The Mongolia Life Cycle Sociology Essay

The Mongolia Life Cycle Sociology Essay Mongolias population of 2.8 million is growing annually by 1.5 percent. One-third of Mongolians live in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Approximately one-fourth live in smaller cities, especially Darhan, Erdenet, and Choybalsan. The rest of the population is spread throughout rural Mongolia. Most of these inhabitants are nomadic herders. With rural conditions increasingly harsh, more people are moving to cities-a trend that threatens the survival of traditional nomadic society. Reform has allowed freedom of religion, and more than one hundred monasteries have reopened. Many young Mongolians are receiving an education through these traditional centers of learning, and people are once again able to practice cherished traditions. Boys are increasingly applying to become monks, and Buddhism is rapidly regaining its popularity. Kazakh Muslims (about 4 percent) are free to practice Islam. Christianity is gaining influence. Urban wedding ceremonies take place in wedding palaces. Afterward, many couples now go to a Buddhist monk to receive a blessing or have their future predicted. A large feast treats as many relatives and friends as the new couples families can afford to feed. In rural areas, common-law marriages are typical. Rural couples receive a ger from the husbands family. Mongolian families traditionally exchange gifts in conjunction with a wedding. The grooms family usually gives livestock, while the brides family offers jewelry and clothing. (Culture Grams) National culture-including societal organization, governance, land management, cultural customs, and material culture-was largely shaped by the nomadic pastoral lifestyle. The legacy of Genghis Khans empire is a rallying point for Mongol nationalist pride today. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html Lamaism, the Tibetan form of Buddhism, entered the Mongolian society in the sixteenth century. It had a strong impact on the Mongolian culture for centuries. Mongols sought the counsel and help of the lama (priest or monk) for every aspect of their life: migration, marriage, childbirth, disease, and death. Since 1949, Lamaist beliefs and practices have decreased drastically. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html After the fall of communism, Mongolia witnessed a religious revival and more and more people sought comfort from spiritual activities. Despite being unfamiliar with religious ceremonies and prayers, people flocked to temples for religious services and many families began to send one of their children to join the monkhood. The devout also contribute money to the temples and invite the Lamas to their homes for lavish feasts. (REL) Due to Mongolias small population, women are a vitally important part of the workforce. Men and women have an equal place in the Mongolian economy and this equality carries over into the home. Women still tend to do more than half the housework and play the primary role in supporting the family, but the role of the Mongolian woman is undergoing rapid change. (WIC) People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mongolia Top of Page Population: 2,832,224 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.9% (male 402,448/female 387,059) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 967,546/female 969,389) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,859/female 59,923) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 24.6 years male: 24.3 years female: 25 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.46% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 21.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 52.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.89 years male: 62.64 years female: 67.25 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.25 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500 (2003 est) HIV/AIDS deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Mongolian(s) adjective: Mongolian Ethnic groups: Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000) Religions: Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4% (2004) Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% male: 98% female: 97.5% (2002) https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mg.html#People Birth http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/traditions.htm (Birthday Celebration) http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ (Birth % of Skilled attendant at Delivery) http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/global_monitoring/data.html (Birth % of Skilled attendant at Delivery) http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm (Abortion) How is birth viewed in the culture? Fertility is important in Mongolian society, so childless women usually experience social stigma. (WIC) Are there any customs regarding the way newborns should be swaddled, whether they stay in the house, carried around in public, etc.? Are babies normally birthed in hospitals or at home? Is there a preference for doctors or midwives? Skilled attendant at delivery (%), 1997-2005* 97 http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/mongolia_statistics.html More than 95 percent of all pregnant Mongolian women receive ante-natal care. As of 2004, the maternal mortality rate was 98 deaths per 100,000 live births. Estimated infant mortality rates for 2006 are 52 per 1,000. (WIC) Are there any formalities/celebrations in the culture regarding newborns? Among Buddhists there are many naming ceremonies.   In some traditions, children are named between the ages of three and eight.   After children are born, their parents have their Kikas drawn up.   The Kika is a very specific horoscope which many Buddhists believe determines all aspects of a persons life including marriage and death.   At the naming ceremony, a rimpoche, or Buddhist holy person, looks carefully at the childs Kika and selects a name which reflects the traits and predictions described in the Kika.   After cutting a strand of the childs hair, the rimpoche announces the childs name. http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:ybpfeaiYiCUJ:rainbowwarrior.coa.edu/laura/ceremony/religiuosceremony.htm+Buddhist+naming+ceremonieshl=engl=inct=clnkcd=1 How are birthdays celebrated in the culture? Are they important events? How does the culture view abortion? Abortions are legal in Mongolia and available on request. (WIC) ABORTION POLICY Grounds on which abortion is permitted: To save the life of the woman Yes To preserve physical health Yes To preserve mental health Yes Rape or incest Yes Foetal impairment Yes Economic or social reasons Yes Available on request Yes Additional requirements: An abortion can be performed during the first three months of pregnancy and later if the pregnant woman suffers from an illness seriously threatening her health. Approval of the family or of the spouse is required. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONTEXT Government view on fertility level: No official position Government intervention concerning fertility level: No intervention Government policy on contraceptive use: Direct support provided Percentage of currently married women using modern contraception (15-49*,1994): 25 Total fertility rate (1995-2000): 2.6 Age-specific fertility rate (per 1,000 women aged 15-19, 1995-2000): 47 Government has expressed particular concern about: Morbidity and mortality resulting from induced abortion No Complications of childbearing and childbirth Yes Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births, 1990): National 65 Eastern Asia 95 Female life expectancy at birth (1995-2000): 67.3 For all women of ages specified. BACKGROUND Under the Mongolian Criminal Code of 6 July 1960, abortion was generally illegal. If it was performed by a physician, it was punishable by up to two years imprisonment. If it was performed by a person lacking the highest medical qualifications, or if performed under unsanitary conditions, the punishment was increased to up to five years imprisonment. Nonetheless, under general criminal law principles of necessity, an abortion could be performed to save the life of the pregnant woman. In 1986, the abortion provisions of the Code were amended. Although abortion is in general still considered a serious offence, the Code authorized medical authorities to establish the conditions for the performance of legal abortions. Three years later in 1989, the health law was amended to reflect this change. Paragraph 56 of the Code was modified to provide that becoming a mother was a matter of a womans own decision. During the first three months of pregnancy she could obtain an abortion on request and, later in pregnancy, when necessary due to illness. Abortions were to be performed by physicians under hospital conditions, and the Ministry of Health was to approve a list of illnesses justifying the performance of an abortion on medical grounds. The health law was revised in 1998 but its provisions on abortion remained the same. The 1996 National Population Policy of Mongolia adopted by Parliament stated that abortion should not be promoted as a means of family planning. The Government considers the abortion rate to be too high. The Government also reiterated in 1999 that abortion is generally permitted if a pregnant woman requests it and that abortion is publicly subsidized. Prior to these amendments to the law enacted in the late 1980s, legal provisions governing abortion in Mongolia echoed the pronatalist population policy of the Government. In responding to the Eighth United Nations Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development, the Government indicated no position on the fertility level and no policy to modify it. The Government remains seriously concerned over the high levels of infant, child and maternal mortality. The Government has attributed the relatively high abortion rate, 25.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, to shortages of modern contraceptives, as well as to a lack of knowledge concerning contraceptive use. Many women choose to have abortions carried out illegally by private physicians because of cheaper costs. Induced abortion accounts for a large percentage of maternal mortality in Mongolia, causing at least 850 maternal deaths each year. The Government seeks to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate to more than 50 per cent by 2001. The National Reproductive Health Programme was adopted in 1997. The Government reports that, since the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1984, successful steps have been undertaken to ensure access of women to reproductive health-care services. Each provincial centre and some district cities have established reproductive health cabinets attached to the local public health centres. These cabinets provide services such as counselling, and pregnancy monitoring and evaluation. A National Adolescent Health Programme was adopted in 1997. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm Childhood http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.right-to-education.org/content/age/armenia.html http://www.cohre.org/get_attachment.php?attachment_id=3069 (Sub-Saharan Africa Rights of Women http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life What is a normal childhood in the culture? Are children raised by their parents or grandparents? What role do grandparents and extended family members play in the raising of a child? Attitudes about child rearing are generally quite relaxed and all family members participate in the supervision and moral education of children. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html What are normal childhood activities in the culture? Are children revered or just another piece of the population? Are male children valued more? At what age do children begin school? Offices are generally open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Shops are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Grocery stores have the same hours as shops but often are open on Sunday. A large open market featuring consumer goods, rural crafts, and assorted items operates several days a week on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. (Culture Grams) Are children expected to contribute to household income? How is child labor viewed in the society? Coming of Age http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life What marks a childs coming of age in this culture? At what age do children normally come of age? Are there certain rites or celebrations that mark coming of age? What is expected of youth in this phase of life? Are there certain difficulties experienced by this age group? At what age are children expected to work contribute to the maintenance of the family? Dating Courtship http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://kinseyinstitute.org/ccies/ (Sexuality ) http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/IES/ (Sexuality) http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life What are the general attitudes about dating in the culture? Dating is fairly common. (WIC) Dating between schoolmates and coworkers commonly leads to marriage. (Culture Grams) Is there are distinction between courtship and dating in the culture? At what age do people generally start dating? How do men and women meet each other? Mongolian women usually meet men at schools, in the workplace, and at social gatherings. (WIC) If dating is not customary, describe how people get together for marriage? Is it arranged? If marriages are arranged, talk about how. What are the rituals around it (classified ads, matchmakers, astrology, etc.). If marriages are arranged, what are the factors in finding a suitable mate? Are chaperones customary? If so, who serves as the chaperone? Are there popular venues for dating? Does a man or woman pay for dating expenses? Describe a typical dating experience. How long do people generally date before they get married? Generally speaking in the culture, what are considered desirable attributes in a man? Generally speaking in the culture, what are considered desirable attributes in a woman? Does religion play a role in dating? What are taboos of dating in the culture? Is sex in dating common or taboo? What is the view of pre-marital sex? If premarital sex is common, is birth control promoted, practiced, or taboo? Is cross-cultural dating or cross-religious dating allowed or encouraged? Do people date outside their social, economic, education, religious, and ethnic categories? How important are parents/family approval for dating? How does a proposal for marriage occur? Arranged marriages are traditional in Mongolia, but for the last century, young Mongolians have become increasingly free to choose their own partners with minimal parental involvement. They normally marry within their own tribes. (WIC) Marriage http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/asian_traditions.html (Wedding Celebration) http://www.myhappylove.com/lyrics/wedding-traditions.html (Wedding Celebration) http://www.right-to-education.org/content/age/armenia.html (Minimum Schooling / Marriage / Employment Age ) http://www.coe.int/t/e/social_cohesion/population/demographic_year_book/2003_edition/04%20country%20data/ ( Population/Marriage/ Divorce/ Fertility) http://www.cohre.org/get_attachment.php?attachment_id=3069 (Sub-Saharan Africa Rights of Women http://kinseyinstitute.org/ccies/ (Sexuality) http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/IES/ (Sexuality) http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/reports.htm (For the status of women rights) http://www.international-divorce.com/ (Divorce Custody) http://www.aupairinamerica.com/hostfamilies/culturequest_index.htm Is marriage considered a sacred/spiritual act or simply a legal act in the culture? At what age do people normally get married? The legal marriage age for Mongolian women is 18, but most women marry in their early to mid twenties. (WIC) Mongolians usually marry between the ages of 18 and 25. (Culture Grams) Does hierarchy in the family play a role in who is able to get married or who gets married first? How are marriages celebrated? What are the rituals associated with the marriage ceremony? A custom of denying entrance on marrying has been common among the nomadic and seminomadic Mongols. The bridegroom, accompanied by relatives, rides to the brides yurt (house). He finds the door slammed in his face. After repeated requests, the door is finally opened. He presents a hada (ceremonial silk scarf) to his parents-in-law on entering and is given a banquet with a whole lamb. After the meal, the bride sits with her back to the others. The bridegroom kneels behind her and asks what her nickname was in childhood. He drinks at her house all night long. The following day, the bride leaves the yurt first. She circles the yurt on horseback three times, then speeds along to the bride-grooms house. The bridegroom and his relatives ride after her. The door is also slammed in her face and is only opened after repeated requests. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html Urban wedding ceremonies take place in wedding palaces. Afterward, many couples now go to a Buddhist monk to receive a blessing or have their future predicted. A large feast treats as many relatives and friends as the new couples families can afford to feed. In rural areas, common-law marriages are typical. Rural couples receive a ger from the husbands family. Mongolian families traditionally exchange gifts in conjunction with a wedding. The grooms family usually gives livestock, while the brides family offers jewelry and clothing. (Culture Grams) The wedding day is begun at a local temple where the couple separately asks for the blessings of Buddha. Both bride and groom are then dressed in outfits traditional to their region. At the mutually auspicious astrologically designated wedding time, the bride and groom are individually taken to the shrine room of their local temple or a hall hired for the occasion. Here, the couple sees each other for the first time on that day. Spiritual Buddhist wedding traditions dont necessarily require the presence of monks or the use of a temples shrine room. For these traditions, the wedding location would be equipped with a shrine to Buddha featuring candles, flowers, incense and a statue or image of Buddha. The ceremony begins as the entire assembly recites the Vandana, Tisarana and Pancasila readings. The couple then lights the candles and incense sticks surrounding Buddhas image and offers him the flowers within the shrine. Because of the secularity of Buddhist weddings, there is no assigned set of marriage vows. However, the bride and groom will recite their expected undertakings using the Sigilovdda Sutta as a guide. The Sigiloydda Sutta says: In five ways should a wife, as Western quarter, be ministered to by her husband: by respect, by courtesy, by faithfulness, by handing over authority to her, by providing her with ornaments. In these five ways does the wife minister to by her husband as the Western quarter, love him: her duties are well-performed by hospitality to kin of both, by faithfulness, by watching over the goods he brings and by skill and industry in discharging all business. After these vows are spoken, the bride and groom can exchange rings. If monks are present, the marriage vows will be both preceded and proceeded by their chanting. After the Wedding Once officially married, the couple receives their guests with the huge feast and decorations prepared in the previous days to the wedding. http://www.urbandharma.org/udnl2/nl021004.html Finally, the assembly or perhaps the parents only, should recite the Mangala Sutta and Jayamangala Gatha as a blessing. http://www.buddhanet.net/funeral.htm What are the cultural expectations of marriage? Do men and women have equal say in their marriages? What are the typical roles of the man and woman in marriage? How much do parents or in-laws have to say about their offsprings marriage? What degree of involvement do they generally have? Where do couples normally residein their own place, with parents, etc.? The sons, after marrying, move out of their parents home. However, they live nearby and may travel with their parents in search of new pastures. In seminomadic districts, families often include parents, sons, and daughters-in-law. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html Are affairs common? Are they culturally accepted? Are men or women allowed to have multiple spouses? Mongolian traditional society allowed polygamy as long as the husband could provide for each wife. However, polygamy was legally banned some time ago and is no longer practiced. (WIC) Do laws equally protect the rights of individuals in a marriage? How are anniversaries celebrated in the culture? Is divorce legal or acceptable in the culture? Under what circumstances is it acceptable to divorce? What is the process in the event of a divorce? Mongolian women could initiate divorce and remarry afterwards. In such cases the new husbands usually accepted a divorced woman along with her children, as acquiring a ready-made family was believed to indicate an existing spiritual connection. (WIC) Do women retain any rights? What happens to children of a divorce? A Mongolian woman can initiate divorce. In most divorce cases, the mothers get custody of minor children. (WIC) Is remarriage for widows condoned in the society? Family Parenting http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.cohre.org/get_attachment.php?attachment_id=3069 (Sub-Saharan Africa Rights of Women http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life http://www.unece.org/stats/trend/ (Population/ Families households/ Employment/ Housing) http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html (Family) http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/reports.htm (For the status of women rights) http://www.international-divorce.com/ (Divorce Custody) What does the family unit in a home look like? (i.e. 2 parents, children? Parents, children, all relatives?, etc.) Is there an imposed or cultural idea about how many children are the right amount for a family? What is the typical family size? Nomadic extended families often live in a camp of several gers. Husbands take care of herding and slaughtering, while wives handle milking and food preparation. Older children care for younger siblings. Urban families live either in high-rise apartments or in a ger, with its surrounding fence and storage shed. A ger in or near a city will have electricity but not heat or water. Due to a housing shortage, three generations must often share a small apartment; parents sleep in the living room and children and grandparents in the bedrooms. Urban families have one or two children. Both parents generally work outside the home. Networks of family reciprocity are an important means of support. For example, rural relatives may supply their city relatives with meat and dairy products, and the urban dwellers may reciprocate by taking one or more of the rural familys children to live with them in the city so they may receive a better education. (Culture Grams) Traditionally, families were the main unit of production in this herding society. The kinship system was patrilineal and sons generally established households in a common camp with their fathers. Several generations of families customarily live together in a nomadic camp known as a khot ail (group of tents) and share herding tasks. This camp, generally consisting of two to seven households, serves as a way of pooling labor for herding and has numerous social and ritual functions. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html A Mongolian family generally consists of a husband, a wife, and their young children. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html How central are children to the family? What are the general reasons for having children? Children have always been treasured in Mongolian culture, and large families were historically the norm. Large families were considered desirable because many children ensured extra help and security in old age. Although family size is changing today, the country is still so sparsely populated that some people still believe it is advantageous to have as many Mongolians as possible. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html How important is birth or gender order? Is there a family hierarchy or cultural custom in terms of childbearing (i.e. the youngest child of a family may not have children until the eldest has had them, etc.) What is the expectation or role of each parent after the birth of the child? Who is the head of the household? Mongolian women traditionally held a higher social status than women in many Asian cultures. Still, a womans primary role was as a homemaker. (WIC) The father is head of the family, but the mother is responsible for household affairs. (Culture Grams) Who makes the chief decisions for the family? The Mongols are monogamous. The family is dominated by the man, but herders usually consult their wives about major decisions. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html Traditionally, Mongolia has always been a patriarchal society. Mongolian proverbs such as If a husband does not beat his wife once a month, he is not a man Today, Mongolian men often maintain the appearance that they are the family decision-makers, even if their wives actually make the decisions. However, the number of single-parent families headed by women is growing in Mongolia. (WIC) Who earns the income? Who customarily manages the household? (Mother, Father, Grandparent?) Describe typical family life? (daily routines) What are the roles of the children (up to 10 yrs.)? What are the roles of adolescents (11 and up)? What are typical/favorite family activities? Urban wedding ceremonies take place in wedding palaces. Afterward, many couples now go to a Buddhist monk to receive a blessing or have their future predicted. A large feast treats as many relatives and friends as the new couples families can afford to feed. In rural areas, common-law marriages are typical. Rural couples receive a ger from the husbands family. Mongolian families traditionally exchange gifts in conjunction with a wedding. The grooms family usually gives livestock, while the brides family offers jewelry and clothing. (Culture Grams) Is meal sharing with the family typical/mandatory? Dinner is considered the main meal of the day. The whole family generally eats dinner together. (Culture Grams) Is divorce common? Today, divorce is relatively rare in Mongolia. In most divorces, mothers receive the custody of children and are entitled to child support and alimony. (WIC) With whom to the children go if there is a divorce? What cultural expectations are there in terms of duty to parents?. What or how much do children owe their parents in adulthood? Does hierarchy/economics/education/or other play a role in terms of which child has more responsibilities or duty requirements? (i.e. in Japan/Korea, etc.) Most Mongolians live in nuclear families, tho