The Igbos have two types of families. These are the nuclear family (ụmụnne) and the extended family (ụmụnna). The nuclear family is made up of the father, mother and children. This family is an adaptation from the western culture. This type of family is now more recognized and has taken precedent over the extended family among Christians, educated and city dwellers perhaps due to economic constraints. The nuclear family is what comes to mind among the Igbos at the mention of the word family(ezi na ụlọ). The extended family consists of one father, multiple mothers and children. Cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews fall under this category. The extended family still plays a dominant role especially in the rural areas as a result of the desire to keep a particular lineage. The most important feature of the Igbo family is that all children belong to the father but only the male children inherit their father. The notion being that the female children are suppose to get married and get out of the family. Members of the same family, be it nuclear or extended are believed to trace their lineage to one ancestor and as such do not marry each other. It is a taboo. There is always a close tie between the members of the nuclear family and the extended family. There is no igbo vocabulary for cousins, uncles, aunts but a simple analogy of the relationship.
Objective
By the end of the unit, you should be able to: 1. Identify the two types of Igbo family and their members. 2. Identify the kinship terms in the Igbo family system 3. Talk about your family. 4. Use appropriate possessive pronouns
Introduction