CHERAN : A SIERRA TARASCAN VILLAGE — BEALS 



195 



Ideally, the objectives of the family are 

 achieved by joint and harmonious cooperation 

 between husband and wife. As in other cul- 

 tures, there exist households in which there are 

 continual quarreling and dislike between hus- 

 band and wife, sometimes culminating in 

 divoixe. More common seem to be harmonious 

 households in which at least mutual under- 

 standing and toleration are achieved ; probably 

 in the majority of cases there are also affection 

 and trust. In harmonious households, all 

 activities and plans are discussed by husband 

 and wife. Even though a piece of land is 

 owned by the man, he will consult with his wife 

 before selling it and she will do the same with 

 reference to her property. Important pur- 

 chases are usually made only after consultation, 

 also. In most cases where trust exists between 

 husband and wife, it is the wife who holds the 

 purse. That is, most actual cash is given to 

 the wife. On her devolves the responsibility for 

 spending the money wisely in small affairs and 

 in accumulating the savings necessary for buy- 

 ing new lands or houses. 



In general, the man is definitely the head of 

 the family, but the manner of wielding author- 

 ity and the degree of authority vary with the 

 personalities of the married couple. If the 

 man owns considerable property and the woman 

 comes from a poor family, the man may enforce 

 his authority by reminding her that she has 

 nothing. There are also cases where the 

 woman owns practically everything and uses 

 the fact to dominate her husband. Ideally, and 

 probably actually in a great many cases, the 

 couple treat their property as being owned in 

 common. In any case, both parents seem to 

 wield about equal authority over the children. 

 Women may give orders to their sons until they 

 marry, just as much as may the men. Girls, on 

 the other hand, are more directly dominated by 

 their mothers, and the father expresses his 

 opinions concerning their upbringing to the 

 mother. 



Within the household certain routines and 

 habits are common. Labor is rather strictly 

 divided along sexual lines also. For example, 

 the family usually rises about 5 o'clock in the 

 morning, breakfasts about 8, lunches or dines at 

 1, and sups at 7 : 30 or 8, but the hours tend to 

 vary from family to family. The family usually 



sleeps on mats in the kitchen, husband and wife 

 on one mat with a single blanket. Small chil- 

 dren under 9 or 10 years old sleep with the 

 parents ; above that age they sleep on separate 

 mats and have a separate blanket. 



The general weekly routine of the family of 

 a farmer or of a forest worker, who represent 

 the typical Cheran families, is about as follows. 

 On Sunday most of the women go to Mass at 

 6:30 or 7. The men may go at this time or 

 wait until the 8 o'clock Mass, or may stay home 

 and sweep the courtyard and street in front of 

 the house. Children usually go to the 8 o'clock 

 Mass. Most people do not eat until after Mass. 



After Mass, men stand around the church 

 and plaza or on the streets talking to their 

 friends before going home for breakfast. 

 After breakfasting, the young men get towels 

 and go to the bathing place in one of the 

 barrancas (about a mile from town) and bathe. 

 The older men go out and loaf about the streets 

 all morning, talking to friends and acquaint- 

 ances. Older men bathe less often, but also 

 usually bathe on Sunday. Between 11 and 12 

 the younger men return home, eat again, pick 

 up their blankets (it is more apt to be windy or 

 rainy in the afternoons) and go out on the 

 streets to meet their friends again. Women 

 may go out after dinner and visit neighbors. 

 Small children, it might be noted, do not go to 

 Mass but play around the house and nearby 

 streets all day. A young unmarried man may 

 hang around the corner near the house of some 

 girl in whom he is interested. If the girl is 

 also interested, she will go out after water 

 several times during the day and the two will 

 talk on the streets. If they are clever and the 

 girl's family is either not very strict or not 

 very suspicious, they may manage to talk 

 together several hours. 



At 5 p. m. is the Rosario, attended by many 

 women, some men, and many of the young people. 

 After the Rosario is the favorite time for steal- 

 ing a girl for a wedding and, especially in the* 

 fall, the young man may be involved in helping 

 his friends. Or he may simply walk along in 

 the direction his girl is going in the hope of 

 having a chance to talk to her. Alternatively, 

 he may talk on the streets witli friends or a.o t > 

 one of the billiard jiarlors. Althouiih peojjle 

 eat later than usual on Sundays, tiie young 



