THE ROLE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY IN THE CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN SOCIETY

Abstract

This article offers philosophical appraisal and analysis of the role of marriage and family as the nucleus, the sustenance and the future of the African society in the face of modernity. In their attempt to evolve ways of life appropriate to our modern world culture, African people and their society face a number of challenges; some stem from the values and practices of their traditions, while others rise from the legacy of European colonialism. Defending the cross-cultural applicability of philosophical concepts developed in Western culture, the paper attempts to show the usefulness of such concepts in addressing a wide range of African problems. To attain insight into this relationship, three major areas of literature are reviewed: the concept of family, marriage and modernity, the key features of African society in the face of modernity and its impacts on marriage and family. A review on the impacts of modernity on marriage and family provides an understanding of changes in socioeconomic conditions, and the personal values, beliefs and behaviors that are perceived as the major socio-economic development processes in the modern era. The discussion on modernity and its impacts on marriage and family in Africa provide a comprehensive explanation of family and marriage change from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, from which the rationale for this article is built. The review concerning African family life is aimed at giving an interpretive summary illustrating trends and patterns in family change.