The family is in transition – family structures are growing into exciting new possibilities, due to this, there has been a dramatic increase of diversity in the family and household structures since the earliest centuries. In Africa, our real and perceived blood ties are not bounded by the household or the village, but stretch across communal areas as far as the eye can see and the heart can reach. Traditionally, newcomers would be accepted as part of the family and only excluded only if they spurned the welcome. However, this essay will look at the different family and household structures in the current century, also the diversity of families and understanding the reasons for this diversity and how structures have changed. It will draw theories from Functionalists, the New Right, Marxists and Feminists when showing how the family and household structure has become more diverse since the world that existed in the last fin de siècle. The family is considered as the oldest institutions in society, as written in Stewart & Zaaiman (2014). The typical view of a family is two parents (heterosexual) and children, known as the nuclear family. This is and has been the most common family structure in history but is now under threat due to demand for other family structures. More family structures are evolving and family structures are becoming more diverse, due to factors such as, divorce, recognition of gay and lesbian marriages. In a nutshell it is just, more freedom of choice