Family honor
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Family honor (or honour) is an abstract concept involving the perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects the social standing and the self-evaluation of a group of related people, both corporately and individually. The
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
is viewed as the main source of
honor Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
, and the community highly values the relationship between honor and the family. The conduct of family members reflects upon family honor and the way the family perceives itself and is perceived by others. Family honor can be dependent upon many factors. Areas that are affected by family honor include multiple aspects of
lifestyle Lifestyle often refers to: * Lifestyle (sociology), the way a person lives * ''Otium'', ancient Roman concept of a lifestyle * Style of life (german: Lebensstil, link=no), dealing with the dynamics of personality Lifestyle may also refer to: Bu ...
such as social status,
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
,
clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
, eating,
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
, job or
career The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defi ...
, ownership such as
real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
, and
marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
. People who live in cultures of
honor Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
perceive family as the central institution in their society, and a person's social identity depends largely on their family. Therefore, it is important for these individuals to fulfill expectations of family and society in order to be accepted by their family and experience feelings of belonging to this central institution that they are tied to through birth or marriage. In some cultures, maintaining family honor is perceived as more important than either individual freedom or individual achievement. The ideology and practice of family honor varies from country to country. Individuals of certain cultures are often unaware or discerning in their understanding of differing cultural traditions. Many fail to grasp the concept of honor as the basis for traditions such as defending one's honor or their family's. Some cultures value family honor more than others. Many times a family's honor may overpower the actions or beliefs of the individual. However, a theme that is common within many traditions is the respecting of elders. Children of the family are to respect their elders who have earned what some call a "badge of 'honor'" representative of their age. Once an individual has lived many years, they have earned this badge of honor and should be shown respect, teaching their young the cultural traditions that have deemed them honorable.


History

An individual is considered as honorable based on his/her behaviors and characteristics he or she displays that the society deems to be worthy of honor. In addition, honor also entails the aspect of how high of a position an individual holds in relation to the group and how much he or she is respected by others. One of the ideals of family honor is social class. Social class can be defined as a group of people categorized into a hierarchy based on the amount of money they have accumulated, how much education they have received, and the amount of power they hold within society, amongst other variables. People who play similar roles within society tend to have similar outlooks. Social standing affects the way in which families form. It determines how and who a person mates with, how they raise their children, and how people relate to one another. Historically, honor is a quality ascribed to an individual in two ways: either by obtaining it through his or her birth into an honorable family or being assigned as honorable by powerful people who hold higher status in the society. An individual's parental lineage, is the traditional source for his or her honor. Because honor is passed through paternal lineage in most patrilineal cultures, these societies historically considered having sons as a source of pride and honor. For example, in the Moroccan culture, it is still a preference among women to have sons instead of daughters.
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
is a typical patrilineal society in which the son has a more important function for the family such as the son supports his parents once they have aged compared to the daughter who will marry into a different group becoming a loss to the family. In such societies men also hold more sexual rights compared to women besides the supportive role men obtain from caring for their aging parents. Females in these societies are perceived as threats to family honor. Within cultures, honor is an important and highly esteemed theme. It can be maintained through living up to one's word and promises, providing for the family, and keeping a certain social status. Honor can be affected by both men and women through ways in which a man heightens his family's honorable status, and a woman can shame her family through disapproved actions. Ensuing constant pressure to uphold her family's honor, a woman can suffer psychological and social damage.


Gender roles

The different effects honor instills upon men and women can be seen in the ancient world, where women and men played contrasting roles in society. Men displayed their honorable roles in public while women were restricted to the limitations of their households. While in public, women were required to avoid conversations with estranged men while only visiting places frequented by women. In the present Islamic culture, men hold a higher social status, but they also carry more responsibility in caring and providing for their family. If a man is single or childless his place in society does not waver or become lower. A woman should have a family whom she stays faithful to and respectful towards at all times. A man's actions will not greatly affect or hurt his family's standing like a woman's actions would. Women are perceived as vulnerable individuals who must be kept safe at all times. This aspect of a woman's characterization comes from her fertility and role within her family. Societies in which "family honor" is considered highly important generally place a correspondingly high degree of restriction of the freedom of women. In these cultures, a family may defend its honor, or may seek reparation or revenge if the family honor is perceived to have been abused or treated with disrespect. In
Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
, sexual activity of married women outside of their marriage was seen as dishonor to the family and it was legal for men to kill their wives or married daughters that shamed the family through adultery. Reasoning for the designation of women to private and/or nonmale areas comes from the ancient tradition of a woman's place in the world. Women are not seen as independent individuals, but rather extensions of their male counterparts' identity and honor.


Family honor within society

Because the approval of honor is dependent upon the recognition of others, during ancient times individuals worked hard for the approval of their peers within their societal cultures. This meant that individuals were more likely to behave like their honorable counterparts. Groups reinforced what it meant to be honorable through various expected behaviors and goals placed amongst individual members. This discouraged members from any negative activity that may have adversely affected a group or family's honor. In the event that the leader of the group promoted actions that did not appear to be honorable on a larger societal scale, the leader then offered some explanation defending their actions which lead to the preservation of what they defined as honor and their traditions forever. In
Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
, chastity and loyalty of members of a family was an important factor contributing to family honor in addition to social standing and accomplishments of that family. For example, if a married woman committed
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
, her father had the legal right to kill her whereas her husband was required to divorce her. If the husband chose not to divorce his wife, he would jeopardize his honor and be labeled as a pimp.


In opposition to freedom

In some cultures with strong principles of family honor, offspring are not free to choose a partner for themselves but may instead be expected to enter into an arranged marriage or if the offspring resists, into a
forced marriage Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent if one or both are later force ...
or
child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a mal ...
. The use of violence may be collective in its character, where many relatives act together. Males and females in this type of honor culture may act as either persecutors and the oppressed, for instance a son in a family may be forced to enter into an arranged marriage by his older relatives while controlling his sisters.


Family honor within different cultures

Honor cultures exist throughout the world but are more common among peoples from regions stretching from North Africa via the Middle East,
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
and to the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
. Examples of these countries are
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, Eritrea,
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
,
Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages ...
,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
, Palestine,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
and
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.


Middle East and Africa

The aspects of family honor mentioned above differ throughout varying cultures and countries. Family honor in the Bedouin and other Middle Eastern cultures consists of interdependent forms of ird and sharaf. Ird is the honor of a woman she is born with which involves her chastity and continence whereas sharaf is the honor code for men which depends on ird of women in the family. Due to its connection to ird, sharaf includes protecting ird of the family members. The adherence to these gender-specific honor codes is important to keep the respectability and sexual honors of the family, particularly men, known as namus. For example, the sexual relationships of a girl are seen in these societies to make her impure and of lesser value, which affects her eligibility for marriage. Public knowledge and gossip about sexual impurity or adultery are proposed to be the main reasons that loss of family honor can bring shame to the family. Preservation of family honor is not only important for respectability of family members in society but also affects the fate of all family members. To protect family honor and dignity, families may resort in killing the woman who is involved in the dishonorable act. In an associated context, to protect the purity and chastity of young girls, families may decide to practice female genital mutilation, a practice that removes or damages female genital organs to assure that sex will not be pleasurable. A mutilated woman is changed so that she has no desire to engage in sexual activity that may undermine the family's honor. An example of this can be seen in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
, Africa where young girls are mutilated every year. The number of girls mutilated in Africa per year has risen to 3 million. Rugiatu Turay, founder of the Amazonian Initiative Movement, protects young girls from being circumcised by other women in secret societies like Sande and other female practitioners who still engage in the ceremonial tradition today. Girls as young as the age of five assist in the mutilation of other young girls in the country. At the age of 12, Turay was snatched by female family members, held down and had her clitoris cut off with a knife. She was beaten, forced to walk, and had hot pepper water poured in her eyes. As she was mutilated, the women sang, danced, and clap ceremoniously. According to these women, Turay had become a woman. However, females are generally mutilated under the age of 15. Girls who are trained to assist in this ceremony are trained as young as five years old. Turay has convinced 400 practitioners to stop the practice of female mutilation, but 97 million females have been mutilated within the country and the numbers remain constant, even increasing. The practice has been enforced by politicians within the country and locals refer to the practice as a ceremony that initiates womanhood, prepares females for marriage, and restricts their sexual conduct.


Turkey

Family honor is a highly valued concept known as namus in
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
and it is linked to female modesty, chastity, and family reputation among other families, as well as loyalty. An ideology of preserving family honor is deeply rooted is society and is not affected by high levels of education. Many women in Turkey are well educated but still are expected to be modest and sexually pure in order to preserve the honor of their families. If a family's honor is breached, it brings shame to the entire family. In such cases, traditionally the family would decide the fate of the female that brought shame. This might involve forcing the young woman into a shotgun wedding, while in extreme cases a young male in the family was given the duty to cleanse the family name through an honor killing. With recent changes to criminal law that removed reduced sentences for honor killings, females that brought shame to the family are sometimes forced to commit honor suicides by their families, especially in the predominantly Kurdish South-East regions, a region that greatly values traditions. Families who do not want their sons to face possible incrimination have encouraged their daughters to commit suicide. The number of female suicides over the years has increased greatly. Stories have surfaced revealing girls who are given tools with which to kill themselves such as rope to hang themselves, poisons to drink, or a gun to shoot themselves. Some murders have also been disguised as suicides in order to protect family members. Female family members are not the only ones that may be punished to preserve family honor. It is proposed that the death of a male homosexual physics student, Ahmet Yildiz, was an honor killing. Members of the Republican People Party have stated that in the six months preceding Hatice Firat's death a woman had been killed every day because of domestic violence.


South Asia

Similar to the South African and Turkish culture, family is a central value for Asian societies. Asian families are usually multi-generational, patriarchal and self-sufficient structures strongly bound to traditions. For instance, in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
touching feet of relatives and elderly is a ritual to express respect and submission. However, family honor entails different components depending on the continental region. For example, family honor is strongly linked to female chastity in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in a similar fashion to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean societies. Whereas men threaten family honor by extreme actions such as murder and addiction, females may dishonor family by leaving the house too often or having unnecessary conversations with men. Sikh women need to be modest and reserved to be considered honorable; even rape is seen as a major insult to family honor. Cultures near the Middle East also consider involuntary sexual assaults dishonorable and shameful.


East Asia

Contrastingly in other Asian cultures, especially for families in South Asia and the Far East, family honor depends on other factors such as education. Academic success of a student is seen as a source of pride and honor for the Asian family. Therefore, both the Asian student and the parents work hard to avoid academic failure which brings shame to the family. In the past, honor in East Asia was also linked to success in the battlefield. In Japan, for example, ritualized suicide practices such as
harakiri , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...
were committed by Japanese
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
for centuries in the event of a defeat in battle. Instead of being captured or living with the shame of defeat, harakiri was committed in order to preserve the honor of their families.


Europe

In Europe, similar to traditional practices in South Africa, honor relates to different concepts depending on the geographic area; whereas honor is strongly linked to family reputation in the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
countries, in Northern Europe it has a more individualized meaning that is focused on personal accomplishments and qualities. Similar to gender-specific family honor codes in the Middle East, Mediterranean nations also traditionally exhibit such codes; women are seen as honorable by their chastity whereas men are seen as honorable by their productivity, toughness, and by protecting the honor of the women. In Italy, infidelity of women was seen dishonorable, thus crimes of passion were classified as second-degree murders until the 1970s. Although Western and Northern European nations traditionally have a more individualistic approach to honor, there have been an increase in
honor killings An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...
or crimes of passion within their borders by immigrant populations residing in these countries. The European culture also served as a basis for American traditions of honor as well. In mainly Muslim
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, the impact on family honor of admitting one has been raped, has discouraged some women from applying for compensation as victims of atrocities committed during the 1998–99 war with Serbia.


Denmark

In Denmark, the migration authority published that 24% of immigrants of non-Western heritage and their offspring of ages 18–29 were limited in their choice of partner by their relatives. The report showed a higher incidence for women than men and in areas with high concentrations of migrants, 59% were limited in choice of partner. Of migrant women who lived in high-concentration areas, fewer of those in education or employment were limited. Of migrant women who live in areas with a low share of migrants, 22% were limited in partner choice. It was also shown that migrant youth are more limited if their social circles only comprises other migrants when it came to choosing a partner.


Norway

In 2018, an investigation into court cases involving domestic violence against children showed that 47% of the cases involved parents who were both born abroad. According to a researcher at Norwegian Police University College the over-representation was due to cultural (honor culture) and legal differences in Norway and foreign countries.


Sweden

The
Swedish National Police Board The Swedish National Police Board ( sv, Rikspolisstyrelsen, RPS) was the central administrative authority for the police in Sweden from 1 January 1965 to 1 January 2015, when the Swedish Police Authority was established. The Swedish police used t ...
and the Swedish Prosecution Authority define honor related crime as crimes against a relative who, according to the perpetrator and his family's point of view has dishonoured the family honor. These crimes are intended to prevent the family honor being damaged or to restore damaged or lost family honor. The most serious honor related crime is often organised and deliberate. Incidents include torture, forced suicides, forced marriages, rapes, kidnapping, assault, mortal threats, extortion and protecting a criminal. In a 2009 study by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF), about 70 000 individuals of ages 16–25 stated they could not freely choose whom to marry. The MUCF report is limited to people aged 16–25 and for instance excludes adult women who wish to divorce but are threatened with violence due to family honor. Women in such situations face a greater threat as they are persecuted by both their own extended family and that of the husband. Some women's shelters report that nearly all women who seek refuge with them are fleeing honor based violence. In 2012, the county administrative board of Östergötland got a mandate to coordinate efforts against honor culture-based violence and persecution. According to an investigation of 3000 cases by newspaper Göteborgsposten, the most common scenario are girls being supervised and banned from being outside the home after school hours, who are forced to wear an Islamic veil and girls risking a forced marriage. About 80% of the child victims have been physically abused, most frequently with bare hands but also being beaten with belts or cables. In several cases the children have been burned with kitchen utensils or metal objects. In a 2018 interview, researcher Astrid Schlytter stated that polls had shown that a third of all girls with two foreign-born parents faced restrictions in school, are forbidden to have a boyfriend and must be a virgin when they marry and they are not allowed to choose whom they marry. Using patterns of behaviour observed in Denmark, Norway and the UK, Schlytter estimated that there were 240.000 youth suffer under an honour culture (Swedish: ''hedersförtryck'').


United Kingdom

In the UK, honor crimes include forced marriage and female genital mutilation and honour based crimes disproportionally affect women from ethnic minorities. The number of honor crimes reported to police increased from 3335 in 2014 to 5595 in 2015, an increase of 68%, before a slight drop to 5105 in 2016. Figures published by the
Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal advi ...
showed that 256 crimes were referred to the CPS by police in 2016–17, about 5% of the cases reported. Of the 256 referrals, 215 lead to prosecutions which resulted in 122 convictions.


North America


United States

According to the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...
in 2015 there were about 23–27 honor killings per year in the previous decade in the country.


=The Old South

= The
Old South Geographically, the U.S. states known as the Old South are those in the Southern United States that were among the original Thirteen Colonies. The region term is differentiated from the Deep South and Upper South. From a cultural and social ...
took honor particularly seriously. Southerners in the Old South held themselves to their own sets of social codes. An affront to a Southerner's honor, if serious enough, was resolved by a duel.
Dueling A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and la ...
was originally a European custom, later adopted by the United States. Dueling was not technically legal in the United States, but it was difficult to enforce the laws written against it, especially in the Old South. Usually only men engaged in duels; their opponents were men they perceived to be equals. Public opinion for dueling varied: some thought it was a barbaric and backwards custom, while others believed it was a perfectly legitimate way of dealing with affronts to honor.


Hispanic countries and culture

Looking at the
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
community, similar to many of the countries mentioned above, elders are seen as wise and are to be shown respect from other family members. Family members turn to elders for help regularly, and when a family member falls ill wisdom on what should be done to care for the ill family member is searched for within the elders of the family. Men are the dominant figures within their households and embody a decisive, authoritative role. Contrary to popular belief, women hold as much weight within their homes as their husbands. They are the matriarchs of the family, and the family's health and stability relies on the mother. Although they need to be protected, women are cherished within their families as important figures. Hispanic families strongly display their emotions towards one another. Family members show that they care and love one another through taking care of each other. They search for reinforcement and support within their own homes more often than they would in today's society. The Hispanic culture has what is called Curanderismo. This is a system in which families consult the help of a religious figure called a curandero who gives medical, psychological, and social advice. Families make offerings unto the curandero such as money, candle lighting, creating metal or wooden offerings (shaped in the form of the body part in need of healing), etc. Many families believe that all personal or familial issues should be kept within the home. The Hispanic culture values modesty for all individuals including males and children in addition to females who historically, are expected to behave in a modest fashion. Family members that suffer from mental illnesses are reluctant to inform their family members of this information in fear that their family members will criticize them. In the aspect of childbirth, men are required to wait until after the mother has had birth and dressed in a decent manner to visit his wife and newborn child. Mothers typically accompany the new mother during birth. Much like the American culture, Hispanic women take time to rest after childbirth, but traditionally they returned to heavier labor jobs as opposed to jobs normally held by women within society.


Brazil

In one country in particular
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, the community attempts to divide the upper-class families who are considered honorable from the lower-class families who are seen as a threat to society in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
. The country defends family honor through the creation of different policies and laws, but this has caused great opposition. Politics has played a major in role in determining the status and meaning of what is considered to be honorable within Brazils' society.


=Honor of women in Brazil

= In the late 1800s Viveiros de Castro noted an increase in violations of female honor within Brazil at the turn of the century. Women were expanding their roles throughout society which many believed opened doors for women to be taken advantage of and seduced. Viveiros de Castro believed that women's working in factories was a threat to society and morality. Men believed that the new change in opinion amongst women contributed to this new susceptibility. Many men believed that women believed they were freer than they actually were, and because of this the actions of women led them to lose honor because of their lack of dependency on the male gender. The new century had changed the image of how women were historically perceived and portrayed. Certain individuals, a judge by the name of Nelson Hungria (quoted in Sueann Caulfield's book) specifically, labeled a woman's reserved role as the source of her honor which was lost once she branched out into society losing this reserved quality attributed to women. Because women chose to leave the traditional role of being the homemaker they lost the characterization of being innocent and some assumed they were engaging sexual activities. Michael Herzfeld, an anthropologist, argued that the idea of women losing their
chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...
derived from those who wished to explain a woman's new role within society. The idea of women expanding their roles outside of the home in society went against the ideas and morals that were upheld centuries before. In order to defend this morality, many highlighted the customs of the past as something that should have been continuously practiced and enforced even in a new modern era. Many women were subjected to sexual trials in which they were criticized for being dishonorable. Women during this time were similar to their ancestors. They engaged in practices such as sex before marriage, consenting to unions, and taking on the head role within their homes. However, these acts were perceived in an extremely contrasting manner during this period (after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
). Because of this, many were uncertain of how they should approach the act of preserving sexual honor.


=Politics and honor within Brazil

= Turning to a different aspect of society that intertwined itself with idea of honor, politics played a major role in defining honor within Brazil. The country attempted to define honor while displaying this view of honor along with the country's traditions to others around the world. In September 1920, King Albert and Queen Elisabeth made a trip to
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. This trip sparked major controversy from different parties in the country. Many believed the trip was an attempt to "Europeanize" the country. Some viewed the trip as a positive way to show off Brazil the country and its civilization. Others viewed the trip as a negative opportunity in which the culture would attempt to conform to European standards. In doing so, attempts by the upper class would be made to hide Brazil's struggle of poverty which was a main part of its society and culture at the time. With this trip the importance of honor intensified. Before the King and Queen arrived, preparing for the couple included exposing and exercising honor in a manner many believed would promote the division of social classes and international affairs. Those who were responsible for posing as advocates for their country concealed their social class under what was perceived as honorable and behaved as though they themselves were a part of an "honorable" class. One of the aspects they displayed were gender ideologies that played a crucial role in differentiating social classes from one another. Natives desired to portray the country the best way possible. In doing so, they defended their families' traditions and morals and sexual honor. Towards the end of the 1930s, the definition of honor within Brazilian society has transformed completely. In result, in 1940, a penal code derived definitions of the term honor. Sexual crimes became a breaking of not family honor but "social customs". With the Vargas regime (Dictator Getúlio Vargas who ruled from 1937–1945), came a new form or definition of honor. Many attribute the change in the meaning of honor and a devaluing of its meaning to Vargas' rule. Vargas attributed the aspect of authority to the meaning of honor. Vargas closely tied traditional Brazilian family honor with the aspect of the nation's honor. Through his regime, Vargas intended to create a hierarchy of social, authoritative classes. However, debates over class, and gender in relation to honor and the nation of Brazil continued to take place. Women continued to transform their traditional roles and these changes could not be neglected.


See also

* Blood money * Duel * Feud *
Honour Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
*
Honor codes of the Bedouin ''Sharaf'' and ''ird'' are Bedouin honor codes. Along with hospitality and courage/bravery, it is one of the Bedouin aspects of ethics.Patai, Raphael. '' The Arab Mind''. Charles Scribner's Sons: New York, 1973. Bedouin systems of justice are b ...
* Honor killing *
Izzat (honor) Izzat ( hi, इज़्ज़त; ur, ; bn, ইজ্জত) is the concept of honour prevalent in the culture of North India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It applies universally across religions (Hindu, Muslim and Sikh), communities and genders. ...
* Namus


References

{{reflist, 2, refs= {{cite journal, last=Antoun, first=Richard, title=On the Modesty of Women in Arab Muslim Villages: A Study in the Accommodation of Traditions, journal=American Anthropologist, year=1968, volume=70, issue=4, pages=671–697, doi = 10.1525/aa.1968.70.4.02a00010 , jstor=670551, doi-access=free {{cite news, title=Europe tackles 'honour killings, url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3828675.stm, publisher=BBC, access-date=18 October 2011, date=22 June 2004 {{cite book, last=Benokraitis, first=Nijole, title=Marriages and Families Census Update, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=daIAtwAACAAJ, year=2011, publisher=Pearson, pages=170–171, isbn=978-0-205-00673-1 {{cite book, title=Current opinion, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mLEGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA285, year=1890, publisher=Current Literature Pub. Co., page=285 {{cite book, author= Donna Lee Bowen, author2=Evelyn A. Early, title=Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzRX9E_-yp0C, access-date=24 October 2011, year=1993, publisher=Indiana University Press, page=23, isbn=978-0-253-20779-1 {{cite book, author= Donna Lee Bowen, author2=Evelyn A. Early, title=Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzRX9E_-yp0C, access-date=24 October 2011, year=1993, publisher=Indiana University Press, page=78, isbn=978-0-253-20779-1 {{cite book, author=J. Ginat, title=Blood revenge: family honor, mediation and outcasting, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZO43uRmHtwC, year=1997, publisher=Sussex Academic Press, page=129, isbn=978-1-898723-18-9 {{cite book, author=J. Ginat, title=Blood revenge: family honor, mediation and outcasting, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZO43uRmHtwC&pg=PA131, year=1997, publisher=Sussex Academic Press, isbn=978-1-898723-18-9, page=131 {{cite book, author=J. Ginat, title=Blood revenge: family honor, mediation and outcasting, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZO43uRmHtwC, year=1997, publisher=Sussex Academic Press, page=133, isbn=978-1-898723-18-9 {{cite book, last=Ginat, first=Joseph, title=Women in Muslim rural society: status and role in family and community, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FTjF2Hxt-zoC, year=1982, publisher=Transaction Publishers, pages=177–179, isbn=978-0-87855-342-6 {{cite book, last=DeSilva, first=David Arthur, title=Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture, year=2000, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HOGS3lpOY8C, publisher=InterVarsity Press, page=25, isbn=978-0-8308-1572-2 {{cite book, last=DeSilva, first=David Arthur, title=Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: unlocking New Testament Culture, year=2000, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HOGS3lpOY8C, publisher=InterVarsity Press, page=28, isbn=978-0-8308-1572-2 {{cite book, last=DeSilva, first=David Arthur, title=Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: unlocking New Testament Culture, year=2000, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HOGS3lpOY8C, publisher=InterVarsity Press, page=33, isbn=978-0-8308-1572-2 {{cite book, last=DeSilva, first=David Arthur, title=Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: unlocking New Testament Culture, year=2000, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HOGS3lpOY8C, publisher=InterVarsity Press, page=35, isbn=978-0-8308-1572-2 {{cite book, last=Lefkowitz, first=Mary R., title=Women's life in Greece and Rome: a source book in translation, year=2005, publisher=JHU Press, location=Baltimore, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LV-FPLMeHgoC&pg=PA102, edition=Third, author2=Maureen B. Fant, access-date=29 October 2011, page=102, isbn=978-0-8018-8310-1 {{cite book, author1=David I. Kertzer, author2=Richard P. Saller, title=The Family in Italy from Antiquity to the Present, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aprY6lvMWHgC&pg=PA229, year=1993, publisher=Yale University Press, pages=229–232, isbn=978-0-300-05550-4 {{cite book, last=DeSilva, first=David Arthur, title=Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: unlocking New Testament Culture, year=2000, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HOGS3lpOY8C, publisher=InterVarsity Press, pages=25–28, isbn=978-0-8308-1572-2 {{cite book, author=Salvatore John LaGumina, title=The Italian American experience: an encyclopedia, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u2SZ5avlZ24C, year=2000, publisher=Taylor & Francis, pages=689–690, isbn=978-0-8153-0713-6 {{cite book, author1=Monica McGoldrick, author2=Joseph Giordano, author3=Nydia Garcia-Preto, title=Ethnicity and family therapy, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Al1kB_6GyMC, access-date=24 October 2011, date=18 August 2005, publisher=Guilford Press, page=445, isbn=978-1-59385-020-3 {{cite book, author= Donna Lee Bowen, author2=Evelyn A. Early, title=Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzRX9E_-yp0C, access-date=24 October 2011, year=1993, publisher=Indiana University Press, page=23,78, isbn=978-0-253-20779-1 {{cite book, last=Kertzer, first=David, title=The Family in Italy from Antiquity to the Present, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aprY6lvMWHgC, year=1993, publisher=Yale University Press, pages=230–232, isbn=978-0-300-05550-4 {{cite book, last=salmoni, first=Barak, title=Regime and periphery in Northern Yemen: the Huthi phenomenon, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sj81Eaxz-2kC, year=2010, pages=56–60, publisher=Rand Corp., isbn=978-0-8330-4933-9 {{cite journal, last=Mosquera, first=Patricia M. R. , author2=Antony S. R. Manstead , author3=Agneta H. Fischer, title=Honor in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, journal=Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, date=January 2002, volume=33, issue=1, pages=16–36, url=http://jcc.sagepub.com/content/33/1/16.short, access-date=17 October 2011, doi=10.1177/0022022102033001002, s2cid=55174724 {{cite web, title=The Hispanic American Community , url=http://www.culturediversity.org/hisp.htm , publisher=culturediversity.org , year=1997–2008 , access-date=9 November 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110151609/http://www.culturediversity.org/hisp.htm , archive-date=10 November 2011 {{cite book, last=Caulfield, first=Sueann, title=In Defense of Honor: Sexual morality, modernity, and Nation in Early Twentieth-Century Brazil, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owYt_FHX40EC, year=2002, publisher=Duke University Press, isbn = 978-0822323983 {{cite book, last=Caulfield, first=Sueann, title=In Defense of Honor: Sexual morality, modernity, and Nation in Early Twentieth-Century Brazil, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owYt_FHX40EC, year=2002, pages=48–50, publisher=Duke University Press, isbn = 978-0822323983 {{cite book, last=Caulfield, first=Sueann, title=In Defense of Honor: Sexual morality, modernity, and Nation in Early Twentieth-Century Brazil, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owYt_FHX40EC, year=2002, pages=79, publisher=Duke University Press, isbn = 978-0822323983 {{cite book, last=Caulfield, first=Sueann, title=In Defense of Honor: Sexual morality, modernity, and Nation in Early Twentieth-Century Brazil, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owYt_FHX40EC, year=2002, pages=80, publisher=Duke University Press, isbn = 978-0822323983 {{cite book, last=Caulfield, first=Sueann, title=In Defense of Honor: Sexual morality, modernity, and Nation in Early Twentieth-Century Brazil, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owYt_FHX40EC, year=2002, pages=83, publisher=Duke University Press, isbn = 978-0822323983 {{cite news, title=Genital Mutilation: Women Fight Africa's Taboo, url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/genital-mutilation-women-fight-africas-taboo-1633423.html, work=The Independent, access-date=3 December 2011, location=London, first=Katrina, last=Manson, date=27 February 2009 {{cite web, title=Girl's Death in Honor Killing Angers Turkish Opposition, url=http://archive.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=woman-claimed-last-victim-of-honor-killing-2011-03-02, work=Hürriyet Daily News, access-date=3 December 2011 {{cite news, title=Turkey: looking for honor in all the wrong places, url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/21/turkish-honour-seriously-misguided, work=The Guardian, access-date=3 December 2011, location=London, first=Elif, last=Shafak, date=21 March 2011 {{cite book, last=Benokraitis, first=Nijole V., title=Marriages and Families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eqZGQgAACAAJ&q=Marriages+and+families+changes+choices+and+constraints, year=2005 , publisher=Pearson Prentice Hall, pages=10, isbn = 978-0131305168 {{cite book, last1=Ferraro, first1=Gary P, last2=Andreatta, first2=Susan, title=Cultural Anthropology: An applied perspective, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B6XO9Sgt9y8C&q=family+honor&pg=PA277, year=2010, publisher=Cengage Learning, page=71, isbn = 9780495601920 {{cite book, last=Berns, first=Roberta, title=Child, family, school, community: socialization and support, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AD3e7Xdn2NMC&q=honor&pg=PA528, year=2007, publisher=Thompson Learning, page=139, isbn = 978-0495007586 Family Honor