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GENDER ROLES
1. What is the difference, if any, between the way Khmer children are raised
in America and in Cambodia?
Answers given by female respondents:
· Khmer children are
disciplined more and here are more open.
· Khmer children who are raised
in America are more independent and self-sufficient.
· No difference. I believe
Khmer parents raise their children the same way. The difference between children
raised here and those raised there is the outside influence (society) that
surrounds the children.
· America – more rebellious
toward parents. Cambodia – more traditional.
· In America, children are
given more freedom.
· In Cambodia, Khmer children
are raised with the expectation that they have the responsibility (financial +
emotional) to care for the family, whereas, in the U.S., the children are more
individualistic and are less important to the stability of the family.
· In the U.S.A. the culture
tends to be much more liberal, teenagers can date, stay out late with friends,
work, go to school, and challenge adults. In Cambodia, teenagers couldn't do
this.
· Khmer-American children are
losing a little of their cultural values as well as their language being in the
U.S.
· Khmer children raised in
America are more modernized by the social change of the world. In Cambodia they
are more traditional.
· Children in America are more
independent. They are also more likely to be raised by someone other than the
actual parents.
· Most of the Khmer students in
America have lost a lot of value and tradition.
· Parents are more strict in
Cambodia.
· I think it depends on the
parents. My parents are very religious but I'm not yet I still have basically
the same values they do. My parents have also assimilated and understand that I
can't be raised like the children in Cambodia because I grew up here. Their main
goal as parents is for me to be respectful and get a good education.
· Khmer children in America are
more liberal, in Cambodia children are more conservative. Parents are more
strict in Cambodia. In America children have more power to do what they want.
· In America, we have more
opportunities to do what we want.
· There's no difference.
· In Cambodia they are more
traditional.
Answers given by male respondents:
· American students are
educated because education [is] free.
· In America, Khmer children
are taught independence so they talk back to their parents in subjects of
disagreements. In Cambodia, whatever your parents say is correct and holds true
without disputes.
· Family structure in U.S. is
weak. No set roles. Lack of discipline.
· Cambodian-Americans are not
exposed to Cambodian culture that much and never identify themselves as
Cambodians because they are embarrassed to proclaim themselves as Khmer.
Cambodians in Cambodia – very traditional.
· The disciplines are lacking
in some families. The culture values are less in some families.
· The lack of respect (of the
American born) for their elders. The limited knowledge of their tradition and
culture/customs.
· Khmer children have more
freedom in America. Parents feel they don't have too much control over their
children.
· Stricter rules in Cambodia,
however, parents don't want their children to be completely
"Americanized" so they raise their children with traditional rules and
beliefs.
· A lot. Cambodian children
listen and respect their parents more, since they are taught to be obedient.
American children are taught to value individuality and obtain their freedom.
· No difference.
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2. Sons and daughters should have the same...? (Check all that apply)
|
answer choices |
f |
m |
|
a. Rules on dating
|
16 |
7 |
|
b. Curfews
|
19 |
6 |
|
c. Educational opportunities
|
21 |
9 |
|
d. Work opportunities
|
21 |
9 |
|
e. Household chores
|
21 |
8 |
|
f. Sons and daughters should have different rules
|
0 |
2 |
Of the women questioned, a vast majority, sixteen, answered a-e, while three
answered b-e, and the remaining two answered c-e. There was a much higher degree
of inconsistency in the answers given by men: only three answered a-e, and two
answered a-f. Answers given by other respondents were unique.
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3. How have Khmer women gender roles changed from traditional Khmer gender
roles to Khmer American roles? (Check all that apply)
|
answer choices |
f |
m |
|
a. Khmer women gender roles have remained the same.
|
2 |
1 |
|
b. Khmer women have dual roles as provider and caretaker.
|
15 |
7 |
|
c. Khmer women are more independent.
|
19 |
8 |
|
d. Khmer women are no longer expected to stay home and be housewives.
|
14 |
6 |
|
NR
(no response)
|
0 |
1 |
Nineteen women selected (c) (Khmer women are more independent), fifteen
selected (b) (Khmer women have dual roles as provider and caretaker), and
fourteen selected (d) (Khmer women are no longer expected to stay home and be
housewives). Only two female respondents selected (a) (Khmer women gender roles
have remained the same), and even those women selected at least two of the other
three possible choices.
The answers given by men were remarkably similar to those of the female
respondents. As with the women, answer (c) (Khmer women are more independent)
was the most popular choice among men, who selected it eight times, followed by
(b) (Khmer women have dual roles as provider and caretaker) selected seven
times, and (d) (Khmer women are no longer expected to stay home and be
housewives) selected six times. Only one male respondent selected (a) (Khmer
women gender roles have remained the same), but he also selected (b), conceding
that women role's have changed to include a dual role of provider and caretaker.
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4. What are the roles of an ideal Khmer woman?
Answers given by female respondents:
· Housewives
· Get married, start family.
Work and take care of family and husband. Education to most Khmer elders for
woman – not so important.
· marry into a good family, be
a good wife, daughter and mother.
· cook and clean
· mother, wife, community
figure
· quiet, obedient, good mother,
wife
· Depends on the point of view
because there are no ideal Khmer women. For a guy, it's probably cook, clean,
have kids, looks pretty, stupid. Most women here are not like that and that's
why men go to Cambodia looking for the "traditional" type and find
just the opposite.
· No specific ones. It is all
based on economic, family, and everything else.
· be a caretaker
· The Khmer woman should be a
mixture of qualities – strong, independent, resourceful, and also feminine
(but not submissive) and also a good household person.
· cook, clean, take care of
family
· The role of an ideal Khmer
woman depends on the individual, that's what I think.
· To manage money and raise
children. To be very strong minded.
· mannerful, dutiful housewives
· taking care of their children
· passive, only cooks, cleans,
takes care of the children. she's not independent and not aggressive.
· polite, good manner, patience
Answers given by male respondents:
· be polite
· work, take care of children
half the time, house chores shared evenly
· A woman who can work both in
and out of the home. She is responsible when in both the office for work and the
home for caring for the children.
· Taking care of the children,
taking care of the home, and always being there for the husband.
· They should be strong,
independent, open-minded and carry and practice the traditional and cultural
values and identity.
· Someone who can be a good
provider to the family and still be strong.
· She is suppose to be
lady-like, woman should be valuable – strong and independent. girls in Long
Beach are getting pregnant – dying their hair bright orange
· caretaker, counselor, lover,
cook, religious worshipper, friend, leader
· polite, sincere, doesn't talk
back, knows how to cook and take care of siblings, and passive
· cook, sex, work, sex, cook,
sex, cook, sex, work, sex, sex, sex, work, work, cook
· spend money
Note: This question should probably have been broken into two parts: (1) What
do you believe were the traditional characteristics/roles of an
ideal Khmer woman? and (2) What do you personally consider to be
the characteristics/roles of an ideal Khmer woman today? Many of
respondents' answers above is unclear as to whether it reflects their personal
belief as to what should be the roles of an ideal Khmer woman today or
their interpretation of what they believe to be "traditional" traits
of an ideal Khmer woman.
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5. What qualities do you think Khmer women living in America should possess?
|
answer choices |
f |
m |
|
a. Khmer women should be strong-minded and independent.
|
20
|
10
|
|
b.
Khmer women should be passive and quiet.
|
0
|
1
|
|
c. Khmer women should be mother figures.
|
16
|
5
|
|
d.
Khmer women should be traditional.
|
8
|
6
|
Female respondents overwhelmingly chose (a) (Khmer women should be
strong-minded and independent) as their most popular selection, with only one
individual not selecting that choice. No woman chose (b) (Khmer women
should be passive and quiet); and sixteen women selected (c) (Khmer women should
be mother figures). Although the definition and nature of
"traditional" was not defined, eight respondents marked (d) (Khmer
women should be traditional).
Again, the answers given by male respondents was remarkably similar to that
given by the women surveyed. Male respondents overwhelmingly chose (a) (Khmer
women should be strong-minded and independent) as their most popular selection,
with only one individual not selecting it. Men and women differed with
respect to selections (c) and (d), however. Whereas twice as many women selected
(c) (Khmer women should be mother figures) than (d) (Khmer women should be
traditional), men selected (c) and (d) with almost the same frequency: five
selected (c) and six selected (d). Only the 16-year-old respondent selected (b)
(Khmer women should be passive and quiet).
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6. Do you feel Khmer women in the United States are losing their cultural
values?
|
answer choices |
f |
m |
|
a. No, our cultural values are still intact.
|
2 |
1 |
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b. Slightly. We have adopted American values but continue to follow our
cultural values.
|
18 |
7 |
|
c. Yes, our cultural values have been completely lost.
|
1 |
3 |
Eighteen female and seven male respondents believe that Khmer women in
America are only slightly losing their cultural values. Only one woman and three
men believe that "our cultural values have been completely lost" and
two women and one man believes "our cultural values are still intact."
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7. Do you feel that our culture is still patriarchal (dominated by males)?
|
answer choices |
f |
m |
|
a. Yes, men have more power than women.
|
8 |
3 |
|
b. No, both men and women have equal power.
|
5 |
3 |
|
c. No, women have more power.
|
1 |
0 |
|
d. Men dominate outside the household and women dominate inside the
household.
|
6 |
5 |
|
NR
|
1 |
0 |
Eight female and three male respondents believe that Cambodian culture
today is patriarchal, whereas only one female and no male respondent believes
that women have more power. Five female and three male respondents believe that men
and women have equal power, and six female and five male respondents believe there is a division
of power in which men dominate outside the household and women dominate inside
the household.
Note 1: Answer (d), the perception that men dominate outside the household
and women dominate inside the household, may be due to the Khmer tradition of
women controlling the household finances.
Note 2: The fact that the question assumes traditional Khmer culture is
patriarchal does not affect the information extrapolated from the
answers given – i.e., whether these individuals view Khmer culture today as
patriarchal (since the questionnaire refers to Cambodian American issues and the
respondents are Cambodian American, it may be inferred that both the question
and their answers refers to Khmer culture as it exists in America today).
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