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1. Chinese Traditional Family Ritual
The Chinese culture is widely known for its rich rituals, customs, superstitions and traditions
varying among numerous communities within the country. Although since the People’s Republic
of China was founded in 1949, and family structures and gender relations have undergone
tremendous change, traditional family rituals are still relevant and consistent, as well as
respected and practiced across the country. Traditional rituals and customs in contemporary
Chinese communities include substantial preference for sons, social hyper gamy, multigenerational co-residence and wife’s primary duties consisting in carrying out housework and
chores as well as arranged marriages and differing funeral rites for children, young and old
people. A ritual is therefore a religious ceremony consisting of different and diverse series of
activities and actions carried out in accordance to the prescribed performance order. Renato
Rosaldo, however, redefined the term to mean an intersection of distinct social processes that are
not self-contained practices in a community (Yu, 2013, p.1).
Common traditional family rituals across the globe vary from rites of passage, routines and
traditions such as holiday traditions and Christmas celebrations depending on regions and
distinct cultures. Chinese traditional rituals, however, are different and more complex based on
the different roles and responsibilities undertaken individually among sons, daughters, parents
and ancestors. A traditional Chinese family is tasked with ensuring that the lineage is carried
forward. Family members are thus considered to be carriers or perpetuators of familial lines.
Conversely, ancestors are tasked with carrying out spiritual roles among Chinese communities.
After they pass on, they are believed to live on, thus, those left behind are required to respect,
worship and provide offerings to them through family rituals. Consequently, they receive

2. assistance and protection on the part of the ancestors who therefore assume the ‘god like’ status.
Every Chinese clan is required to have a folk religion (Yu, 2013, p.1).
Chinese families uphold filial piety and parental care as the major core values characterized as
patrilineal, patrimonial and patrilocal. Chinese women are socially disadvantaged when
compared to their male counterparts as they are regarded as temporary members of a family from
their inception until they commence serving as their husband’s extended family members. More
so, parents can opt at sacrificing their daughters’ education in order for a son to acquire the
necessary educational values and associated outcomes. Filial piety is regarded as the
foundational value in the Chinese society meaning a set of interlocking principles emphasizing
on duties to be undertaken by family sons. These duties include respecting, supporting and
obeying their parents even after they marry. The have undergone examinations, as well as were
extolled, attacked, defined, deconstructed and redefined in the past centuries. However, the belief
that the concept of filial piety offers is considered to be a perfect model in maintaining and
sustaining proper relations among husbands and wives, juniors and seniors, emperor and subjects
as well as parents remaining constant (Rubie, 2007, p. 1).
Chinese parents always that ensure their children treat elders with respect as such attitude plays a
vital measure in determining their moral worthiness. In order to support these customs, private
and public rituals under ancestral cults, patriarchal authorities, patrilocal residence, patrilineal
descent and androcentric property regimes were practiced. During such familial rituals, a son’s
support and obedience towards their parents would be performed, elaborated and internalized in
a cycle that would regularly occur yearly on a daily basis. Conversely, in order for the daughters
to be regarded as good and obedient towards their parents, they were required to carry on with

3. their devotion to their husbands’ parents and family members once they got married. The
ancestral cults would elevate a bond between a father and his son into some kind of religion after
the son passes on in order to teach the living that the thread of a generational continuity is their
responsibility. Heavy duties, tasks and roles undertaken by male off springs would be provided
dramatically in a recurring manner through ancestral cults (Rubie, 2007, p.2).
Analysis of the Filial Piety Ritual
Filial piety was therefore responsible for developing the different and diverse roles to be
undertaken by sons, daughters and daughters-in-law after getting married and becoming part of
their husbands’ family. There are various emotions attached to this ritual. A filial piety is
considered to be a ritual that can be termed as a daily occurrence. The fact that sons and
daughters are treated differently translates to either of them experiencing differing emotions.
Although Chinese customs and rituals dictate sons and daughters are different, girls and women
in modern society are seeking equality. There has existed stiff competition between the two
parties in their attempts to please their parents, elders and ancestors. Competition, especially
when it is stiff and unbalanced, can result in daughters experiencing remorse and shame when
their counterparts receive more attention and gratitude. Constant praises on the sons for their
various accomplishments in life can lead to a girl child feeling insecure, unappreciated, a
weakling in the society as well as challenged in receiving equal accolades when the available
opportunities are unequally distributed.
Parents, religious sectors, and the community at large ought to acknowledge that sons and
daughters should be loved, appreciated and treated equally as they belong to the same family
lineage. The rituals performed emphasizing a boy child is more important and appreciated than a

4. girl child can in the long run affect women self-esteem in the society. This is mainly because the
values, concepts and dynamics attached to filial piety rituals translate to girls as unequal
members of a society. They disregard that they play a major role in ascertaining that the family
lineage continues. Without daughters, sons would not acquire marriage partners and the
accolades such as respect attached to marriage.
Conclusion
The rituals in question hav been affecting socioeconomic and gender inequalities among Chinese
families for a long period of time. In the past, girls were not expected to receive equal
educational attainments as their male counterparts. Employment rate among women in China
was always lower and so were their earnings. Favoring a particular gender with regard to
recording higher labor income and powerful or authoritative positions among males with females
being restricted to carrying out house chores is neither democratic nor sustainable economically,
socially and politically. Although these rituals have experienced modern transformations with
women’s socioeconomic status recording growth, developments and improvements, there still
exists intense pressure for male individuals wishing to carry on traditions. As a result, economic
pressures have led to young male counterparts contemplating marriage in their early years. They
disregard the responsibilities attached to marriage, as they believe fulfilling their cultural
expectations concerned with getting married earns them respect from their parents, sisters and
even ancestors. Unless they have a stable source of income, their family suffers from economic
and social challenges that can be traced from the concepts and values taught at a filial piety ritual
as they are binding.

5. References
1. Rubie, W. (2007). Families in China: Ties that Bind? A Harvard University Draft,
2(22):1-33.
2. Yu, X. (2013). Gender and Family in Contemporary China, University of Michigan,
Population Studies Center Research Reports, 13(808):2-8.