65° - 01.09.1967, Blaðsíða 26

65° - 01.09.1967, Blaðsíða 26
38. The ideal wife should be a) a good house- wife b) sexually pleasing c) a good mother d) a good cook e) have similar interests. 39. Although most Reykjavikans feel publicly engaged couples should not cohabit constantly before marriage, most of them have actually lived together. 40. Most Reykjavikans feel that young people should not have sexual relations before engage- ment. Most of them have, however, copulated be- fore becoming engaged and also before they met their marriage partners. 41. Since there is no stigma against unwed mothers and a girl can always rely on her mother to take care of her child, Icelandic girls do not “need” to worry about contraceptives. (The re- searcher visited several families where the mother had little children of her own but joyfully took care of her daughter’s child also and said she would be happy to care for any further illegi- timate children of her daughter.) 42. A child is nearly always welcome no matter what the surroundings into which it is born. 43. Although the engaged couple are viewed as one irrevocable unit, e.g. they usually receive common gifts for their future home even when they are engaged, and although most Reykjavik- ans have been publicly engaged, the majority of them view engagement as an unnecessary institu- tion. 44. Extensive alcoholism, insanity and repeated adultery are the only things considered uncondi- tional divorce grounds by those interviewed. Most people feel that one adulterous side-step is natural and forgiveable. 45. Most men and women feel that the woman has too many rights in all aspects of divorce, in- cluding declaration of divorce and division of property. 46. Most Reykjavikans feel it doesn’t matter whether the future spouse has similar education or comes from a similar economic or family background. They feel it ideal enough to have known each other for quite a while and have similar intelligence, but feel it necessary that their outlook on life be similar. 47. Most feel 3—4 children would be the ideal number. 48. Someone who has been mentally ill but has been cured has very little chance of finding a spouse since most people feel that mental illness would be inherited. This is in direct proportion Continued on page 34. TO GO OR NOT TO GO- THAT’S THE QUESTION by AMALIA LINDAL It is a stormy morning with high winds and sheets of rain hurling past the windows. It is seven in the morning as housewife Inga starts breakfast and wonders whether she ought to trust her small children, ages seven and nine, to school. The eleven year old has to walk a long distance, but she is sturdy. However, even she will be soaking when she arrives and will have to spend the four hours in school in damp clothes. That means sniffles the next day and then a cold. What shall she do? Her husband sets off for work as usual, for wind and weather stop no man who has a job. But there remains the children. She can take them to school herself, one at a time, but her mornings are precious because the shopping must be done and dinner prepared by twelve. The weather bureau recording says high winds, but she can see that from her window. Furthermore the wind in midtown might be quite different from the howling witch she hears here in the suburbs. She wants advice. If she doesn’t send the children, will they be marked absent? In any case it means a phone call to the principal either to ask permission for absence or explain why they are not coming today. But education is important. She doesn’t want them to miss the time. Should she call her neighbors to ask what they will do? How bad is the weather, really? She feels a little guilty staying at home when even the young ones must go out. Then there are the children themselves. The youngest is doing fine and loves school. He hates to break his record of steady attendance. He can- not, should not be persuaded to stay home. He is already fastening his jacket with scared deter- mination. The next youngest doesn’t want to go anyway. He skimmed over his homework, he doesn’t like his teacher and feels learning is so boring. There- fore he is coughing hopefully to indicate he is not feeling as well he looks. Still, she knows that if he is allowed to break the pattern of going to school, his problem will become worse. 24 65

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