Moscow: Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2011, 236 p.

In this monograph, for the first time in Russian African studies, a comprehensive analysis of the formation of marriage and family unions in sub-Saharan Africa, their typology, their forms are identified, their evolution in urban and rural settings is traced, and the impact of the current socio-economic and financial crisis on the living conditions of Africans is considered.

At present, matrimonial structures and relations are increasingly affected by the processes of globalization, transnational directions of economic development, military-political and financial-economic crises. They are affected by the spread of HIV epidemics/AIDS, the development of birth control and family planning programs, the use of contraceptives and changing stereotypes of gender and sexual behavior, as well as the activation of feminist views and attitudes.

On the basis of rich empirical material, with the involvement of a wide range of sources, including those first introduced into scientific circulation, the paper examines the influence of traditions on the state of the modern African family, differences in the functioning of urban and rural family groups, the interaction of their members in migration and refugee conditions, the features of modern family and marriage legislation, and health problems in the context of the topic under study, etc.

As a significant factor determining the development of the African family in recent decades, the author points out the growth in the number of households headed by women (currently in West Africa, for example, this figure reaches 20%, while in South Africa it is approaching 50%), a significant part of which is represented by divorcees and widows.

I. G. Rybalkina considers the main types of the African family to be nuclear and extended. The first one is divided into biological (two parents and their children, including foster children) and social (consisting of two people of different sexes who establish relationships with each other through marriage, concubination or cohabitation). An extended family is a combination of the primary nuclear family with other relatives. The most common varieties of this type are the three-generation family (when grandparents, parents and children live together, this type is predominant in rural areas), kinship (combining different relatives in one household) and polygamous, which is of particular importance for Africa. This is usually the husband's residence with his wives, although in some cases he lives only with the last spouse, and others are located separately with their children and sometimes with some of the relatives.

The author offers a classification of African marriages according to three characteristics: a) by systems - matrilineality (matriarchy), patrilineality (patriarchy); b) by types - polygamy (polygyny - polygamy, polyandry - polyandry) and monogamy; c) by forms of marriage-customary, civil, religious.

The researcher examines in detail the stages that spouses should go through in order for the marriage to be considered valid. These are various rituals, exchange of gifts, mutual visits - all this can last for many years. In rural areas, a traditional marriage becomes final only if it is fertile and if the man is able to pay the ransom, support his wife, and treat her well. As long as the marriage does not meet these conditions, it is considered temporary.

The form of marriage is determined by the conditions under which it is concluded. These include the acquisition by a man of rights to a woman by virtue of inter-family ties (for example, marriages between cousins), the right and obligation to marry a brother's widow (levirate), marriages by purchase, working off, on the basis of an exchange of women, etc.

The author convincingly proves that the payment of ransom is not just compensation for the wife's family, it balances the situation of families, since with the arrival of a woman in a man's house and the birth of children, his family increases and strengthens, while in a family that has lost a pair of working female hands, the reverse process occurs.

Considering the latest trends in family transformation, the researcher analyzes government measures to counteract rapid population growth, an increase in the number of teenage women in labor, uncontrolled urbanization, etc.Despite the requirements of modern legislation, the practice of early marriage continues. Childbirth in adolescence deprives many young African women of the opportunity to realize themselves in any alternative role other than motherhood. At the same time, infant and child mortality rates in Africa remain the highest in the world.

I. G. Rybalkina notes the widespread use of child labor in Tropical Africa, despite numerous prohibitions and laws. The significant help provided by children around the house (such as looking after younger siblings, bringing water or wood fuel) enables adult family members, especially women, to perform more important tasks.

Labor migration, including women's migration, has a significant impact on family formation. Traditionally, migration was seen as a phenomenon that is primarily characteristic of men. They left in search of work, while the women stayed in the household. If African women left their homes, it was assumed that they did so for the sake of getting married or reuniting with their husband or other family members. Meanwhile, a significant number of African women who changed their place of residence migrated to meet their own economic needs and needs.

Migration decisions are almost universally made after consultation with the head of the clan or household. Although individual decisions can also be made, other family members, especially parents, aunts, and uncles, have a significant say in determining the final verdict. In areas where migration is widespread, approximately 1/3 of wives stay at home, while their husbands go to cities or other agricultural areas to earn money. The region with the longest separation between spouses is South Africa.

Armed conflicts and wars are another factor affecting African families, with a dramatic increase in the number of crippled, disabled and other helpless people. The Government's rehabilitation programs cover only a small part of the population. The number of disabled people continues to grow even after the end of wars, as there are still a lot of unexploded mines, the number of which reaches 5-10 million in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Wars have destroyed much or most of the basic social structure-schools, hospitals, homes, etc. In Liberia, Uganda, Somalia and Mozambique, the problem of child soldiers was extremely serious. "Since most of them are orphans, they could only rely on their own strength to survive, hiding for several years in a remote wilderness, without being able to get any education, or an understanding of social values and norms... They represent a new phenomenon for the African continent-a generation that is virtually completely cut off from the family" (p. 57).

Another consequence of wars, as the author rightly notes, is the problem of refugees who have lost almost all their property, property and land and have become completely dependent on the hospitality of the local residents among whom they settled, or on humanitarian assistance if they are in refugee camps. Family members are separated from each other, men are either fighting or killed, and women, children, and the elderly remain in refugee camps. During such periods, the family institution experiences degradation.

Another important problem that is analyzed in detail in this paper is the impact on the family situation of structural adjustment programs imposed by international financial institutions and providing for a sharp reduction in budget allocations for social needs, primarily for education and health. In addition, the removal of subsidies for basic foodstuffs, such as rice in Liberia or maize in Zambia, has led to a sharp increase in their prices, making them unaffordable for most families. The author convincingly proves that it is at the family level that society is particularly acutely aware of the painful consequences of socio-economic underdevelopment: the family suffers from poor housing conditions, unemployment, inadequate medical care, lack of food, drinking water and basic necessities.

It is the family and its members who are first exposed to all changes in society, accept or reject, strive to stimulate or slow them down. Traditional family systems are constantly deformed, and the more they recede into the past, the more Africans tend to consider them to be the "golden age" of marriage and family relations. As it convincingly proves

According to the author, the rapid growth of cities has led to increased housing problems, employment issues, alcoholism, prostitution and corruption. In the traditional world, these problems were solved with the help of relatives, but now the ties with them have been almost completely severed and in any case do not have the same power and significance in the city as in the village.

I. G. Rybalkina notes an increase in the number of married couples living in an informal union. The reasons for this are diverse, but mostly due to the increase in the cost of marriage. In this case, wives and children who are deprived of certain material security, official support and the status of legality that ordinary or legally formed modern marriages have are particularly affected.

One cannot but agree with the author that the traditional system of values that encouraged early marriages contributed to its universality and universality. With the exception of groups such as eunuchs, slaves, or worshippers who were forbidden to have sexual relations with the opposite sex, non-marriage of adult Africans was extremely rare. Strict religious and social measures were applied to those who were suspected by society of illegally delaying marriage, and the next of kin of these people had the right to forcibly find a partner for a recalcitrant family member in order to avoid public censure.

Considering the problem of unequal relations in the family, the author argues that women have fewer opportunities to get a school education and a well-paid job. The legal rights of African women are often severely infringed. Women are the least influential actors in family decision-making in Africa, followed by children and adolescents. In addition, in many African communities, it is the older members of the husband's family, not the husband himself, who decides all the issues of the wives ' life: who she should communicate with, who should accompany her out of the house, what dress to wear, when and what to eat, and when and where to receive medical care. However, these are less significant problems compared to the questions about how many children to have and when, which are solved not even by the husband, but by his family.

The researcher proves that the preservation of a huge variety of marriage and family forms in Africa over the centuries is a reflection of the oldest cultural traditions, as well as the diversity and diversity of the economic basis, which includes all the socio-economic systems and economic structures that existed in historical retrospect. Since the State in Africa does not yet have the means and methods of social protection and social security for the broad masses of the population, the main functions of the traditional large extended family are preserved. Modification of customary law norms is reflected in the form of modernization of ancient customs and their merging with the basic principles of modern jurisdiction. As a result, the institution of the family in Africa often remains the only form of social support and support not only for the most vulnerable groups of the population - children, the elderly, the disabled, etc. - but also for adult able-bodied Africans who find themselves in difficult life situations.

I. G. Rybalkina's monograph, based on a rich empirical material and containing a detailed analysis of the process of forming family and marriage relations in the Black continent, is one of the most interesting studies in the field of African sociology published in the 2000s.

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