Family Customs
in Cambodia
Most of Cambodia's population live in rural areas as farmers. In the countryside, houses
are made up of palm leaves and bamboo and are usually built on stilts to protect them from
floods that occur annually. A rural village is made up of a group of houses that center
around a Buddhist monastery (wat).
City life for the poor, is like life in the country, except that tremendous crime and
unsanitary conditions must also be taken into effect.
Social standing is reflected by material possessions, which is apparent in wealthy and
middle-class Cambodian lifestyles.
In the rural areas, clothing is simple and material possessions are hard to come by. Women
tend to wear cotton shirts with ankle length skirts (saving their sampots for religious
festivals).
Men and women both wear a krama, a multipurpose cotton garment. It can be used as a
head covering, loincloth (for bathing), and as a bag for carrying items. In the city,
Cambodians usually wear Western clothing.
About 90% of Cambodians are Khmer. Vietnamese comprise 5% of the population, Chinese
1%, and 4% are other ethnicities, including Cham Muslims. Ninety-five percent of
Cambodians follow Theravada Buddhism. The Khmer practice a blend of Buddhism and
animism.
Family is extremely important. Many have lost family members in Cambodia, and a
significant number of households are headed by females due to the civil war. Extended
family structures are the norm, with large numbers of children. Grandparents head the
family, followed by parents, aunts and uncles. Families are patriarchal, with men as
providers and women in traditional roles, their position reinforced by culture, religion,
and gender. Children are taught respect and deference to adults and authority figures. |