Historical forces in ancient China that helped shape the importance of family and the family dynamics include concepts of gender and proper gender roles, Confucianism, and the government.  Each of these forces together reinforced concepts emphasized by the others and thus built a very distinct structure for the ancient Chinese family.  Males were seen as superior to women, resulting in fathers as heads of households.  Men were to provide for the family, discipline the children, and take care of the family finances.  Fathers also had complete legal authority over their family, including wives and children.  Women, on the other hand, had little to no power and were followers their whole lives—first of their fathers, then their husbands, and finally their sons.  They were to do the traditional household chores—cooking, cleaning—and also raise the children.  These definitive gender roles were reinforced by tradition, Confucianism, and the government, thus allowing this Chinese family structure to exist for 2000 years.