Caribbean family diversity

FAMILY TIME

All these forms of the Caribbean family grew out of varying factors that have shaped, equipped and empowered each type of family unit. The family is pivotal for the good or ill of the society because it shapes the individuals who, in turn, shape the society.

TERMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

■ Kinship – This is a concept that refers to family connections between people based on blood, marriage or adoption. It refers to relatives, both in the past and in the present, whether close or distant, and whether contact is frequent, infrequent or even non–existent.

■ Household – This includes any person or persons who live under the same roof. These may be family members, but they may also be unrelated, e.g., a group of students sharing a house are a household.

FACTORS AFFECTING FAMILY TYPES IN THE CARIBBEAN THE CARIBBEAN FAMILY

The family structure that currently exists in the Caribbean has been influenced by several historical and social factors such as slavery, industrialisation and poverty.

SLAVERY

At every stage on the slaves’ journey to the ‘new world’, they were systematically stripped of their culture. Most, if they could, practised common-law or faithful concubine unions. Slaves had no opportunity to practise legal marriages. Later, the missionaries helped them to do so. The slave owners did not encourage the institution of marriage. It was felt that the strength and power of the marriage union would offer a threat to the plantation system.

AFRICAN HERITAGE

Most slaves came from West Africa where polygamy was practised – one man having many wives. They all shared the same compound with their husband, who was the father of their children.

EMIGRATION

The growing number of single-parent, female-headed households is, today, especially vulnerable because of widespread migration.

Try this: How have industrialisation and poverty affected family forms in the Caribbean?

FAMILY UNIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN

Differences in family unions in the Caribbean:

■ Visiting relationships, consensual or common-law, monogamy, legal marriage

UNION

This is the type of arrangement by which a couple unites to form a family.

COMMON-LAW OR CONSENSUAL

This features a man and woman, who are not legally married, living together with or without children.

VISITING RELATIONSHIP

This involves a man and woman, who are not married, who share a sexual relationship but do not share a common residence.

MONOGAMY

This is the practice of marrying or the state of being married to one person at a time; having only one mate, spouse at a time.

LEGAL

This is a marital relationship that is sanctioned by the laws of the country. In the Caribbean it is still a legal status, condition, or relationship that results from a contract by which one man and one woman, who have the capacity to enter into such an agreement, mutually promise to live together in the relationship of husband and wife for life, or until the legal termination of the relationship.

Put the following statements under the correct heading below. (It could be describing more than one union.)

■ No permanent father figure.

■ Both parents are present and serve as role models.

■ Least opportunity for spousal conflict.

■ Felt to be more financially stable.

■ The most recognised and acknowledged union in the Caribbean.

■ May lead to marriage.

MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIPS

The type, functions and characteristics of marriage vary from culture to culture and can change over time.

Monogamy is defined as the state of having only one sexual or romantic partner. Monogamy may be used to refer to romantic relationships or sexual relationships, where the defining characteristic is that a person has only one partner.

‘Polygamy’ is a word that comes from Greece and, if we translate it, the meaning will be “often married”.

Polygamy is a term that comes from the Greek ‘poly’ which means many. This term is connected to a type of marriage where a man is going to have more than two wives at the same time.

Polyandry is the exact thing as polygamy, except for the fact that it refers to women. So, this means that a woman is going to have multiple husbands and marriages at the same time.

Bigamy is the actual legal term used in the law. The legal ‘offense’ of bigamy is defined as when a person has obtained ‘legally recognised’ marriages to more than one living mate at the same time.

Using the definitions above, complete the following table.

CHOICE OF PARTNERS IN MARRIAGE

Endogamy is the rule specifying marriage to a person within one’s own group. A rule of endogamy permits a person to marry within his or her own group. It prohibits marriage with out-group members.

Exogamy, also called out-marriage, is a custom enjoining marriage outside one’s own group.

HOW FAMILIES ARE FORMED

Courtship is the period in a couple’s relationship

which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. During courtship, a couple gets to know each other to decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement.

Dating is a form of courtship consisting of social activities done by two people, with the aim of each assessing the other’s suitability as a partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse.

Engagement, or betrothal, is a promise to wed and the period between a marriage proposal and a marriage. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, or simply engaged.

Marriage is the process by which two people who love each other make their relationship public, official and permanent. It is the joining of two people in a bond that should last until death.

HOMEWORK

1. Identify the FOUR main family unions in the Caribbean and explain the advantages and differences between each union.