Family Ties

4 Pages 998 Words

FAMILY TIES: THE BONDS BETWEEN LOVE AND FAMILY
A Friend In Need

The lifestyles developed by the four families in the video, FAMILY TIES – THE NATURE OF FAMILY, are as different as their home countries. The people from Kenya, India, Italy and the USA have adapted a certain way at looking at their situations and making the best with what they have, whether that is a polygamous lifestyle, an extended family a patrilocal life or a blended marriage.

George, from Kisumu, Kenya has four wives. That may come off as strange or wrong in our western way of life, but it works for him and his family. George isn’t a bad husband or father. He built separate homes for his wives and is even working on homes for his children. The women don’t all like the polygamous lifestyle but apart from tradition, convenience may sometimes win over monogamy. For Monica, George’s fourth wife, that is just the case. She had three children from a previous relationship and couldn’t afford to look after them. She married George because she knew he could take care of the four of them and love her as well. All of his wives are all free to come and go as they please, but after spending so much time in a certain way of life, it becomes the norm. The oldest wife has the most problem with it, but the way of thinking is, that once a woman reaches a certain age, she is of little use to the mans sexual needs and so in turn he looks to others to fulfill them. His wives and children farm the land that George owns and occupies. He then sells the goods they grow to make money to support them all. The women who farm the lands don’t actually make the money and now that more and more women in Kenya are going out and making money for themselves the polygamous lifestyle is slowly diminishing. They begin to make money for them selves and soon start demanding husbands for themselves.

The family from Madras, India has a patrilocal family. The wife moved in to the hous...