Nuclear family demographic change

Definition of the term

• building used as an abode ie • family or household • family group, in the sense of the Japanese legal code • kinship group or clan, includes ancestors as well as heirs

„The ie is a patrilineage, a network of households related through their respective heads, comprising main houses, branch houses, and the branches of branch houses traced down through the generations.“

(HALL, John Witney, BEARDSLEY, Richard K.: Twelve Doors to Japan. New York et al.: McGraw-Hill Book Co 1965, p. 78)

Characteristics of the ie system

• objective: survival of the clan through the co-operation of its members

• acceptance of one‘s status and standing in the hierarchy is trained from birth

• head of the family enjoys

• priviliged status • absolute rule over family members’ affairs • control of the family assets (single heir)

• bloodline of the stem family

• daughters & (younger) sons leave the ie • Samurai of high status have an official wife & support concubines • multitude of heirs = power over the domain (by intermarriage)