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Dominican Family Values

Decent Essays

It’s no doubt that culture and family values play a significant role in the self-discovery process. Often times, these social constructs can influence goals, beliefs and values. Life as a Dominican is one that is built on strong family value, religion, morality and work ethic. Growing up in a Dominican family, I can remember my parents instilling strong moral values such as being honest and respecting one another while emphasizing the need for hard work and education. Much of my outlook on life can be attributed to the Dominican values of family, discipline and values taught to me throughout my childhood and adolescence.
Family Structure
Family structure in the Dominican Republic is shaped very traditional in views and gender roles. Typically, men are held in high reverence within the home while women take on supporting roles. Men often hold the title of “head-of-household” while women hold domestic roles such a taking care of the household and rearing children (Howard, 1997; Vazquez, 2005). Children are often taught to respect their elders and to be obedient. As parents, Dominicans tend to be very protective of their children and typically demand strict compliance (Vazquez, 2005, p. 223). Even though the expected roles of husband, wife and children follow common structures of the traditional household, the typical family is far from nuclear. Household are typically compound consisting of grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins (Vasquez, 2005, p. 217). Families are

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