous membership and mutual feelings of closeness.
The household constitutes a single unit, frequently with one or more married pairs having offspring or no offspring. It has a social and an economic base. Kin and social relations and institutions develop around this base and act together to reproduce it. In the development of a household the lineally traceable connections usually get priority over the collateral ones. Such connections constitute the economic and social subsystems of the society.
In the communities of Bangladesh, lineage members are defined and recognised as descended through father to son, that is to say, male descent lines. The patrilineal principle is combined with the norm of patrilocal residence according to which newly wed couples take up residence at the home of the male and his family. These sub-systems are reflected in a number of segments like badi (or bari, one or more households sharing a common courtyard), pada (neighbourhood consisting of several surrounding baris), and samaj (small community, in which members share common social, economic and religious interests). Possibly, samaj members can be traced genetically to a few common ancestors.
The segmentary organisation of Bangladesh communities required the adoption of a unilineal principle. Families of Bangladesh are practitioners of patrilineal institutions. In a wider sense, they form an open group and not a closed totality. Unity of married partners extends to other segments of kin groups. Both spouses share the obligations of a marital partner to kinsmen.
In Bangladesh, members of a household are recognised as associates of the same khana or chula (hearth unit/cooking pot). Married man and woman constitute a social unit. Their solidarity, joint interests, and responsibilities take precedence over obligations and interests any of them may have in any other relationship. Family members are dependent on each other and through sharing of assets, labour and emotions they operate the social, economic and political aspects of life.
In a specific generation, a female usually gets married to a male from a different lineage. Following marriage, she leaves her baper badi (father's house) and joins the family of her swasur badi (father-in-law's house) and begets offsprings. The children share genes of both paternal and maternal sides. As a result of this sharing, an offspring born to the parents maintains close links by visiting mamar badi (the house of mother's brother), which is also labeled as nanar badi (the house of mother's father). The mother joins her husband's bangsha (lineage) as a member of his household and becomes an affinal member of the new paribar (family).
A daughter belongs to her father's bangsha until her death. A married daughter's identity of her bangsha is reflected in her right to her father's property and visitation to her father's house mostly on the occasion of the birth of her first child, harvesting of paddy, marriage of siblings, and major routine festivals.
In Bangladesh, the average age difference between spouses is about 5 years, the female being the younger one. Usually, the female partner is subjected to double subordination on the counts of being female and younger. The percentage of ever-married men and women in the age group 45 to 49 is more than 99 in the country. By the institution of the family, one's domestic life is organised in respect to the rules of appropriate behaviour for household, wife and children, and other dependants, the responsibility of each, the inheritance of property, and so on.
The dyadic roles and relationships within a family, and cooperation and conflicts prevalent in it between kin types belonging to both Muslims and Hindus reflect attitudes that kinsmen have to one another. However, the ties of kinship and locality no longer firmly hold a family in Bangladesh in a specific geographic and social space. Families split in separate nuclear families on various social and economic grounds. In case a nuclear family departs to urban areas, it usually caters to the needs of its accompanying primary members, rather than those of the heads of the original family or its collateral members left behind. When the married male moves for employment in an urban centre leaving behind his wife and children, the responsibility of overseeing them are sometimes shouldered by the parents, brothers, or other household members of the migrant. In such a context, remittances provide benefit to them. The individual who intends to return to the natal home makes a constant effort to invest in movable and immovable properties to ensure financial security in old age. When a migrant moves out for earning parents, siblings and other relatives usually provide a temporary support to him. The migrant feels obligated to repay his debts through remittances.
The family as an institution plays a practical role in socialisation, and a potential one in reducing crime and violence. Within the structure of the family, the father is respected and obeyed by the children and from the mother, they expect tenderness and indulgence. The children belong to the family of the father. Marriage is patrilocal (ie, wife shifts to the local group of the husband), inheritance of property is mainly in the male line, and the family is patripotestal (ie, the authority over the members of the family is with the father). Therefore, in Bangladesh, for most purposes, kinship through the father is more important than that through the mother is. Among Muslims and Hindus, parents and children are united by religious guidelines and among them, females have limited freedom. However, with the availability of family planning devices and increase in nuclear families, the total fertility rate of women declined from 5.5 in 1978 to 3.6 in 1998.
In Bangladesh, the family is the basic economic unit. Almost invariably, male heads of households and other adult male members raise crops and get involved in outdoor economic activities away from home. Usually, female members of a household do cooking, housekeeping, child rearing, home gardening, preservation of seeds and grains, and participate in tending cattle and goats. Clothing and house-building and household materials are procured from market places. Unskilled labourers in the household remain engaged mostly in farming while skilled labourers get engaged in manufacturing centres. Under such circumstances, the earning members in the household are specially recognised for their inputs in facilitating the maintenance of the expected level of standard of living. In recent decades, over two million adolescent and adult females have taken up employment in garment industries and have left their household units for places of employment in towns. This has relieved many households from being burdened with many members and being economically weak. Large households with multiple units of spouses and minor children are getting reduced to simple nuclear family units consisting of only one couple and its children.
Many taboos and laws govern the behaviour among kin members of the household. Marriage among Muslims is prohibited between partners on the grounds of consanguinity, affinity, and fosterage. Degrees of prohibited relationship in marriage among Hindus include relationship by full blood, half blood and uterine blood, as well as relationship by adoption. Although Bangladesh mainly follows the tradition of arranged marriage, in many cases the couples themselves, and not the parents give the final decision. Most marriages in the country are monogamous and the emphasis is on the nuclear family. This emphasis tends to increase the number of households and decrease the number of members in them. It contributes to an increase in the autonomy of household management. It has now become expensive to set up a separate domestic unit or household. This factor contributed to the rise of age at marriage.
The ties of kinship and territorial affiliation hold the Bangladesh family in a specific geographical area and community somewhat firmly. The split of newly married couple to a separate domestic unit frequently resulted from exclusive preoccupation of marital partners for the attainment of personal satisfaction. Couples try hard to keep the marital bond intact until death. The elementary interactions between husband and wife are primarily attributed to the attainment of reaching the goal of reproduction and self-preservation. Only about 3% of married women aged 45 and above are childless in Bangladesh.
Most spouses in the country typically desire at least one male and one female child with option for one additional male child. The principal reason for male sex preference for offspring is the emphasis on patriarchal principles of the social system. The family name descends through the male line. Usually, every lineage has a title or name of a prominent living or dead member of the lineage. Among Hindus, the caste system recognises a large number of groups of different ranks. It is a hierarchy of endogamous groups that individuals enter only by birth. For a Hindu, occupation depends mostly upon the level of the group into which he was born. The families of a caste often have a common name. The origins of lineage titles are quite diverse. Lineage titles denoting high status often function as patronymics whereas other titles do not. In this sense they contradict the well quoted Islamic principles of egalitarianism. Frequently Saiyad (Syed), Sheikh, Pathan, Chowdhury and Bhuiyan refer to high status groups at the head of stratified Muslim communities. Saiyads claim direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Sheikhs derive their status from putative descent from Prophet Muhammad's tribe in Mecca. Pathans assert their total or imaginary descent from groups of foreign origin. People holding these titles in Bangladesh, however, usually do not claim any trace of non-local blood.
Female line has a social claim on the conjugal unit. The emphasis is on the immediate conjugal family, which forms the basis of residence, consumption and social action. This tends to increase the number of households and decrease the size of families occupying them. Bangladesh evidenced some changes in the role and importance of wives in families. Increased participation of women in productive activities enhances their respectful position in society. Status of women is also raised thanks to increased access to education, implementation of divorce legislation, and availability of family planning services.
All of the information have collected from family of the Banglapedia about some changes in the role of family in Bangladesh.
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