Egyptians have families as their central and most important institution in societies. The country has a culture that advocates for stable families guided by Sharia laws on marriage and divorce. Families and kinship are respected and upheld; some families are blended as royal families mostly because of their leadership roles in the country.
When a child is born, it is taken as the responsibility of the whole society to take care of and orient the child to the norms and culture of the society. In cases of death, families, and societies come together to mourn for the deceased and comfort the family. Family unity and unions are highly advocated for by the old, young, and ruling class. They believe that having a well-structured society is the way forward for strong social institutions in the economy.
Modernization and globalization have resulted in the diffusion of traditional family settings as people move to different parts of the world in search of a live hood. This has resulted in changes in family structure and lifestyle change. Singlehood, which was unheard of in traditional society, has now increased as a matter of choice of breakage of families. Different working environments and places have resulted in distance marriages and the breakage of kinship.
Despite there being constant changes in family settings and culture, there are some attributes deeply rooted in Egyptian communities. It is easy for someone to recognize his relative even when not in his or her country of origin. This has been made possible by strong family ties developed during childhood where one’s recognition with a certain kinship is highly advocated (Net Industries, 2010).
Reference
Net Industries. (2010). Egypt – Defining Family In Egypt, Gender And Family, Marriage And Family, The Marriage Negotiation, The Islamic Marriage. Web.