Family structure is often different from culture to culture and can be viewed as an entirely different concept in one culture versus another. From my own country that I picked, Belgium, they hold their own distinct but traditional household concepts. Looking at the statistics and numbers, an average household size in Belgium is 2.3 persons, specifically in Flanders and Wallonia. While, in the most central part, the Brussels-Capital region it is roughly the size of 9.9 Belgian households, which consists of at least one parent with one or more children. But family goes beyond mere statistics and numbers; it is rooted in the bonds we share and the structure that connects us all.
Focusing more on family life, Belgium characterizes family structure by having close relationships between family members and relatives. They are often known for having close-knit relationships. Much like other cultures, Belgian parents will usually provide financial support until children reach adulthood. Additionally, Family plays a major role in many Belgian lives, like when an obligation to the family comes up that is the priority, family always comes first! Also, many people remain in town where they were raised, which creates close extended families.
Most family life in Belgium shares a lot of characteristics with other European countries and perhaps western countries like the United States, but one thing about Belgium is that they have a long history with various customs and traditions that influence family life. For instance, family life is very important in Belgium, with many families sharing almost every meal together. However, contact with neighbors is not as close as it is with neighboring countries. Within a family unit, the average family has about one or two children, maybe even three. Moreover, Belgium’s family policy considers the added stress expense of having a large family, which is why a single-family dwelling is by far the most common type of dwelling in the country.
There are many different cultural teachings that are established in Belgium that are roughly alike from other countries, but also still uniquely different. Within a family unit, there are certain gender roles that are established in a home. For example, many men will think they run the home and it's their rules, money and time that help with that. While, on the other hand, many women are fully satisfied with the rewards of married life and justify their spouses’ fantasies and wishes, rarely drawing attention that it is them who do most of the cooking, shopping, budgeting, social organization, and raising the children. A common phrase about this country is that “an efficient matriarchy is cleverly disguised as a patriarchy.”
When it comes to socialization, there are many children rearing practices that many Belgian parents attempt to transmit to their children, which is honesty, having good manners, tolerance, and responsibility, however there are regional class differences as well. For instance, obedience and cleanliness are considered the most important in Flanders among workers, unemployed, and shopkeepers; loyalty and courage are important in Wallonia; and independence and autonomy are appreciated in Brussels among university graduates, executives and civil servants.
Globalization has significantly impacted family structures and relationships in Belgium. As societies became more interconnected through technology and trade, family dynamics have undergone some changes. In the last decade, Belgium has become one of the most urbanized and inhabited countries in the world with a 97 percent of the 10 million inhabitants who live in the city. The nation’s cultural diversity has been enriched by international and local immigration. For example, the most important immigrant groups were Jews; Poles; Italians; North Africans, and Turks, as well as other inhabitants from neighboring European countries.
Over time, the gender gap has been decreasing, particularly in the younger generation. For instance, the higher occupational rate of women is due to an increase in part-time jobs. This has somewhat changed the family dynamic within the household, causing more men to take on traditional housing roles like women were instilled to do in the first place. Ultimately, this has led gender roles in the household being more dispersed equally between each parent. Similarly, young people marry and have children less often and later than former generations did, which has caused the divorce rate to increase to about one in three marriages.
References:
https://behappyfamily.com/what-is-belgium-s-family-structure.html
https://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Belgium.html
https://www.expatica.com/be/living/family/the-belgian-family-unit-108375/
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