Family Life Development Research Paper

Total Length: 817 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

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family life of the group, both before and after immigration to the United States. It explores specific family traditions, family values and family roles. The paper also highlights the relationships between age groups or genders.

Family Tradition

In Kenya, it is a tradition for families join for end year celebrations. During this time, the family joins from various parts of the country travel to Rongo; this is a time for family together; involving slaughter of animals. This is a time for celebrations and feasting. These celebrations usually last a whole month and the climax is the new year eve. During this end year celebrations, when the animals are slaughtered, there are parts reserved for each age group to prepare and share, the children especially the boys, since they participate in the slaughter, take the testicles. They then give girls the Kid Kidneys, men and women share in a specially made sauce called "ochuri,"it is raw blood mixed with the fine green substance from the animal stomach (Okuche, 2012).

These celebrations are important especially for those new members of the family as it serves as a family induction ceremony. In the United States, immigrants from the Luo community cannot afford this celebration. First December is a cold month no one gets out of the house.
Second, there are no family members to celebrate a whole month with, everybody is busy at work, and the only celebration is Christmas, which is celebrated on the 25th and usually with a hand full of friends not necessarily Kenyans.

Family Values

Families in Kenya, especially in the Luo community, live together in one compound; they place value in polygamy and children (Otieno, 2007, para. 5). The Luo villages are circular and the houses form a semi-circle facing the main entrance. The main house is the first wife's house referred to as "mikai" the house to the left is the second wife's house, the house to the right is the third wife's house and the fourth would be the third house next to the second wife's house (Pabaris Paradise, 2012). Each wife lives with their children, but grown boys build their houses at sides of the main entrance called "samba" while the girls are not allowed to build. They are seen as visitors, and are referred to as "migogo" meaning, that they will be married someday and leave the homestead. Children are a symbol of wealth and blessing, more so the boy….....

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