What Does "Family" Mean To You?

Alternative lifestyles are not so alternative anymore. Divorce, adoption, stay-at-home dads, and same-sex families are more the norm than the Ward, June and Beaver Cleaver set-up.

So why do images of The Brady Bunch or The Partridge Family sweep over us in a nostalgic haze when we hear the term "one big happy family"? Didn’t they move out of the neighborhood a long time ago? Why do we think of these families as "wholesome"? And what happened to the "traditional" family of the 20th century?

Thursday on Word of Mouth we speak to award-winning author and activist Rebecca Walker about her new anthology, One Big Happy Family: 18 Writers Talk About Polyamory, Open Adoption, Mixed Marriage, Househusbandry, Single Motherhood, and Other Realities of Truly Modern Love. It’s a celebration of the dynamism and diversity of the modern family.

You tell us: how are you seeing the notion of "family" change? Do you live in a non-nuclear family? What do you think of it? Call us at (603) 223-2448, or share your thoughts below.

(Photo courtesy Sacha Digi via Flickr/Creative Commons)