THE CARIBBEAN FAMILY.docx

THE CARIBBEAN FAMILY; MARRIAGE Objectives: At the end of the two-hour session, students will be able to: define the term Family identify the main family structures discuss the roles or functions of the family describe the variation in marriage forms explain the four main parenting styles explore the...

THE CARIBBEAN FAMILY; MARRIAGE Objectives: At the end of the two-hour session, students will be able to: define the term Family identify the main family structures discuss the roles or functions of the family describe the variation in marriage forms explain the four main parenting styles explore the theorist views of the family Introduction Some kind of family organization is found in every culture. However, the definition of family must be very broad and flexible, because family styles can be vastly different from culture to culture. Family is generally understood to be a simple group of human beings united by certain affiliations including biologic, emotional and legal. "Culture influences the attitude towards illegitimate pregnancies. Culture is seen as the way a society prescribes the behaviour for its members and its institutions. Laws and mores are the means by which the desired behaviour is achieved and maintained. The kind of maternal care the child receives influences him or her throughout life. It is believed that early experiences can account for many of the deviant unusual behaviours in adults. Definition of Family A social unit of some number of people who are linked intimately Related in some way Usually living together Engaging in sex Having responsibility for rearing children Functioning as an economic unit Social group of two or more people, related by blood, marriage or adoption, who usually live together. Components of the Family Several components unique to the family make it distinct from any other group. These components includes its: 1. Structure 2. Functions 3. Assigned Roles 4. Distinct modes of interaction 5. Availability of resources 6. Progress through a life cycle, has a history 7. Made up of individual members with special histories. Main Family Structures Family Structures are divided as: 1. Nuclear or Simple - which may compose of father, mother and child or children. They may be married or in a "Common law Union". 2. Murdock suggests that this type is the most usual and functional form of family arrangement; however, believes that the concept of family includes kinship 2. Extended or blended - which is any grouping by descent, marriage or adoption, includes the simple plus grandparents, aunts and cousins Note that the most important criteria for both the nuclear and extended families are those of financial and other support. Two types of extended families exist Horizontal - extended as a result of siblings introducing their spouses into the households; household further extended when children are introduced Vertical (consanguine) - one, two or three generation families. The possibility of this happening has increased owing to the fact that there is greater life expectancy Modified Family Structures Families are modifying traditional roles: 1. Single Parent Matrifocal - woman is at the center of the family or single headed household 2. Matriarchal - power and authority is the woman's 3. Two Career Families 4. Grandmother headed or Children headed 5. Visiting union 6. Common- Law Unions Alternative Family Forms Serial monogamy- more than one spouse but not at the same time Gay and lesbians Families of affinity - people with or without legal or blood relation who feel they belong together and define themselves as family Functions or Roles of the Family Physical: provides a safe, comfortable environment necessary to growth and development, rest and recuperation and maintenance Economic: Allocation of resources and provision of financial assistance to the family and needs of society Division of labour Socialization of Members: Teaches values, transmits beliefs, attitudes and coping mechanisms, provides feedback and guides problem- solving. Reproduction Giving birth to prolong the race; recruitment and release of family members Stabilization Maintenance of law and order Clear separation of generational boundaries - children are free of the role of saving parents and parental marriage Affective and Coping Provides emotional support to members and establish identity during times of stress Maintenance of motivation and morale Realistic perceptions and expectations by parents of each other and children Variations in Marriage Forms Marriage forms also vary considerably from society to society. Some are based on personal choice and love (Companionate marriages). Arranged marriage - where parents decide who their children will marry and the decision is guided by economic, political or kinship concerns. Love is irrelevant or perhaps it is expected to develop after marriage In India- young couples were not allowed to see each other before their marriage. Koreans - are allowed a few visits before the marriage In Egypt - parents present several eligible mates and the child selects a partner Marriage forms also vary according to the number of spouses allowed an individual. In the Western societies the practice is one of Monogamous marriages - one husband and one wife at a time. Then there is polygamy, which is more than one spouse at a time. However, two types of polygamous marriages exist: polygyny and polyandry. Polygyny permits the husband to legally have more than one wife at a time Polyandry allows the wife more than one husband. There are four areas of compatibility in marriage: finances, work, role expectations and sex. Four Main Parenting Styles Parenting is also different in each family; this variation may also result from the structure. Four Main Styles are: Authoritative Authoritarian Permissive Indifferent or uninvolved 1. Authoritative Parents tend to be 'child centered', accepting and responsive to the child's needs, desires and use persuasive arguments, but they also set clear standards of mature behaviour and enforce rules. They encourage open communication; gives reasons for their decisions and disciplinary actions. The children of authoritative parents are generally self-reliant, self-controlled, socially competent, friendly and have high self-esteem. 2. Authoritarian Parents may not balance their demands for mature behaviour with an acceptance of the child's needs. Strict limits are placed on the child's expression of desires. Rules are not discussed nor decisions explained. The child's efforts to challenge authority figures are suppressed. Physical punishment and harsh disapproval result in lack of social competence, spontaneity and low self-esteem. 3. Permissive Parents are accepting, responsive and loving; parents exercise less control over their children's behaviour. They avoid confrontation whenever possible, avoided making demand for mature behaviour, setting restrictions and asserting their authority. Children tend to be impulsive and lacking ability to take responsibility. 4. Indifferent and Uninvolved Parents are usually not highly committed to their role as parents, spend little time with their children and are unresponsive to their needs They provide little guidance and are inconsistent with discipline. Children are hostile, disobedient and disagreeable. Have very low self-esteem and show little or no regards for people's right and property. Theorist Views Functionalist tries to answer the following questions about family: What are the functions of the family? What is the relationship between the family and the other institutions in the society? George Peter Murdock defines the nuclear family as follows "a social group characterized by common residence, economic, cooperation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a society approved sexual relationship and one or two children owed or adopted of cohabiting adults." This was developed for the Western parts of the world and is based on being legally married. The functions of family according to the Functionalists are: Sexual Economic Reproductive Educational or Socialization Murdock claims that each function is essential for everyday life and the transmission of culture from generation to generation. The family is an indispensable and inevitable feature of any society. Murdock calls the family a many-sided utility. He states that only the nuclear family can perform adequately all the functions of the family. Together with the other institutions, the family helps to maintain stability and social order. Criticism of Murdock's Theory He does not recognize any other form of family except the nuclear. He does not accept that there are alternatives to the family He emphasizes the harmony and integration in the family and therefore loses the reality of what occurs in the society. The other functionalist view is that of Talcott Parsons, he posits two main functions of the family: The Primary Socialization of Children in the Society - this primary socialization structures the child's personality not just in general terms, but according to the particular culture of that society. Socialization gives you an identity; it makes you fit to live with. Socialization and culture are intricately linked; through socialization one learns the culture of that particular society. Stabilization of Adult Personality - drawing on psychological theories, Parsons emphasizes that the family helps to differentiate the functions of a mother and a father, and through anticipatory socialization they learn their roles. The father is the breadwinner and provides economic security and the mother produces warmth and emotional support. In order to ensure that the society remain stable, adults need to have their personalities stabilize. The context of the family provides stabilization for the children and the parents. Marx et al did not spend much time on the family, however he put forward views on the functions of the family in the Capitalist society. They say the following: The family produces cheap labour to be exploited by the Capitalist. The family maintains the cheap labour at no cost to the employers. The family inculcate values in the children which helps to maintain the oppression of generations example obedience to authority, punctuality and efficiency. The family provides a support system for the spouses. It slows down the revolution because the members of the family are consoled when they are angry at the Capitalist system. The members of the family vent their anger on each other rather than on the system. Why are there so many Matrifocal (Matriarchal) families in the Caribbean? Consequences of African Retentions example Melville Herskovits believes the matrifocal families can be traced to the African origins of the black slaves. The Africans were accustomed to polygyny; the mother was the basic unit of bonding and closeness. The African husband or father was marginal to the group. Herskovits maintained that; this cultural pattern continued in the Caribbean in spite of all that the planters did to strip the Africans of their cultural heritage. Consequences of the Plantation System example M.G. Smith states that the slaves were not encouraged to keep stable families; they were sold and broken up. The mother and children were usually kept together and so children bonded more with their mother. This cultural pattern continues today. Culture of Poverty - writer such as Oscar Lewis says that poverty in the low-income black families prevent males from making financial contribution, as they should. Mothers are therefore left to fend for themselves. Matrifocal becomes the accepted cultural pattern as mothers try their best to keep the family together. Matrifocality has now become a future of the subculture of poverty. Conclusion Features of the home environment will influence the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual behavioural development of the child No matter where a child is born, he finds himself in an environment that affects who and what he will be and how he will behave. So, if he is in the Caribbean or born to Caribbean parents he will be cultured and socialized to live and think like them in one or all areas of his or her life. Views vary but when one looks at the families one recognize different skills and aspects of slavery impacting on our lives.