Family is first given and only later in life family becomes a matter of choice. This is a rather sequential perspective on family matters. A lot of ethnological as well as sociological research shows that the shadow of the given family can reach long into an individual’s later life. It is essential to be or become aware of the mutability of what constitutes a family. The ethnological variability across the globe of the norms and legislation that govern families is amazingly broad. The interference of religious beliefs and practices have always attempted to gain access to the nucleus of family life as an attempt to influence the “given part” of family. It is a much more complex issue to understand and research the “chosen part” of partnership trajectories in a broader sense. The social background und upbringing in a broad sense have a lasting impact on most people. However, there are enormous degrees of freedom to later on choose your friends, family or families. Societies across continents have chosen and invented particular rites of transitions between families and how to bridge networks. It is amazing that we tend to devote so little thought to this nucleus of our societies.
