Pregledni rad
FAMILY RELATIONS BEFORE THE APPEARANCE OF INDIVIDUALISM
Vera St. Erlich
Sažetak
From the material surveying 300 Yugoslav pre-war villages the author presents
typical attitudes of people living in closely tied extended peasant family
»Zadrugas«. Perfectly adjusted to their setting, the young ones show only few
signs of individual aspirations and no wish for personal independence. Examples
are offered from different domains of life, such as the choise of the bride, when
the fiance shows indifference and passivity. Other examples are from father-son
relationships, with ceremonial forms of respect and great compliance of the sons
toward the fathers’ wishes. The third are from the position of women in the
family hierarchy and their complete lack of resistance to their low status.
Two explanations for these attitudes are offered: first, the evasion of rules
which is possible even under strict regulations, as for instance in bride abductions,
a frequent way of evading parental orders in patriarchal villages. Second, the compensations
which may be found in the patriarchal regime for restrictions on freedom.
In this setting there is great security for youth in every respect, including
that of getting married. There is also a carefree life and lack of harsh treatment
of youth in this phase of family life. The compensation for masculine domination
is shown in a lengthy quotation of a Serbian grandmother’s story. In comparing
ancient and modern family life, she stresses the bright aspects of the old ways
of life.
A conclusion is drawn that the two components of human life — the collectivistic
and the individualistic — follow each other like swing of the pendulum.
When one of the tendencies has reached its high mark, the opposite begins its
swing, gains momentum, and becomes dominant in family relations.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
121345
URI
Datum izdavanja:
21.7.1964.
Posjeta: 1.530 *