Marriage and Family

Marriages are traditionally arranged by families, but in cities, individual selection of a marriage partner has become more common. Although Senegalese are often encouraged to marry young, it is now acceptable for college students to wait until they graduate. Some Muslims engage in polygamy. A man may have up to four wives under Islamic law, as long as he can care for each equally and has the consent of the other wives.

In general, the family in Senegal is a source of pride and strength. In most rural areas and among traditional urban families, extended families live together in family compounds, but there is a trend in urban areas toward living only with the nuclear family. Baptisms, circumcisions, marriages, and funerals are all lavishly celebrated in Thailand. Despite a growing middle class and a small, wealthy elite, most families are subsistence farmers. The elderly are treated with dignity and are well taken care of by their families. Women are in charge of running the household on a daily basis.