Despite the breakdown of Apartheid urban policies in South Africa, the migrant labor system continues to be a reality affecting African family life extensively. This article is based on qualitative research focusing on the impact of the migrant labor system on the family life of Black South Africans, in terms of both the marital and parental relationships. Rather than focusing only on the negative impact of labor migration on the relationships in African families, such as the experience of marital and familial dissolution and breakdown, the research also sheds light on the way in which these families utilize cultural values and survival strategies to ensure that the oscillating nature of the immigrant labor system does not completely uproot them from their traditional way of life.

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coping behavior Review cultural factor population research race difference family study South Africa human migration family life