Understanding Marriage: A Hong Kong Case Study

Chapter Seven. The Transition From Traditional to Companionship Marriages

Chapter Seven The Transition Frotn. Traditional to Cotn.panionship Marriages The convergence of Eastern and Western ideologies in Hong Kong necessarily impacts on marriage. An analysis of both the social trends of our society as well as the expressions and expectations of affection and sharing reported by the spouses in the study, suggests that in contemporary Hong Kong the trend is towards a companionship marriage based on familism. Within the last generation, Hong Kong has undergone a series of social changes which have had a direct impact on marriage. In 1971, the Marriage Reform Ordinance restricted marriage to one husband and one wife, and formally abolished the traditional concubine, or tsip sze, status. In 1972, the no fault divorce was instituted. In 1990/1, the Law Reform Commission proposed the waiting period for divorce between two consenting parties to be reduced to separation after one year. Other social changes have also indirectly affected marriages. In 1978, compulsory education was instituted for all children up to the age of 15 and this provided opportunities for schooling for girls and their subsequent entry into the employment market. Participation in the labour force for women in the prime working age of 25 to 54 rose from 53.1 % in 1981 to 61 % in 1991. Family units have tended to become smaller, and average 3.5 persons per household, with 6l.6% of the population living as one unextended nuclear family. Infant mortality, which is often used as an indicator of the general health of a community, is 6.4 per thousand live births, a figure somewhat better than that for Great Britain or the United States. The community has become economically affluent with a GDP per 120 Marital Interdependence capita standing at HK$111,799 (1991 figures,Census and Statistics Department , 1993) leading to higher expectations in almost all areas of living. Politically, the community is faced with a major transition in 1997 which has initiated migratory patterns affecting marriage and family life. In view of all these changes the question could well be asked as to where we are in Hong Kong in regard to our expectations in marriage. Trends Towards Conjugalism The experience of other societies shows that as industrialization and urbanization proceed, families change towards a conjugal model (Goode, 1963). Since the middle of this century Hong Kong has steadily developed as a manufacturing, then as a service centre. Initially invigorated by the influx of immigrants and capital which flowed from China after 1949, by the 1990s it has become a thriving cosmopolitan city open to multiple influences and idealogies. These changes have led to changes in patterns of family life. Conjugalism emphasizes the centrality of the spousal relatiorrship. A conjugal unit is represented by a nuclear family, with a couple and their children living in a separate household. Decisions are made through consultation and negotiation between the different sexes and different generations. Mfection and care giving is shared, and loyalty is focused on the nuclear unit, which maintains contacts and exchanges mutual assistance with the extended families. In conjugal families the nature and degree of change in different aspects of interpersonal relationship vary. Change tends to occur at a faster pace in aspects related to choice of mate, relationships between the sexes, expressions of preferences and expectations of personal fulfilment. Aspects involving relationships with relatives of an older generation are likely to be maintained along more traditional lines. Conjugalism reflects the way in which families respond and adjust to the particular requirements of industrialization. Such changes are difficult to gauge in precise terms and the extent of the change is likely to differ across the community. Families tend to retain valued aspects of their traditional outlook, modifYing those that are restrictive but holding on to those that preserve useful connections and provide mutual assistance across the generations. However, despite a deeply rooted regard for traditional values, in broad terms it has to be recognized that the patterns of Asian family living are gradually being redefined and that this change has both direct and indirect effects on the nature of family living in Hong Kong and on the marital relationship. The Transition From Traditional to Companionship Marriages 121 One area where the direct impact of such change may undoubtedly be felt is in the way a nuclear family unit has to develop its own resources within a smaller household. The conjugal family needs to evolve new forms of...