...since the May 12, 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province. I just read an article called China's Arranged Remarriages. The article is beautifully written and thoughtfully explains the cultural forces that lead families, officials, and even former in-laws to pressure earthquake widows and widowers to remarry as soon as possible. Go read it.
I recently came across an interesting example of re-marriage pressure in a student journal. She was writing about her friend's father, a divorced (or widowed?) man recently diagnosed with cancer. Knowing that he might have only a few more months to live, his family pressured him into marrying as soon as possible so that his remaining days would be happier. They found a woman and bullied the marriage into existence. The only problem is that no one in the family likes the woman, least of all the the cancer-stricken husband or his college-age son. So they live in the same house with a woman they can't stand, who lounges on the couch all day while they cook and clean.
The couples in the article I mentioned above are more fortunate. Their marriages are mostly happy, and they are hopeful about the future.
I read your suggested article---very interesting to learn how different cultures recover and rebuild from tragedy. One thing that often results is other people coming along side those suffering ---I think back to 2 years ago and the tornado and flooding in Iowa and how it brought about the best in people...
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