ABSTRACT
The family is perhaps society's oldest and most resilient institution. Around the world the family is valued and celebrated. From the beginning of human life on Earth, people have grouped themselves into families to find emotional, physical and collective support. Although in recent years there have been those who have predicted the failure of both marriage and the family, they not only survive but continue to change and evolve. The structure of the family may vary around the world, and yet, the value of family endures. People still bond into couples and seek the long-term commitment that marriage promises, even i f this does not always happen. Children are born and cherished even when there is economic or political upheaval.
