Changes in the Caribbean Family

Kinship patterns and role of family

members
 Changes in Kinship patterns
• Changes in the economy and the world of
work have impacted Caribbean families
– Desire for fewer children
– Higher levels of education
– Work outside the traditional primary sector
 Modernisation has also affected indigenous
groups in the Caribbean
 Increased divorce rates
 Modified extended family
 Changes in Kinship patterns
• Respect and authority: power struggle produces
violence; decline in religion causes decline in
attitudes of respect towards elders.
• Migration: there are different types of migration
occurring depending on the socio-economic-
status of individuals:
– Seasonal migration
– Serial migration
– Parental migration
– Family migration
Feminisation of migration and Barrel Children
 BASIC FAMILY STRUCTURES IN THE
CARIBBEAN
These affect childrearing, values, and lifestyles.

(1) the marital union;

(2) the common-law union (the parents live together, but are not
legally married);

(3) the visiting union (the mother still lives in the parents' home);

(4) the single parent family.

(Evans and Davies, 1996)
 THE CARIBBEAN FAMILY-the father’s
role
1. Economic provider and protector.
2. Involved in the discipline of the children, especially the
males (often have a distant relationship with their
daughters.)
3. Protector
4. In general not actively involved in day-to-day childcare,
especially for young infants; tend to feel that women are
better at this.
5. However, the late 20th century saw some men becoming
more involved in their children's lives, spending more time
playing and talking with them (Roopnarine et al. 1996).
THE CARIBBEAN FAMILY-mother- roles
1. To take care of the children and be the primary
nurturer in the family.

2. Primary caretakers of the home.

 CHILDREN’S ROLES IN CARIBBEAN
FAMILIES
1. Children are required to be obedient, respectful,
and submissive to their parents.

2. Girls are expected to help with domestic chores

around the house.

3. Boys are expected to do activities outside the house,

such as taking care of the yard and running errands
(Evans and Davies 1996).
CARIBBEAN FAMILY FORMS-The Afro-
Caribbean
1. Has unique mating and childrearing patterns
e.g. absent fathers, grandmother-dominated
households, frequently terminated common-
law unions, and child-shifting.
2. Tend to have a matrifocal or matricentric
structure (J. Sharpe, 1996)
 THE INDO-CARIBBEAN FAMILY
1. Similar to the traditional family in India E.g.
roles of family members are clearly
delineated.
2. Marriage is valued especially for girls (Leo-
Rhynie, 1996)
3. Frequently shares resources (Seegobin, 1999)
4. Single-parent households usually headed by
widows
 THE INDO-CARIBBEAN FAMILY-the
father role
1. The father is seen as the head of the family, the authority figure, and the
primary breadwinner.

2. Has the final authority in most matters; males are valued more than females
3. Seen as the primary disciplinarians and decision makers (Seegobin 1999).

_______________________________________________________________

Under-going changes especially in gender roles e.g. more women educated (J.
Sharpe, 1996)
 THE INDO-CARIBBEAN FAMILY-the
mother role
1. Nurturing role and is usually responsible for
taking care of the children and household
chores.
2. Are taught that their major role is to get
married and contribute to their husband's
family.
3. From a traditional Hindu religious
perspective, women are seen as subordinate
and inferior to men (Seegobin 1999)
 THE INDO-CARIBBEAN FAMILY-
children’s roles
1. To bring honour to their families by their
achievements, good behaviour, and
contribution to their well-being, i.e.
characteristics such as obedience, conformity,
generational interdependence, obligation, and
shame are highly valued.
2. Seen as parents' pride and the products of their
hard work.
3. To take care of parents when they grow old
(Seegobin 1999).
Changes in the Indo-Caribbean Family
• Rising age at marriage
• Personal choice preference in spouse selection
• Absence of exogamy
• Importance of the nuclear family
• Changes in wedding ceremony
• Interpersonal roles within the family with more
egalitarianism
• Changes in kinship behaviour and ideology