Matriage: Facing 3rd-millennium challenges with matrilocal family clans

The family institution is in disarray

Currently, the family, as known in our Western countries, is based on the nuclear model. That is a minimal family form, focusing on the father and the mother and their multiple children. This model, whose marriage is the legal representation, is now in disarray. Daniel Dagenais has eloquently demonstrated the fact in his book " La fin de la famille moderne " (The End of the Modern Family) 1 . In "La famille à l'horizon 2020" (The Family by 2020), Marie Pratte suggested the path of a legal union between a brother and a sister or between a child and a sick parent as an alternative to marriage 2 . Although this opens the door to matrilocal family clan organization, why limit the scope to two individuals?

The current setbacks of our families are numerous. Suffice it to raise its disastrous results on two of its most important social responsibilities:

1. Population renewal;
2. Fulfill children’s primary need for a stable and safe environment from birth to adulthood.

Population renewal

In terms of population renewal, today's modern family performance remains below the minimum threshold since the 1980s for the vast majority, and since 2000 for almost all developed countries 3 . That is serious because, to compensate, our governments undertook very poorly planned immigration policies. A society incapable of self-renewal is seriously ill. And in a sick society, welcoming and integrating immigrants can only be problematic4 .

The debates' bitterness surrounding the various political projects on immigration in Europe and North America has clearly shown the extent of uneasiness concerning this subject within Western populations. There is indeed a growing immigration panic wave building up in Western countries5 . The link between this panic and the fertility decrease does not receive enough public attention6 . Because the use of immigration as a tool to compensate for the drop in the birth rate is undisputable7 . In matriarchies, the extensive and stable matrilocal family clan networks will make migration less necessary. But most importantly, they will be in a much better position to integrate migrants carefully.

A stable and safe environment for children, from birth to adulthood

We already know that fewer young children's parents enter marriage. But the risk estimate of experiencing separation from their parents is 3 to 4 times higher for children of common-law relationship’s parents8 . A growing number of our families today, if not the majority, cannot provide a stable and safe environment for our children. Including too many, even just for the infancy period. It is just unacceptable and dramatic. The distress experienced by families struggling with parents' separation is immense. The impact on children who find themselves amid these tragedies is significant9 . There is no reason for this situation to continue.

What about women and children being safe at home?

Another critical failure of the nuclear family model is that the most dangerous place for women is their own home. That is the terrible conclusion of a United Nations' study10 . According to the study, however, women's risk may vary considerably geographically. But even in a country like Canada, recent rises in reported domestic violence are alarming, notably since it often affects children11 .

There are no new family models

Many evoke new contemporary models of the family that are emerging. That is an exciting interpretation that omits a fundamental detail. Almost all families embark on this adventure by settling first according to the nuclear model. The improvised solutions to which families later adhere reflect only the confusion and chaos they end up after separation.

There are only new dismantled families

Suppose we omit the legitimate recent openings for same-sex parents. In this case, there is still practically only one model of the family in Western countries: the nuclear family. There is no other model for families settling down. There are only new models for families that are falling apart.

There are only two viable family models: by the father or by the mother

Even though there are several variants in human history, there is practically only one other viable family model: the matrilocal family clan. This model of the family is practiced, for example, by the Mosuo of China for 2000 years. This model guarantees family stability in their land and ensures the high quality of relations between men and women. That is the message that IISD sent us by choosing Mosuo as a model community12 .

Sexuality and family do not fit together well

What the Mosuos tell us is that sex and family do not go along. Our young families' high instability is eloquent proof of this statement.13 Matriarchies' experience shows that sexual relations should not belong to the family domain.14 That is a radical change from the Western world's traditional nuclear model. But it is a model with proven viability, which is synonymous with harmonious and equitable relationships between women and men.

The child's father and mother can continue to hang out without living together

The matrilocal family clan model highlights children's uncles as paternal figures. That does not mean that the relationship between the child's mother and its biological father is automatically short-lived, although that happens quite often. The relationship between the lovers may continue in harmony, which is also quite usual after childbirth. The father would then visit his partner regularly (practically every night), possibly maintaining a meaningful relationship with the child.
In today's Western societies, many couples are still unable to only be in each other's presence because of the separation's deep wounds. Imagine that they could have managed to maintain a good relationship, had their families been matrilocal clans.

An enlarged vertical family

On the other hand, unlike the nuclear model, the matrilocal family clan stretches vertically and horizontally, gathering several maternal line generations living in the same place. It is a model that is well suited to help us face the social, economic, and environmental challenges that our community will face in the coming decades.

Protecting ourselves from crises by sharing our family resources

Allowing several adults to live in the same place, the matrilocal family clan favors family members' asset sharing. It will enable them to maintain or even improve their standard of living, despite the severe economic difficulties that may occur at any time.

Continue to operate family farms

By concentrating the many members' resources and skills, the new matrilocal family clans will quickly attain a high degree of autonomy. We can anticipate that many of them will be able to maintain farm operations. Agriculture is experiencing tough times in Western countries. That is a significant heritage of our ancestors which is at stake. Farms in our countries will undoubtedly be able to count on the support of several large matrilocal family clans.

Help for seniors and early childhood

Then, as several generations will live in the same place, it will be possible to catalyze family resources for helping seniors and early childhood. As matrilocal family clans become established, we can expect that the public system will benefit from increased collaboration with the beneficiaries' family circle. That will result in gradual care requirements reduction and thus reduce state burden.

Share, restore and repair to slow growth

Finally, at the ecological level, large matrilocal family clans' establishments will encourage a slowdown in consumption growth. Members of these families living in the same place will spontaneously share, restore, and repair several goods. Ultimately, this will make a significant contribution to our environment cleansing. The growth and spread of the population will slow down. Instead, it is the size of each matrilocal family clan that will fluctuate over time.

The construction industry will be able to adapt

For example, the construction industry will gradually adapt to this sustainable model. First, growth can continue for a while with the creation of new architectural complexes that can better meet the needs of matriages. And of course, by transforming existing single-nuclear-family residences, first by subdividing them into smaller individual units with direct access to the outdoors, and then connecting them with larger community spaces.

Improve the functioning of our society instead of spreading it

Over time, we will live in a set of well-established matrilocal family clans within a network of stable and well-identified entities. We will then focus on our talents and resources to improve this stable network's functioning and collaboration. Imagine only the whole socio-economic effort that we currently engulf in the population's growth and spread, made necessary by the constant creation of new nuclear families. And now also in single-parent households after their breakup. Instead, we will now invest all of these resources to perfect the way we organize and serve ourselves collectively.

But then, what are the nuclear family's benefits?

So there is indeed another family model that seems to respond much better to the majority of Western family members' needs. And even to secure the long-term future of our society. One wonders: what are the "benefits" of the nuclear family model compared to the matrilocal family clan for Western families? For the moment, we have only identified three:

The nuclear family type is simpler to move

• In the event of a cataclysm, it can be an advantage;
  • However, is this characteristic really a benefit if we oppose it to the much higher autonomy degree of the matrilocal family clan?
• To meet a new job requirement:
  • In a matrilocal family clan, it is usually relatively easy for one of its members to settle away for a few years;
  • In any case, life jobs are practically non-existent in our contemporary societies.
  • These job requirements are often a cause of nuclear families' dismantling when both spouses have geographically distant employment opportunities.

The biological father has rights over the children

• The matrilocal family clan does not offer any paternity rights:
  • It does not mean that fathers cannot see their children, on the contrary.
  • If desired on both sides, the contribution of fathers will always be welcome:
    • Fathers can see it as an opportunity or a privilege, which must be seized and deserved.

There is a constant creation of new nuclear family settlements, which generates more consumption needs

• It was a gold mine at the time of uninterrupted growth economy;
• Today it is a real curse in this era requiring a sustainable economy.

References