An egalitarian family is a family in which both spouses hold an equal position

Time does not stand still, and with it human relations and society as a whole change. The egalitarian family is replacing the patriarchal device of the social cell. "What is this?" The reader will ask. This is the topic of our today's conversation. If we open all the cards at once, the intrigue will die. Therefore, "do not hurry."

Definition and signs

Egalitarian family - a relationship in which no one of the spouses is not claiming power, it is divided equally between a man and a woman. The same thing happens with social roles and responsibilities. There is no division into "male" and "female". Does the one who can.

Clearly, what is an egalitarian family? The signs that characterize it follow.

1. The primacy of individual interests over family (generic) interests. In practice, this means that every member of the family wants not only to fulfill his family, sexual role, but also to achieve something in the professional sphere. Therefore, the relationship is built in such a way that husband and wife had room for creativity and realization.
2. The family is created by the mutual desire of a man and a woman. The personal choice of everyone is decisive. It seems that explanations are not needed. In theory, an egalitarian family is an education that is created only because a man and a woman love each other. But, as we know, theory and practice do not always coincide.
3. Under one roof, no more than two generations live (parents and children).
4. The couple plans children together.
5. Small-child. With all the ensuing consequences: the rate is placed on the "quality" of children, and not "quantity". That is, the spouses set the goal to maximally prepare children for social life: to educate properly, to give the education that will help scions get good, interesting and highly paid work. Since there are not many children (one or two), the man and woman do not forget about themselves and combine parental functions with other social roles. As an inevitable result: sex is perceived as a source of pleasure, not a way of reproduction.
6. High degree of social and geographical mobility. Simply put, the saying "where was born, there and handy" is not about members of an egalitarian family. People, if necessary, change jobs and place of residence. Not to say that this happens easily and freely, but nobody does tragedy from this either.
7. In the possession and inheritance of family property, spouses are legally equal.

An egalitarian family is a revolutionary thing that allows you to "breathe freely" both to a man and a woman. But without comparison with other types of device family relations can not fully appreciate its significance.

Types of family. Patriarchate

What are the alternatives? There is also a patriarchal and matriarchal family. Very briefly tell about them to understand the difference.

Characteristic features of the patriarchal family:

1. The primacy of family interests over individual interests.
2. The creation of the cell is dictated not by the personal choice and love of the man and woman, but by the economic interests of the relatives who enter the "patriarchal family" formation.
3. The family lives a "big swarm body". Several generations and offshoots of the family can live under one roof.
4. Many children. And it is also dictated by economic interests. More children - more hands.
5. A woman can not interrupt her pregnancy, even if she wants to. This is prohibited by the Family Code. There is no question of any plan for the appearance of children. A woman "fructifies" while she can.
6. On the change of residence or work in such a family is out of the question. Such education is very slow in the social sense.
7. The primacy of tradition and customs is recognized, personal preferences and values are not considered.
8. Property and other valuables are inherited exclusively through the male line.

Needless to say, "democratic relations" is a notion not known to people who live according to the patriarchal canon?

Matriarchy

Matriarchy as a social device is harder to talk about, because many are still convinced that it was not. Although Erich Fromm, referring to Bahoven, this point of view is refuted. In other words, disputes are under way. The problem is that when people talk about ancient antiquity, there history, archeology and mythology come together, and it is not possible to separate one from the other. In any case, it was so long ago that it is difficult to talk about this in detail, we will mention only those signs that are precisely known:

1. A family is created around a woman, not a man.
2. The inheritance of property and values is transferred through the maternal line.
3. Pedigree is considered from the mother and female representatives of the genus.

Matriarchy is certainly an interesting phenomenon, especially its "modern version": when formally the relationship has the status of an "egalitarian family" (this is understandable), but in fact a matriarchal one, where a man is a subordinate element (the same is true of the patriarchate, When the wife depends on her husband with the formal equality of the parties).

Concluding the conversation about the types of the family, we will say that there is enough supporters of both a matriarchal and patriarchal family in the world. Also there are countries where the models function, it's difficult to judge their success to a Western person.

Household interchangeability of spouses

After a cursory examination of the methods of family organization, it became clear why the egalitarian type of family is preferable for both certain men and for some women. However, consider it from different angles.

Pluses:

• equality;
• understanding;
• freedom;
• mobility;
• Dialogue as a way of family existence.

On paper, the model is so good that it is difficult to find faults in it. At this point, we must remember that traditions are strong in Russia, that is not all people around us support progressive ideas in general and the idea of a family in which each family member does not what the gender role requires of him, but what can Particular. Therefore, if we note the shortcomings, for example: the model can cause individual intolerance in some people, and educate complexes if the couple practices "equal marriage" in a patriarchal environment.

Social equality of husband and wife

Egalitarian marriage involves not only the rights, but also the responsibilities of both the wife and the husband. The fact that in this system of relations a man and a woman are interchangeable redistributes priorities. For example, money is no longer a masculine problem. On the one hand, it's good, because the husband no longer feels lonely in this sense, he knows if something happens to him, the wife will help not only morally but also materially. On the other hand, it's bad because a woman and a man can no longer appeal to the gender role and conscience of a person to use the epic phrase: "You're a man!" Or "You're a woman!". Here, each member of the family is responsible for the other and for the common offspring.

Emotional saturation

From the basic principles of such marriage follows another characteristic feature of the egalitarian family, which is rendered in a sub-title. It's strange, probably, to distinguish emotions in a relationship into a separate group. But since the model offers a qualitatively different interaction, why not say that equality has a beneficial effect on the psychological climate in the family? Love blossoms, if it grows on the soil of freedom. And repression is needed only to fight with disagreeable, oppression can not cause love. When one spouse does not respect, does not appreciate another, and so it lasts a lifetime, then grievances are grieved, and they, even the unspoken ones, poison the family situation.

Egalitarian marriage is seen in this sense as the complete opposite of both patriarchy and matriarchy. Do not think that this is some ideal. Firstly, there are so few truly equal relations (why, we'll talk below), and secondly, the majority in the form of egalitarian families are in content - modern patriarchy and matriarchy. For example, when both work, but in the order of things, when a man says: "This is a woman's business!" And the wife at the case reminds: "Be a man!" We think the reader understands exactly what they are talking about. Of course, it can be said that the egalitarian family, like any synthesis, contains in itself the removed quality of the thesis and the antithesis, subject to the laws of Hegelian dialectics. But interpretation is a matter of taste.

Egalitarny marriage - fragile education

It turns out that an equal marriage is a pure pleasure? Not certainly in that way. The primacy of personal interests over family is fraught with many problems. For example, you can recall the film and the book "The World through the Eyes of Harp". When the couple tried not to limit each other and even to forgive treason as much as possible. Harp's wife managed very poorly, but he did not. And do not think that a democratic marriage involves moral anarchy and sexual freedom. This is, rather, an illustration of what leads to a misinterpretation of freedom and equality. This arrangement of the family is suitable only for people who are mature, ready to take responsibility. If the family and marriage are a way to adapt to life, then it is unlikely that equal and non-repressive relations are what is needed.

And the last thing: freedom is fine, but it needs a habit, and a person must have a certain amount of intelligence to know where the rights end and the duties begin. As Bernard Shaw said: "Freedom means responsibility, which is why most people are afraid of it." And without the freedom not to build equal and emotionally saturated relationships. Modern life offers at least three models for the choice of building relationships. And these are only global opportunities, and how many practical variations between them! Therefore, everyone decides for himself.