There are different meanings that are frequently given to depict a people’s culture. However, culture is generally recognized as the manner in which a group of people has resolved to live their lives in the most ideal way they deem fit. These ways of living must be consistent with their traditions, languages, beliefs, family, dressing and dietary aspects (Hein & Selden, 2015) . As such, any comparison of two families or cultures will depict diverse stark cultural variations. This paper is going to explore the American and Japanese cultures, which prove to show many similarities and differences.
Typical Families in Each Culture
The Japanese have an increased feeling of belonging and devotion to their family as interdependence is stressed in the collectivist society. People are anticipated to be loyal to their family’s interest before they serve their own interests and prefer their family members. Moreover, families also have a mutual face among the Japanese culture. The action of one person is linked to the entire family in which he or she belongs (Shively, 2015). Thus, a family’s name is exalted or diminished by an individual’s action. The typical Japanese household has adopted nuclear model of family. Nonetheless, the extended family is normally appreciated as part of the family and is visited often.
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Comparably, a typical family in the American culture consists of a husband, wife, biological children as well as extended family. Many individuals who could be legally married did so and valued this union until death parted them. The family has a critical role in creating and replicating cultural roles form both men and women (Campbell & Kean, 2016) . However, the present family is messed up being characterized by divorce, same-sex marriages, single-parent homes, and among others. Today, families are racially, religiously, and ethnically varied more than they were many years ago.
Comparison of Parent-Child Relations
The parent-child relationship in a Japanese family can be understood in the context of the monumental variations in the roles and responsibilities of the parents. Japanese children have a relationship with their parents that pertain to the tradition and societal expectation. Japanese fathers are responsible for providing for their household (Hein & Selden, 2015) . The mothers on the other side guide their children and teach them how to shape their character socially. Thus, the relationship is more of imitating the mannerisms of the parents as they carry out their roles.
On the other hand, American culture promotes a parent-child relationship in which the children are supported to do what they are interested in, of course, with a little guidance. They promote a lot of independence on the children so that they are allowed to do what they want (Campbell & Kean, 2016) . The parent strives to eliminate interdependence so that the children are able to express themselves and do things by themselves.
Comparison of Husband-Wife Relationships
The structure of the family in Japanese culture is always patriarchal. The husband as the provider of the family receives the greatest respect from not only the wife, but also the entire family. The wife is committed to the husband by attending to all domestic needs and giving birth to children. Both husband and wife exercise authority together over the children (Shively, 2015). Husband and wife have a relationship in which they make decisions together on the future of the family such as offering educational opportunities for their children. On the other hand, husband-wife relationships in the American culture context are volatile in most cases, with the issues of divorce being common. The wife can be breadwinner and sustainably manage the family in the same way the husband can (Campbell & Kean, 2016) . There is shared responsibility on the way things are done, including the way children are raised.
Challenges and Changes in each Culture
One of the most intriguing aspects that threaten Japanese families is the aging and shrinking population. Japan presently experience an irregular age population of young individuals being comparatively small than the elderly. Japan experience heightened health care coverage, amounting to higher taxes on the younger workforce. Thus, the family structure loves and respects the elderly (Shively, 2015). Most Japanese families spend more money to revive the economy in place of keeping it in banks. Politically, the government has an obligation to address this disproportionate state of the young people and the elderly (Hein & Selden, 2015) . Birth rates have gone down and families are not encouraging others to marry despite the push by the government.
In contrast, challenges and changes in this American family culture have come with the expansion of the role of women in the society so that they can be educated and occupy the same positions in the government. Most married women joining the workplace has caused the families to be smaller, less stable and more diverse (Campbell & Kean, 2016) . Men are on equal footing as women in terms of being the breadwinner and working inside the home. There are many single-parent families where mothers are head, divorce and remarriages, and among other situations.
Comparison of Roles of the Family
The mothers are devoted to raising their children as the fathers provide for them. The parents exercise a lot of authority over their children by offering direction to them. The parents determined the children’s future, by ensuring that they give them better education and provide for their needs (Hein & Selden, 2015) . Many Japanese parents are completely committed to the general success of their children so that the family gains respect. The parents place great expectations on the child so that the children strive to attain these aspirations, especially for richer families.
Comparably, the social system of the American family structure reflected the values and belief systems of the culture. Most families had the fathers being the breadwinners and the mothers being homemaker wives (Campbell & Kean, 2016) . Wives had a role to help their husbands within their homes to keep the house and raise the children. Husbands were managers and provided for the necessities of life in a typical American family .
References
Campbell, N., & Kean, A. (2016). American cultural studies: an introduction to American culture . Routledge.
Hein, L. E., & Selden, M. (2015). Living with the Bomb: American and Japanese Cultural Conflicts in the Nuclear Age: American and Japanese Cultural Conflicts in the Nuclear Age . Routledge.
Shively, D. H. (Ed.). (2015). Tradition and modernization in Japanese culture (Vol. 4814). Princeton University Press.
