What is family life like in Mongolia?
Family Structure Mongolians, unlike the settled agriculturalists to the south, have never valued complex extended families, and in the 1980s most lived in nuclear families composed of a married couple, their children, and perhaps a widowed parent.
What is a Mongolian family?
A typical Mongolian family consists of the parents and their children. When the son gets married he usually lives in a separate home close to his parents. Both nuclear and extended families are common. Extended families are usually comprised of groupings of related men and their wives and children.
What was the traditional Mongolian way of life?
The Mongolian pastoral nomads relied on their animals for survival and moved their habitat several times a year in search of water and grass for their herds. Their lifestyle was precarious, as their constant migrations prevented them from transporting reserves of food or other necessities.
What do Mongolian children do?
Children have traditionally taken a lot of responsibility at a young age. They learned to ride about the same time they learned to walk and began tending flocks and herding sheep and goats when they were five or six.
Why is family so important in Mongolian culture?
So important, in fact, that the family is the base of Mongolian culture. Several Confucian thoughts are based around family. For example, three of the five important relationships are husband and wife, elder and younger siblings and brothers. To really understand the importance of family you need to examine the different relationships.
What kind of people are there in Mongolia?
Despite the small population size of Mongolia, the country is filled with a whole mix of ethnicities, and the Mongolian people are a diverse and incredibly interesting bunch. If you do have a guide or are fortunate enough to have a family that speaks English, some amazing conversations about customs take place.
What was the traditional religion of Inner Mongolia?
In Inner Mongolia, traditional religion was heavily affected by the Cultural Revolution. Since the 1990s, a number of Christian sects are trying to gain a foothold in Mongolia. About 4% of the Mongolian population is Muslim . Mongolians traditionally were afraid of misfortunes and believe in good and bad omens.
How did the Cultural Revolution affect the culture of Mongolia?
After the Stalinist purges in the 1930s, both Buddhism and Shamanism were virtually outlawed in the Mongolian People’s Republic. In Inner Mongolia, traditional religion was heavily affected by the Cultural Revolution. Since the 1990s, a number of Christian sects are trying to gain a foothold in Mongolia.