Cambodia borders Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam in the southeastern part of Asia. Before 1970 Cambodia was fairly rich in natural and agricultural resources. Cambodia, unlike most Southeast Asian countries, enjoyed a stable export business and shipped rice, rubber, coal, and cotton worldwide. Many people lived in small villages near waterways, the majority working in agriculture. Traditionally, high status was given only to Buddhist monks and important government officials. Traditional values included a strong family identity, respect for ancestors and the past and a desire for smooth interpersonal relationships, i.e., non confrontational in disagreement, tolerance for ambiguity, and willingness to accept things the way they were.
The roles of males and females are given a large amount of respect in traditional Cambodian culture. The wife in a family has a highly respected role and in some ways she is the leader of the family. She will generally handle the financial matters and is mainly responsible for the education of the children in social and moral issues. In general, the woman (wife) is given great respect both within the family and by the community at large.
Women typically take care of things within the home: cooking, cleaning, laundry, and care of the children and men typically work outside the home and bring home the income. Boys are expected to be involved in religion and the community. Girls represent the family by marrying someone who deserves her family's respect
Family planning is uncommon in Cambodia and women will often have many children. In the cities, some women use birth control pills and rarely condoms. Some herbal medicines are thought to be effective for abortion by increasing excess heat in the body. The medicine needs to be ingested daily for effectiveness and may include Chinese herbs with hot water or cho plag which is made from tree root, water and wine
In Cambodia, women sought assistance from the midwife and elders about diet, herbal medicines, and activities during pregnancy (Kulig, 1989). Prenatal visits are often avoided by women as they require many physical examinations, however, Cambodians are gradually participating in more prenatal care as they become aware of the importance. A variety of foods and activities are thought to be good for the unborn baby. Pregnant mothers may drink homemade rice wine, herbal medicines (herbs unknown), coconut water, or beer which are all thought to make the baby healthy. Some things to avoid include showering at night and drinking milk as these will make the baby fat and difficult to deliver.
Child Birth and Post Partum Practices
Few babies are delivered in a hospital by a physician in Cambodia, most are delivered at home by midwives. The postpartum period is considered to be the most important time in life for a woman, called “Sor Sai Kjey” or “Saw Sai Kachai” (SSK). For one month after the birth, she will lie on a bamboo bed with a constant fire underneath. There is no bathing during this time. The woman will drink only hot water, homemade wine, or herbal tea and eat hot fish and pork. This is believed to help repair tendons and will allow the woman to regain her strength. During the first three days, others will breastfeed the baby; they will care for the baby for the full month. Some women do not have sexual intercourse for six months to one year following birth as they believe it is best to avoid this and allow their bodies to recover and heal from pregnancy.
Infant Feeding and Care
In Cambodia, most women breastfeed their babies and breastfeeding in public is common with older mothers. Breastfeeding is thought by some to make their baby strong, smart, and obedient to his parents.
Cambodian women frequently place tiger balm on their baby's soft spot and stomach as they believe this protects their baby. Others make a paste from an herb similar to ginger and place this on their soft spot.
Child Rearing Practices
In Seattle, children are encouraged and expected to attend school as this is perceived as the best route to obtaining a well paying job. In Cambodia, their time would have been spent working to help support the family. Traditionally, marriages are arranged by the woman's family and dating is not a common practice. Arranged marriages reportedly occur frequently , however, some young Cambodians date as a means for finding a spouse.
Refugee children are a special group. They live in a society with rules and customs quite different from those that controlled life in Cambodia and are particularly susceptible to breaking away from the old ways. Additionally, the old ways are without power or perceived validity and the new ones seem infallible. Discipline traditionally includes respect for elders, verbal correction of mistakes and occasional spanking. Parents who, in the past, would have controlled their children's behavior may be so caught up in their own struggles and grief that unacceptable behavior is ignored.
Toilet training is begun at a wide variety of age ranges; many very early, most use a regular toilet as they can not afford a special one for the baby. Similarly, high chairs and baby play cribs are not used either. Most women report that they use baby car seats.
Nutrition and Food
Each small family group in Cambodia typically owns its own rice paddy lot and vegetable garden and raises livestock. Meal patterns consist of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and occasional snacks. Rice is typically the base of each meal and is accompanied by a clear or a vegetable soup, fish, or meat and vegetables (fresh and dried). Most families eat all three meals together in Southeast Asia (Story and Harris, 1989).
Local Cambodians usually do not have a place to grow vegetables or raise livestock and rely on shops in their neighborhood run by other Southeast Asians. The bulk of their food is bought at these stores with only an occasional visit to chain stores such as Safeway. White rice continues as a main staple with accompanying soup. Brown rice is not typically eaten with some local Cambodians stating that it is for birds and prisoners. Some additional favorites include: fish, shrimp, stir fried vegetables and the following vegetables: eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, string beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, Thai okra, and watercress. Fruit is often included in a meal and may include: coconut, mango, pineapple, pomegranate, tamarind, mangosteen, watermelon, orange, rambutan, durian, jackfruit or guava. Sweets are a rare addition and may include imported cupcakes, cookies, or candies. Family meals are still valued, however, daily life takes family members away from home at all hours (working, ESL, and school) making communal mealtime often difficult.