Family relationships, particularly between parents and their children, are very strong, The typical household consists of the husband, the wife, and their children. Children are cared for by both parents. Marriages have traditionally been arranged by the parents. Sons or daughters remaining in the household after marriage assume the responsibilities of caring for younger siblings, preserving family land or other wealth, and contributing to ritual feasts. Children who marry out of the family lineage break these ties of household responsibility.
Men wear Western style cotton shirts and slacks.
Today, nearly all Pasemah are Shafiite Muslim , although the influence of Hinduism has historically been very great. A mosque serves as the formal religious center in each village, and most men try to attend Friday prayer services. In rural areas, the Pasemah have preserved some of their pre-Islamic beliefs in spirits of the soil and of the jungle. Traditional medicines are still widely used, and occult healers are frequently consulted for physical and spiritual ailments. Unemployment in rural areas is high.