The Mexican Family
In pre-Hispanic Mexico, before the conquest, authority rested with the father, who advised his children: (Love, respect, obey your parents”; “do not laugh at the old, the sick, the blind…
a strict surveillance of chastity; Relationships outside of marriage were severely punished.
Most men had only one wife. Only chiefs could have several wives.
The Spanish conquest meant the confrontation of two cultures. Due to Christianity, they modified the family customs of the indigenous people, although there was not a single type of family, due to the mixture of races social classes. In colonial Mexico the father was the highest authority and taught his children the agriculture or crafts. The mother was in charge of the housework. The youngest children had to obey the eldest, who received the family’s assets but also the responsibility of maintaining it. When a couple got married, two families joined together and organized themselves into family businesses. Furthermore, due to the influence of Christianity, the men of the ruling class made their relationships with several women less evident.. Another change is that the young men chose to honour their wives, whereas previously family and community would have come first.
In the 19th century, most families lived in rural communities dedicated to agriculture, in which children participated from a very young age. The woman did the housework and the man remained the authority in the family. The compadrazgo was a very important institution, because it prevented the abandonment of children who were left orphaned, due to the high maternal mortality rate due to lack of medical care. Another important change was the incorporation of women into work in hospitals or as teachers.
In the 20th century, important transformations also occurred: children and young people acquired a series of rights that must be respected. Compulsory education reinforces some traditional family values and modifies others. Paternal authority is less rigid and the mother, who often works outside the home, acquires more decision-making power, but her responsibilities also increase, since she generally continues to take care of domestic work. Her incorporation into the workplace calls into question the traditional roles of men and women. On the other hand, the separation of couples has increased; There is violence within the family, as well as greater abandonment and forgetfulness of the elderly, sometimes considered a burden. In this context, it is not unusual for children to reject all types of rules from adults.
The society at the end of the 20th century was a product, in part, of the transformations of the Mexican family. It is important to reflect to identify what changes are beneficial or harmful, to decide what type of family we want for the future.