Caribbean Families

As a result of U.S. influence, primarily through the media, the values of Caribbean families are changing. For instance, the nuclear family is now considered the ideal (Dudley-Grant 2001). The Caribbean had been a community where extended family played a significant role. Extended family included not only immediate relatives (e.g., aunts, cousins), but also godparents and neighbors. Children were raised by communities, and children were disciplined by almost any adult member of the community. Children were also more respectful of adults calling them "auntie or uncle" instead of their name. Although this still happens to some degree, the nuclear family remains the site of primary caretaking.

Caribbean families are complex because of their multiple races, traditions, and structures. However, there is considerable unity among Caribbean people. Regardless of their ethnic backgrounds or unique family patterns, they identify themselves as people from the Caribbean and often see their roots as Caribbean. This is clearly seen in the development of practices which are uniquely Caribbean. For instance, in the area of music, the Caribbean is known for its distinctive taste in reggae ( Jamaica), calypso, and chutney (both from Trinidad). There is distinct Caribbean cuisine, including dishes such as ache and saltfish, or callaloo. The motto of the Jamaican people captures, to some extent, the spirit of all Caribbean people: "Out of many, one."

Read more: Caribbean Families - Conclusion - Gender, Family, Development, Family, Ethnic, Brown, Roopnarine, Ablex, and Greenwich http://family.jrank.org/pages/208/Caribbean-Families-Conclusion.html#ixzz101lCUBhZ

Caribbean Families - Mate Selection And Marriage

For the most part, marriage is taken seriously, and as a result, divorce is less frequent. Most people choose their own mates. However, parental approval, especially from the mother, is still valued. As in the United States, marriages are occurring at a later age and families also tend to be smaller, consisting of one or two children. Many people have a traditional church marriage, because the predominant religions in the Caribbean are Christian.

In general, Caribbean marriages tend to follow a patriarchal pattern where the men are considered the head of the household, and the wife is expected to submit to her husband. However, changes in the status of women—such as accomplishments in higher education and careers—have meant that women have more authority in the home.

Legal marriages are more frequent than common-law relationships within Indian-Caribbean families compared to African-Caribbean families. Traditionally, in Indian-Caribbean families parents arranged marriages for their children. Marriage was seen as not only the joining of two persons, but also the joining of two families and two communities. In such marriages, individuals married at an earlier age. Even in the late twentieth century in Trinidad and Tobago, according to the Hindu Marriage Act, a girl may marry at fourteen and a boy at eighteen, and under the Moslem Marriage Act, both girls and boys may marry at twelve. One of the reasons for early marriages was to prevent the daughter from getting into relationships where she might become pregnant and bring disgrace to the family.

Interracial or mixed marriages have been unusual. However, these marriages slowly became more common toward the end of the 1990s. Most of the marriages occur between the Indian-Caribbean and African-Caribbean families, and to a lesser extent between these families and Chinese-Caribbean families.

http://family.jrank.org/pages/205/Caribbean-Families-Mate-Selection-Marriage.html

Discussion point:

"There is little denying the fact that investing in human capital is one of the most effective means of reducing poverty and encouraging sustainable development. Yet, women in developing countries usually receive less education than men. More so, women in general enjoy far less employment opportunities than men  the world over. Any claims and efforts then, to remove poverty, can show results only if they address the issue of gender inequality" (www.yesweb.org/summit/sessions/op.inequality.doc)

• Is there really a relationship between gender inequality and poverty? 
• Can equality among genders truely address the issues of society? 

Class Rules/Guidelines

1. No student should be more than 5 minutes late for any session
2. Students will embark on a journey of self-directed learning, where they will be responsible for their own learning. Activities include: Group work, projects, presentations, peer teaching, etc.
3. Students must own a copy of the main text and present same to class. No student will be allowed to attend classes without a Social Studies text book.
4. All assigned tasks must be presented on their due dates. No late assignments will be collected.
5. All SBA deadlines must be met. These deadlines will be decided on by teacher and students.
6. Respect self and others, including persons properties and opinions.
7. One class per week will be dedicated to reading and discussing newspaper articles, and for SBA (Wednesdays - unless otherwise stated)

Assignment Pieces (September-December)

Assignment pieces include:

1. Pre-test (September 8)
2. Family Tree (September 16)
3. Essay "The Family as a Social Unit" (Due September 23)
4. Group Work - Create a game (snake and ladder, etc) using key concepts or learning ideas from the lessons learned/taught (Due October 13 - Teacher and students will determine criteria for marking)
5. Mid-term test (October 14)

1. Planning and executing a Parenting Seminar (November)
2. Group Project and oral presentation on a Contemporary Social Issue (Due date and criteria for marking to be determined by teacher and students)
3. Glossary of all key terms (to be submitted on November 11)
4. End of term exam (December)

NB Please make special note of the due dates for all the assignments and be sure to hand them in on time.

Topics for Class

These are the topics we hope to cover during the first semester (September-December 2010). Please note that we start with the theme "Individual, Family and Society". You need to obtain a copy of the syllabus.

1. Explanation of concepts such as kinship, status, extended family, nuclear family, monogamy, polyandry, polygyny, patriarchal, matriarchal, patrifocal, matrifocal, matrilineal, patrilineal, bigamy, incest, marriage, legal separation, divorce, annulment, alimony, sibling, inheritance. NB Keep a glossary of important terms.
2. The functions of the family in contemporary Caribbean society
• Procreation
• Socialization
• Economical
• Emotional and Psychological
3. Differences in family types and unions in the Caribbean
4. Roles, relationships and responsibilities of adult and sibling members of the Caribbean family
5. Causes and effects of the changes in the roles of family members in Caribbean society
6. Factors which assist in the preparation of parenthood
7. Characteristics of effective parenting
8. Contemporary social issues that influence Caribbean family life

Welcome

Hi everyone. Welcome to CSEC Social Studies, and welcome to my blog for this subject. This blog will host Social Studies related issues. I will post assignments, reading materials and discussion questions. I encourage you to interact with the posts by making comments and adding to the discussions. Please feel free to create discussion topics and share any information you think might be useful to others as it pertains to the subject.

The Syllabus content is organised into three major sections.  Students are required to complete Sections A and B and one Option from Section C.

Section A - Individual, Family and Society
Section B - Sustainable Development and Use of Resources
(i)   Development and Use of Resources
(ii)  Regional Integration

Section C - Options
C1 - Communication
C2 - Consumer Affairs
C3 - Tourism