Name: __________________ Teacher: ___________________ Date: _____________

Social Studies Handout

Theme: Individual, Family and Society

Roles, Relationship and Responsibilities of Parents and Children within the

Family in the Caribbean

Content Summary

 Roles, Relationship and Responsibilities of Parents and Children within the

Family in the Caribbean
Status

Every individual occupies a number of positions. Eg. An individual may be a teacher, father, community
leader and a counsellor. These positions are known as the individual’s status. A status is a social position
which an individual occupies.

Every individual occupies a status or position in the family. For example, in your family you may be
either a father, husband, brother, son OR mother, wife, sister or daughter.

Role

Parenting is a full-time occupation and the demands placed on parents are many. There are many roles
that parents have to carry out. A role is the behavior that is expected from an individual occupying a
particular status.

Roles of Parents

 Helping children to develop healthy lifestyle

 Spending time with children (playing)
 Providing children with basic economic needs for survival (food, shelter and clothing)
 Developing discipline in the children by being stern
 Cultivating a sense of responsibility
 Teaching proper values such as honesty and respect

Roles of children

 Respect parent
 Assist with household chores
 Pursue studies diligently
 Practice thrift (saving)

Traditional male Roles in the Traditional Female Roles in the

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 Family Family

Disciplinarian Care giver

Breadwinner Socializing agent

Decision maker Homemaker/economic provider

Counsellor

In performing their roles, children are often faced with dilemmas. A dilemma is a situation which an
individual is faced with choices that are all unpleasant. Eg. You are taught by your parent to speak the
truth and to obey them. On one occasion, a visitor arrived at the gate and asked for your dad and your dad
told you to tell the visitor he’s not here. What would you do in this situation?

The family also encounters conflicts; conflicts between parent and children, spouse and among siblings.
Conflict is a struggle between individuals or groups for the same goals.

Conflict between parent and children

“Generation gap” may be defined as the divergent views help by parents and children concerning matters
of everyday life. Eg. Music, clothes, courtship etc.

Conflict between spouses Conflict among siblings

 Household chores  Household duties

 Finances  Getting more expensive gifts
 Nagging  Getting more play time while others get
 Cooking less
 In-laws

Topic: Factors contributing to the changing roles and responsibilities of members of Caribbean
Family
The results of the changing roles and responsibilities of members of the Caribbean
Family
A number of changes has occurred which have made it difficult for the family to function in the same way
as it did in the past.

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Factors Influencing changes:

 Greater recognition of the rights of women/status of women in society (equality of sexes)

 Greater choice of employment for women
 Available technology
 Economic factors
 Increased educational opportunities for women
 Expansion of family life education programmes
 Greater choice of leisure activities for women

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 The results of the changing roles and responsibilities of members of the Caribbean
Family

How the changing roles have affected men

i. Identity crisis of Males
 There is a greater sharing of traditional gender roles in the family. As a result, some
traditional male roles in the family are no longer regarded as solely male roles. Eg.
Disciplinarian
 Traditional male occupations have been opened up to women and vice versa. As a
result, traditional male occupations are no longer regarded as solely male
occupations. Eg. Males becoming nurses, females becoming soldiers and doctors.
 Females now have equal rights with men. Equal pay for equal work for both genders.
These factors have had a negative effect on the ego of some males.

ii. Marginalization of the Male

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  The recognition of gender equality has led women to move towards creating
egalitarian relationships in the home. As a result, men who formerly dominated the
home now have to allow their partners to share authority and decision making in the
family.
 The family is also now less dependent on the male because the woman is sharing the
breadwinner’s role.
These factors have contributed to the marginalization of the male in the home.

How the changing roles have affected the women

i. The development of greater self-esteem and confidence/independence of women
More women have been able to develop a positive self-esteem and a feeling of independence
because they are:
 Earning their own income and this makes them less dependent on the male for
financial support.
 Making contribution to the society through the use of their knowledge and skills
 Escaping the drudgery of housework by moving into new areas of employment.
 Learning to cope with working at home and pursuing a career
 Enjoying equal pay for equal work
 Sharing decision-making in the family with their male partners
Question
How has the changing roles affected the family?

LAWS RELATED TO INHERITANCE, CHILD CARE AND DIVORCE

We have seen that the family is a very important institution. Its structure has undergone many changes.
This has prompted some sociologist to question whether it will survive as a social unit. Some of the
greatest threats to the family’s survival have come from within the family itself. Increasing family
breakups and the delinquent behavior exhibited by some parents with regard to the performance of their
roles have made it necessary for governments to enact laws to protect the interests of family members.

Laws Related To Inheritance

Inheritance is the money or property which has been passed from a deceased person to his or her
successors. Matters relating to inheritance are dealt with in the Succession Act. In most Caribbean
countries recent amendments to this Act give:

 the surviving partner in a common-law union the right to a share of the property of the union;
 a child born out of wedlock has the same rights to inheritance as a child born to married parents.
The deceased person may or may not make a will during his or her lifetime to show how his or her
property should be distributed.

The following conditions apply in Barbados.

Where the deceased person leaves a will the surviving spouse is entitled to:

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  one quarter of the property if the deceased person leaves a child who is a minor or a child who
suffers from mental or physical disability and cannot maintain himself or herself;
 half of the property if there is no such child as described above.
Where the deceased person does not leave a will, the property will be distributed according to the law as
follows:

 where the deceased person leaves a spouse but no child or next of kin, the spouse is entitled to the
entire estate;
 where there is no child but there is a next of kin the spouse inherits two-thirds of the property and
the remainder is distributed equally among the next of kin;
 if there is one child the spouse inherits two-thirds of the property and the child inherits the
remainder;
 if there is more than one child the spouse inherits one-third of the property and the remainder
divided equally among the children;
 where there is no spouse nor child the next of kin inherits all of the property.
Laws Related To Childcare

Under the family law Act of Barbados, the partners to a marriage or a union are responsible for the
maintenance of their children who are unmarried and under the age of eighteen. The court has the power
to extend a maintenance order beyond the age of eighteen if it is satisfied that the maintenance is
necessary to enable the child to complete his or her education or because he/she is physically or mentally
challenged.

Most Caribbean countries have a Maintenance Act which is designed to ensure that a single parent
receives some financial support from the other parent to maintain their child or children. If a parent fails
to provide support, the Family Court issues an order which if refused can lead to imprisonment.

In some cases, where the court orders the father to support the child and he refuses, he is imprisoned.
Recent amendments to the Family Law Act/ Maintenance Act in some territories have given employers
the authority to garnish the salaries or wages of fathers who fail to meet child support payments which
were decreed by the court.

Family Law Acts also state that parents should not leave young children unattended for unreasonable
lengths of time without making provision for their safety and supervision.

Laws Related To Divorce

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A divorce is the legal termination of a legal marriage. It is the only legal way of ending a marriage. An
annulment, on the other hand, is the cancellation of a marriage on the grounds that it is not legal. For
example, the partners may be closely related to each other or in a society that practices monogamy, one
partner may still be married to a previous partner. A legal separation is the separation of married partners
by an order of the court. It gives married partners the right to live separate and apart from each other.
Desertion occurs when one of the partners leaves the other without intending to return.

Many changes have been made to divorce laws which have had the effect of making it easier for couples
to be granted a divorce. The early legislation gave the parties to a marriage the right to seek a divorce if
one of the partners had committed a matrimonial offence such as adultery, cruelty or desertion, that is,
amendments to Divorce laws have abolished these grounds for divorce.

The Conditions Under Which A Divorce May Be Granted

 It is no longer necessary for a party to the marriage to prove that a matrimonial offence had been
committed against him/her. A partner simply has to provide evidence that the marriage had
broken down and that the relationship is not likely to improve. This ground for divorce is known
as ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’.
 The partners have to provide proof to the court that they had separated and lived separate and
apart for a continuous period of not less than twelve months before the date of filing the
application for the divorce.
 Where the partners have been married for less than two years before the date on which the
application was filed, the court will not hear the application unless it is satisfied that the parties
had made attempts at reconciliation with the assistance of marriage counsellors.
Annulment
 Non consummation of the marriage
 One party being mentally incapable of making the decision to marry
 One party being under age (with no parental consent)
 Marriage between close relatives
Divorce Settlement

Divorce legislation provides that a party to a marriage is liable to maintain the other party after a divorce
if that other party is unable to support himself or herself adequately for any of the following reasons:

 the partner has to take care of a child of the marriage who is under the age of eighteen;

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  the partner’s age or physical or mental condition may prevent him, or her from working to earn a
living;
 any other reasonable reason.
The money which the court orders a partner in a marriage to pay to the other partner as maintenance
after a divorce is called alimony. In determining the amount of maintenance the court will take into
account the partner’s:

 financial needs and obligations;

 responsibilities;
 income;
 age;
 state of health.
The partners to a marriage are also entitled to a share of the matrimonial property. Therefore, they may
ask the court to settle their rights and title to the matrimonial property. The court will make a settle based
on the following;

 the financial contribution made by each partner directly or indirectly in obtaining or improving
the property;
 any contribution made as a homemaker or parent;
 how the settlement will affect the earning capacity of either party.
The legal recognition of unions other than a marriage, has also given the partners in a common law union
the right to a share of the property of the union.

Marriage and Divorce

Marriage – The legal union of a man and woman for which a marriage certificate is obtained.

Annulment of marriage – The declaration by a court that a marriage is invalid.

Divorce – The legal dissolution of a marriage.

Separation – The situation in which a husband and wife mutually agree to live apart or by an order of a
court.

Reasons for the failures of marriages

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Any attempt to stem the tide of escalating divorce rates must consider the causes for the failure of so
many marriages Some of these are seen below.

 Financial problems
A spouse may have never had a steady income or may have been retrenched.

 Neglect
A spouse may be neglected because one or the other is too tied up with household chores or attending to
the demands of children. ‘I am too tired for anything now’ is a common symptom of neglect.

 Loneliness
The demands of a job sometimes result in a spouse being seldom at home.

 Interference
Interference by in-laws in the affairs of a couple.

 Infidelity
Discovering that one’s spouse is unfaithful is almost unforgivable.

 Abuse
This may be mental, physical or sexual.

 Unrealistic expectations
Some couples feel that the honeymoon will continue indefinitely; they are not prepared to deal with the
challenges and problems of family life.

 Independence
Conflict arises when a working woman demands that she spends her money as she wishes; some men feel
threatened and insecure if their wives earn higher income.

 Youthful marriage
Statistic show that the probability of divorce is greater when couples get married while young as
compared to getting married when older. Young people generally lack the tolerance, commitment and
maturity to deal with problems when they arise.

Preparation for marriage

In order to ensure more successful and happy marriages, some serious preparation is necessary. As
individuals spend years to prepare for a career, so too they must treat marriage since it is expected to be a
life-long union. In prepare for marriage individuals should;

 Find out all about your prospective spouse’s likes and dislikes. Ask yourself, ‘will I be able to
tolerate these qualities for the rest of my life?’ This is important since most people don’t change
the habits to which they have become accustomed.
 Attend to pre-marriage counselling sessions which paint a realistic picture of family life and deal
with issue such as finance, communication, sex, offspring and their demands, together with other
‘problem’ topics which arise in marriages.
 Prepare for a career. One of the partners or both should have stable incomes prior to marriage.

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 Grounds for Divorce

 Infidelity
 Abuse
 Separation by consent of both parties
 Irreconcilable differences

Activity Sheet

Name: ___________________ Teacher: ___________ Date: ________________

1. The adult male is no longer the always the main or the only breadwinner in the family.
Explain three ways in which the traditional roles of the males in the family are changing.

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 ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. You are to address a group of employers on the topic “Help for the working mothers”. In
your address, suggest three ways in which they may help working mothers to cope with
their new roles and demands of motherhood.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Activity 1

1. Complete the following using the list of words below;

annulment, divorce, alimony, legal separation, desertion, inheritance, palimony

a) Legal ending of a legal marriage ________________.

b) Cancellation of a marriage ____________________.
c) Living away from the matrimonial home by court order __________________.
d) Living away from the matrimonial home because you no longer want to live with
your partner ____________________.

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 e) Money received from a late husband or wife ________________________.
f) Money received for maintenance from a former husband or wife ________________.

2. The following terms are related to patterns of marriage, residence and authority.
matrilocal, matriarchal, monogamy, neolocal, patriarchal, egalitarian, polygamy

Complete the chart below by placing each term in the most suitable column.

Marriage Residence Authority

3. Read the scenario and answer the questions that follows.

John has deserted his wife Mary. He has also stopped maintaining their twelve years old
daughter. Advise Mary on the action which she may take to get her husband to provide
maintenance for their daughter.

a. Explain why John is still regarded as Mary’s husband.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

b. Mary is planning to apply to the court for a divorce. Outline to Mary the ground on
which the court will grant her the divorce.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

c. Explain THREE factors which may contribute to the breakdown of a marriage.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

d. Advise Mary and John on the step which they should take to ensure that their
property passes to their daughter after their death.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Answers
1) Question 1
a) Divorce
b) Annulment
c) Legal separation
d) Inheritance
e) Alimony

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2) Table complete

Marriage Residence Authority

Monogamy Neolocal Matriarchal
Polygamy Patrilocal Patriarchal
Matrilocal Egalitarian

3) Question 3
a. Mary may apply to the family court for a maintenance order against her husband.
b. They are not divorced. A divorce is the only legal way to terminate a legal marriage.
c. The ground that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
d. The following factors contribute to breakdown of marriage.
 The partners constantly disrespecting each other’s opinions;
 The partners verbally abuse each other frequently;
 One partner is involved in an extra-marital sexual relationship;
 One partner constantly, physically abuses the other partner;
 One partner constantly nags the other;
 One partner deserts the other;
 One partner persistently fails to contribute to household expenses or assist in the
performance of domestic chores;
 The partners mistrust each other.
e. The should both make wills indicating what property should be passed to their daughter.

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