When one looks at today’s definition of a family, the question bears exactly what is society’s current definition of a family? Or should I say society’s accepted definition of a family.  Growing up in the mix of two very distinct cultures: a western & African cultures (European and that of a developing country-Angola-), I was taught two different definitions of the word.

 

In my African culture, I was taught a family was composed of each and every member who made up its tree. In contrast, when I spent time in Europe when the term family was used it only meant: mother, father, and children. Back home there was no concept of the terms “relative” or “immediate family”, family was family point blank.  This, I think reflects the strong sense of community which has always existed in such cultures (African cultures), and those derived from it such as Caribbean and central American Hispanic.

 

Whichever term was used, one thing was undeniable, the father was not only present, but he surely was the head of his family. Family ties and marriage was not only a common way of life but strongly encouraged. One thing is for sure for years if not centuries, separation and/or divorce were another set of terminology unfamiliar to those cultures, where single parenthood was unheard of, once a couple wed it was for life. Death was indeed the only cause for separation. In certain African cultures such as the Tchokwe and Balundas of Angola Norte even when the death of a parent occurred more specifically the father’s the family was never broken and the off springs from such unions where one or both parents passed away were left to their own detriment.