Wednesday, August 31, 2011
What's in a [last] name?
In our discussion yesterday, I found it very interesting when that one guy pointed out about how the male's last name was traditionally an indicator of status. If a family was wealthy, their last name was well known and it was an honor to bear that last name.Even in our society today, a huge deal is placed on the last name. With the recent scandal of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his affair with his maid, it became a huge deal when his oldest son, changed his last name on twitter (click to see the article) to his mother's last name. Which leads me to my next point on how Maria Shriver, despite being married to a name with such a distinct last name, kept her maiden name I see that as Shriver's statement to prove herself independent from her husband, and pursue her own career and lifestyle without constantly having his very distinct last name be associated with whatever she does. And recently, with his scandal about his love child, their eldest daughter Katherine Schwarzenegger (click on her name for the article) spoke out about wanting to change her last name because she does not like how everybody automatically recognizes her last name and starts to question her abut her dad. She commented on how that has made her "hyper-conscious about it." And I guess in older times, the male's last name was supposed to serve for that purpose of it being recognized, it now has become a matter of preference for the women and now even the children, whether they want to bear their father's last name, as clearly seen in the Schwarzenegger family.
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I have to say, the notion of heritage and lineage in a last name is quite integral to one's livelihood and I can relate to this topic quite a bit. When I got married, I refused to take my husband's last name. My husband at the time was completely upset because we hadn't discussed the issue, but I said, "Why exactly does it have to be an issue?" The justice of the piece also looked at me in shock as I signed my name as I were defying a great tradition. To me however, I saw it as keeping my livelihood and being completely independent. And by the way, my last name is my mother's maiden last name.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic... On a subject 'origin of wives taking husband's last name'...until recently women were considered second class citizens, and lets face it, today women are still a minority. As second class citizens they were not allowed to posses any property. With that being said, a family name is/was one of those properties. It is interesting how this fact does not apply to royal families, but that is a completely different debate we could get into.
ReplyDeleteWhat is disturbing, in some cultures wives are still their husband's property. How far are those women from being independent, self sufficient social beings who have the right to make choices [about anything]? I am not even talking about carrying their own family name instead of their husband's, I am talking about any independent, simple, small choices that women in Western cultures make every single minute...
@MonicaValencia You go girl!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Monica on this issue.. where I grew up (Korea), people don't change their last names when they get married. Everybody keeps their last names and only their children would get the father's last name. When I first came to America with my mom, I remember my mom saying, "Why do I have to change my last name as Park? (my dad's last name)" So she started using both last names since she came here as Park-Kim(mom's last name).
ReplyDeleteHey Inah thanks for sharing, I didn't know that women in Korea don't have this silly tradition of changing their last names when they get married. I like that. I plan to keep my last name when I marry as well. My boyfriend doesn't mind at all. However, I will not hear the end of it from his parents. I should prepare myself for this torture for many years to come, but this is a small price to pay for the sense of independence, individualism, etc.
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