Traditional Views of Black South Africans on Quality and Successful Family Life

Abstract

This chapter aims to illuminate the various connotations about quality-of-life within successful family life in black South African families. The exploration includes the African social divide, the historical antecedents that impacted on families and its implications for the black South African family in particular. Successful family life is a desired life asset for most individuals and widely viewed as an accomplishment. Human beings desire success broadly to attract prestige, status and recognition in society. The meaning of a successful life has, however, remained contentious, given that it continues to be defined in diverse ways. Ideas of a successful life and quality life appear to be interrelated and are frequently measured in terms of successful family life. Medical literature abounds with research on patients’ quality-of-life, most of which relates in some way to family life. The varied opinions on what black South Africans regard as successful family life will be explored in this chapter. Given that human life commences in some way within a family system, the exploration of features of the black African family, as a key focus of successful and quality life, will be central to this discussion. Conceptual parameters will include quality-of-life, successful life, African or South African family life and broader family life and family structures.