Comment on Why do the majority of women still take their partner's last name?
viking@infosec.pub 4 weeks agoIn several countries it’s simply not possible, and the family bonds are strong as elsewhere, if not stronger. China for example, family is above everything there, and you can’t change names under any circumstances.
Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
That’s something I didn’t know. Do you have time to explain how that works in China? Or if there’s a good video essay on the subject I’d take that.
viking@infosec.pub 4 weeks ago
In China you simply keep your birth name forever, and children always follow the paternal side. That’s why having a male hair is important there, because a woman will only bear offspring for her spouse’s family.
As to why the family bonds are so strong, it’s part cultural (your elders are always right and must not be criticised, and you must take care of your blood above anything else), part societal - parents work too much (60-100h weekly), so children are generally raised by their grandparents, which strengthens the bond across generations. And because the pension system is totally insufficient, grandparents will at some point typically move in with their kids, so people are used to live in a multi generational household.
By the way, China is just one example, there are even Western countries where it’s not possible to change the names, such as Luxembourg.
Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Thank you for taking the time. I find it interesting that it is so important in some cultures for the woman to take the husband’s name, and yet in this example there seems to be zero problems with it …