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The Asian Family Western influence, economic pressures and changing lifestyle are all making an impact on the traditional Confucianist-led ways of life in Asian nations.
And it is the family structure which is taking most of the strain.
Tony Barrell reports, in this five part series, on the power and passion of the Asian family.
Children of Heaven (Australia)
According to the Chinese thinker Confucius, it takes three to make a good child: a father, a mother, but also the approval of heaven.
This programme examines how today's 'children of heaven' are faring in Australia, where nearly 5 percent of the population are of Asian origin.
Presenter Tony Barrell finds out from school children, factory workers and politicians about changing attitudes within the Asian community, and the ways in which Asian Australians are, in their turn, influencing the predominant Anglo culture.
When a Girl Marries (Singapore)
Young women in Singapore are putting off marriage and having babies to an extent which is creating concerns that the island's 4.3 million population could go into decline, and with it Singapore's hard-won prosperity.
Opinions differ about the causes: is it the stress of combining career and motherhood? Or is it the fault of Singaporean men?
Magazine editor Sharon Lim says 'traditional' men haven't adjusted to the needs of modern women, but 'sensitive new age guys tend to be irritating whiners!' We also hear from the woman behind 'Romancing Singapore', a campaign to promote love and romance on the island.
One Drop of Blood (Vietnam)
Confucius still has a presence in this communist country, and his memory is revered at the Temple of Literature in the capital Hanoi. But Vietnamese women's groups say his legacy has been used to justify the continuing inequality between men and women, particularly in rural areas.
Shoe shine boys, Vietnam
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Meanwhile the opening up of the economy has also put family life under strain, with individual members or whole families moving to the cities in search of better opportunities.
This programme finds out how traditionally strong family ties are standing up to the pressure in today's Vietnam.
Under One Roof (South Korea)
South Korean society is still based on the family, whether it's a modern nuclear family in a tower block, or the 'work family' at a giant industrial conglomerate.
Mother and child on platform, Seoul |
The Confucian legacy lives on in the hierarchies which underpin these institutions, and in the value placed on education.
This programme hears from different generations about modern attitudes to 'filial piety', the traditional respect for elders; and the tensions that young people feel as more and more of their lives are taken up with study.
Live Slow, Live Long (Japan)
In Japan, where they are worried about their aging population, there is one province where age is celebrated, and where old people are at the heart of cultural life. This is Okinawa, the southern island prefecture, where old people reach record ages, apparently because they live the 'slow life'.
But the experts say that young Okinawans, seduced by the speed and excitement of modern life, will not live as long as their grandparents.
This programme explores the secrets of long life, and discovers that young people still value and enjoy family ties, even if they choose a different lifestyle.
The Asian Family is an ABC Radio National and BBC World Service co-production by the ABC's Tony Barrell and the BBC's Sue Waldram. The programmes was first broadcast in September 2003 |
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