Family Structures in the Caribbean

1. Family Structures in the Caribbean

2. African-Caribbean Families • Approximately 80 to 90 percent of families in the Caribbean are from an African background (greatest effect on culture) • Absent fathers • Grandmother-dominated households • Marriage and Divorce • Child-shifting, where children are sent to live with relatives because the parents have migrated or have started a family with another spouse • Four kinds of relationships within family • marital union • common-law union (the parents live together, but are not legally married) • visiting union (the mother still lives in the parents' home) • the single parent family (mother raises children alone)

3. Chinese-Caribbean Families • Try to keep much of the traditions and customs of China • Especially try to preserve their language • They often identify with the areas in China from which they came, and keep close associations with people from areas • Provide education for all their children, but sons are still favored • Privacy • Family problems usually kept private and only talked about within the family/household. Not a lot of emotional expression, public demonstrations of love are rare • Chinese families appear more stable. • Stay true to Chinese family structure and tradition of rather introverted family life • Chinese families will sometimes migrate to areas where other Chinese families are, isolated from others • Family traditions • Many families may change religions, they still practice Buddhist traditions like lighting incense and, sometimes, keep Buddhist shrines in the home. • Many use/trust herbal medicine as opposed to modern. • Are still often perceived by many as higher class families because of their lighter skin color

4. Indian-Caribbean Families • Roles of Family Members • Father – head of family, authority figure, provider. Final disiplianarian and decisionmaker. • Mother – caretaker, household chores. Major role of women is to get married and contribute to the family. • Women are seen as inferior to men (traditional Hindu perspective) • Children - bring honor to their families through achievements and good behavior • Valued traits in chilren - conformity, generational interdependence, obligation, and shame • Children are seen as products of their parents hard work. One of the primary goals of marriage in Hindu families is to have children. • Children must take care of their parents when they grow old (traditional Indian way) • Girls groomed for marriage from childhood • Several generations live in same house • Role of women starting to improve • More women are going to high school and universities, and hold prestigious jobs