Tag Archives: Family

5. ROOMS IN THE HOUSE

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Living areas

How are the rooms arranged? around a courtyard? in a linear fashion?

How many rooms are there in this house? Are they interconnected? Does one key give you access, or does each room need a key?

How many people live in the house? are they a single family unit, or an extended family?

What kind of furniture is in the room in which you are seated? Note floor covering, curtains, and other decoration on the floor, walls, or ceiling. Is there anything that surprises you?

What other rooms are in your host’s home? Are there rooms that are off-limits to a visitor? If you can see into other rooms, what other furniture is there? Does the furniture tell you what the room is used for? Do rooms seem to be multi-purpose or have a specific use?

Do the furnishings in the house give you a clue as to the economic status of the occupants?

Where do the children play? indoors? outdoors? Is this a secure area?

Working areas

Where is the kitchen located? What kind of stove is used for cooking? What kind of fuel is used for cooking? Where and how is this available?

Where are the dishes, utensils, pots and pans stored? Where are supplies like flour, sugar, onions, etc. stored?

Where do the dishes get washed? What is used to scour pans? Are spotless pans a thing of pride? Are the dishes drip-dried or dried with a towel?

What do you think their standard of cleanliness is in comparison with yours?

Where is cleaning equipment kept, like brooms, sweepers, etc. What kind of equipment is used for cleaning? Does the type of building determine this?

Is there electricity? For how many hours a day? Hot and cold running water? Otherwise, how is water heated? Is this done only when needed, at certain times of the day?

Where is the laundry done? Are bigger pieces (sheets, etc.) sent out to be washed? Is the laundry at home done by hand or by machine? What kind of soap is used? Where are clothes hung out to dry?

Is there a special area for chopping wood? for preparing vegetables or meat for cooking? for keeping seedlings for planting in the garden? for keeping animals?

When you return home:

Draw a diagram of the house with any special observations about the various rooms and use of space. Add to this as you visit more homes.

7. THE FAMILY

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Are nuclear families (husband, wife, and their children) the norm, or do people live in extended families, including multiple generations?

What does each member contribute to family life? What degree of cooperation is there between members of the family?

What evidence do you see of sibling rivalry? How is this dealt with? Do boys get away with more than girls, or is it the opposite? How and what kind of discipline is administered? Is it the same for all, or is it given according to the behavior?

Watch the interactions between members of the family. How is respect shown? When tempers flare, is it justified? Are there overt demonstrations of love?

In and around the home, what is the division of labor gender specific? according to age? according to relationship? Try to assess how much work is done by each member. Note the amount of cooperation there is in performing certain tasks. What jobs are done daily? seasonally? whenever there is a demand?

Do any of the households have servants? How are they cared for? Are they paid a wage? What is their status? Are there any jobs that some servants would not do because they would feel it was below their status to do them? What hierarchy is there between servants?

Does the family do things together during leisure times, like play games, tell stories, watch TV, or do crafts, etc.? What other things are done in the home by individual members, like handwork, woodworking, computer, or reading?

Do members of the family go to children’s sports or cultural events?

8. DAILY ROUTINES

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Make copies of a chart with times of the day (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night) with space for writing in activities done during those times. Fill in your own activities for each time frame and give one to some of your friends. Have your friends fill in their own chart with their activities. Compare charts as a conversation exercise. What adjustments would be allowed in the daily routine? Do these tasks get done each day, or is there variety during the week?

Which activities are personal, and which ones involve the whole family? How are bathroom schedules organized and monitored? Are there washstands outside of the toilet area, or is everything enclosed in one room? How often is bathing done, and where?

Have each of the members of one family you know well fill out the charts. Compare the schedules for each and note how they differ, how they augment each other, and how adjustments are made. Note how much of their time is taken in doing their various tasks. What problems do they face during the day and how do they deal with them? Which tasks are done on a daily basis? Does the work vary from day to day (some tasks done one day, some on another)?

Arrange with a family you know well to stay overnight in their home and participate in their life for a whole day. Perhaps you could suggest that you would like to tell your relatives in your home country what a day in the life of a local family is like. Participate in their work as much as possible and try to get a picture of both individual differences and interpersonal relationships. If you have a fellow-worker, split up to follow family members to different tasks. Compare notes later to get a composite picture.

Examples of questions to note:

  •  Who gets up first?
  • What is the first task each member of the family performs?
  • Who wakes up the rest of the family? in what order?
  • Is face-washing enough, or is a complete bath in order in the morning?
  • Who gets the clothes ready for wearing?
  • Who cooks the breakfast?
  • Do the children get walked to school?
  • When does the father leave for work, and when does he return?
  • Does the mother also work? If so, what are the arrangements for child care?
  • What arrangements are made for cleaning the house, washing the dishes, gardening, marketing, etc.?

9. CLOTHING

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Describe the types of clothing worn by men, women, children, and infants. At what ages do boys and girls begin to wear “adult” clothing? How much of the body needs to be covered? When? Are expectations different for women than for men? What articles are gender specific?

Is clothing distinctive to the ethnic group? If not, is there a time when traditional ethnic clothing is worn? Is it worn with pride?

What is considered “essential” to every person’s wardrobe and how much money would be spent on some of these “essentials”?

Is clothing ready-made? If not, who makes them? Are they hand-sewn or machine-sewn? What kind of material is used in clothing for every-day wear? for special occasions?

Do articles of clothing indicate rank, status, or marital condition?

Do people have many changes of clothes?

  • Are different sets worn to work, on special occasions, for sleeping, for trips to town, etc.?
  • Does the type of clothing change seasonally?
  • What is considered appropriate or inappropriate dress for different occasions?
  • How important is it to dress nicely?

What types of ornaments are worn on the clothes (buttons, clasps, fringes, coins, seeds, embroidery, etc.)?

How is clothing kept clean and how frequently is this done?

10. PERSONAL CARE AND ADORNMENT

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Note comments made concerning the appearance of various people. What are the criteria for being considered well-groomed?

How often do they bathe?

  • Wash their hands and face?
  • Brush their teeth?
  • What is used as the cleaning agent–soap, toothpaste, bark from trees, dental floss?
  • How is body waste cleaned off and disposed of?

How do they care for their skin?

  • What is considered beautiful skin and how is it attained?
  • Do people scarify, mutilate or tattoo parts of the body? At what age? Who does the procedure?
  • What body parts are affected?
  • Why is it done?

How are the teeth cared for?

  • What is thought to be attractive (stained teeth, filed teeth, white teeth)? By young people as well?
  • Is gold put on or in teeth? Why and how?
  • Is betel chewed?
  • Are there dentists? Are they patronized? When? Can someone with a toothache just walk into an office, or do appointments have to be made? How?
  • What is considered the reason for tooth decay and how can it be prevented?

What is the attitude toward body odors?

  • Which odors are unpleasant?
  • Which are pleasant?
  • How do foreigners or other outsiders smell?
  • What is used as a deodorant?
  • Are perfumes or other ointments used ordinarily, at festivities, or to enhance sexuality?

How do they care for their hair (shampooing, cutting, arranging, etc.)?

  • What is the traditional hair style? Is this changing with the young people
  • What is available for shampoo?
  • What other ointments, oils, etc. are used?
  • How do they care for their nails?
  • Must nail and hair clippings be disposed of carefully? How?
  • Are certain times more auspicious for clipping?

What types of ornaments do women wear on their bodies and clothing?

  • What type do men wear?
  • How does festive attire differ from ordinary clothing in terms of fabric, ornamentation or adornment?
  • What jewelry is worn and when?
  • Does this indicate relative status?
  • At what age are ears, noses, or other parts pierced? Who does this?
  • How are festive clothes and valuables cared for?

15. WHAT’S THERE TO EAT?

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  • What is the staple food which is found in nearly every meal (bread, rice, maniac, potato, etc.?)
  • How are meals cooked (open fire, gas or electric stove, oven, etc.)? Is there a way to preserve meat, vegetables, or fruit for future use? Describe hearths or stoves and how they are constructed and used.
  • How many meals a day do people ordinarily eat? What is considered the main meal of the day? When is it served? Is breakfast served in most homes? What kind of food is served?
  • Is the main meal served at noon or in the evening? Do men and women eat together? Who is served first? When do the children eat?
  • Is any kind of ritual observed before or after eating? Learn a simple table grace (prayer before the meal).
  • How is the food served (buffet-style, family-style, pre-served portions)? What utensils and dishes are used at meal times? for various types of food? How many dishes are served at a typical meal? for guests?
  • What is served for the main meal? How many times a week is meat eaten? Is the food spicy or bland? What seasonings are used for taste? How does the food taste to you?
  • How much of it is gathered, grown in family gardens, or bought at the market? Who does the gathering or buying?
  • How are people called to come to eat? Do people converse while they eat? Note the sounds which accompany eating (smacking of lips, belching, etc.). Do people drink during a meal or after?
  • Are there breaks in the day for drinking tea or coffee or snacking? What types of things are eaten for snacks? Are they salty or sweet? Should there be a mix of the two?

17. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

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Do people plant gardens (or herbs in pots near their houses) in addition to their field crops? Are the gardens near home, near the fields (or in both places), or in a different location altogether? Are there public gardens near apartment buildings where people may plant? How are the gardens or herb pots protected from animals or people?

What types of things are planted in gardens? Note the relative amount of each. Is the garden produce grown only for family consumption and enjoyment or is some sold or traded? Are the same things planted each year, or does the mix vary from year to year?

What types of plants are gathered to supplement the diet? Where do people go to gather these plants? Note the time of year each can be gathered. Are there special tools used in the gathering process? How is the harvest prepared for consumption? Do the people find the gathered plants tasty or do they eat them from necessity?

What non-edible plants are gathered? What are they used for? How are they gathered and processed?

How much time is taken in gardening? in gathering?

What other substances are used as dietary supplements? Vitamin pills? Herbs? How often are these taken? Where are they available?

19. ACTIVITIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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Take a walk down the street and take note of what you see people doing (children going to school or playing, women shopping, someone cleaning the street, people going to work or sitting in the sunshine, shopkeepers selling their wares, craftsmen doing their work, etc.) Other possibilities may be house building, rope making, car repair, blacksmithing, office work, beggars, or musicians. Take pictures if appropriate and use them as conversation triggers with your language helper.

Where are the activities taking place? in or by a home? in an office? in a store? on the street?

Are certain activities done by people generally (e.g., window shopping), by recognized craftsmen (e.g., blacksmith, shoemaker, silversmith), restricted by sex (e.g., embroidery, knitting), limited to a specific area (e.g., working with wool or with cotton, styles of caps), or to a certain season (grass cutting, tapping trees for resin, shoveling snow)?

Are any finished products for sale? For personal pleasure or for the benefit of others? Is the activity essentially individual or cooperative? If the latter, who does what? Is food or payment provided for workers or helpers? Try to join in one or another of the activities and tell about your experience. Note the people’s reaction and their instructions to you.

29. ARTS AND CRAFTS

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Dictionary definition: Arts and Crafts: the creative design of everyday objects

What creative objects and decorations have you observed? How are they used? What value do they seem to have (are they in a place of honor? worn on special occasions)? Who makes them? Are they made at certain times of the year? Are certain crafts associated with ritual practices? Are any crafts gender specific? Do any crafters cross the gender expectation and what do local people think of these people.

What decorative (as opposed to utilitarian) features are used in crafts to make them more attractive? What standards of beauty are there and how does this affect the value of the article? What artistic expressions are found? Are there patterns which are followed or is there room for free expression? Do these appear in special objects or at special occasions (e.g. house decoration, pottery, carving)?

Are the materials for these crafts available locally? If not, how are they obtained?

How are children taught various crafts? At what ages?

Is the activity necessary in order to have the item? or can the item be bought commercially as well? Are formerly hand-made items no longer made because of their availability commercially? What motivates a person to make an item by hand? Which items are more valued– those made commercially, or those made by hand?

Which crafts bring in supplementary income? Is the income pooled with other family funds or does it remain personal property?

31. DOMESTICATED ANIMALS

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What animals do you see in your neighborhood? Are they free-roaming or tied to a hitching post in front of the owner’s home? Are they confined to a fenced-in pasture or a front yard? How do the people treat these animals (if they appear to own them, if they see them on the street, if they feel threatened by them?)

Are any animals kept as pets? Is this a wide-spread practice? What kind of animals are kept and for what purpose? How are they cared for? Are they shown warmth or affection? Are they given names? How are pet animals obtained? Are wild animals or birds ever tamed for pets?

If animals are kept as pets, are there any codes which owners should observe, as picking up after the pet, keeping them quiet, keeping them confined to certain locations, etc.?

Are dogs kept as pets or for some other purpose? Would every household have at least one dog?

Are certain animals or fowl status symbols? Are any of the animals involved in any kind of religious, local or national ceremonies? Are any of them used as icons for tribes, sports, or institutions?

What domestic animals are raised and for what purpose? How much do people pay for them? sell them for? Are any animals put out for hire? For what purpose? At what price? Whose job is it to care for the domestic animals? At what time of the day?