Family is the backbone of the Caribbean. A family is the word given to groups of people who decide to live together. The family is the place where fundamental values are spread. Over time, the family structure has changed, and the Caribbean has experienced effects. This essay shall discuss the importance of family in the Caribbean.
In the family, persons learn about norms and values. Children are taught from an early age to respect the law. This means that they are to follow the rules as indicated. Children must not steal. That is a crime. Children must not physically hurt others. That is illegal. Children must not destroy others’ property. This is frowned upon in society. With each family passing on certain teachings to the younger ones, the Caribbean ends up having shared values. Because of the family, persons in the Caribbean think the same on fundamental issues, like crime and how to treat one’s neighbor well.
The family structure has changed in the Caribbean over time. In the past, extended families were the norm. Nowadays, extended families have been replaced by the nuclear family. The Caribbean family now boasts of a father, a mother and their offspring living in one location. The way values are taught has changed within modern times. Where in the past grandparents, uncles and older cousins would have socialized young ones to do right, they no longer have the ability to do so. These additional relatives do not live in community with each other. Parents are the ones tasked with passing on values to children. Nowadays, both parents work to support their costly households.
This change in values has affected the Caribbean as a whole. With parents not in the household full-time to teach their children values, children learn values haphazardly. They learn when parents have time and energy to sit and talk with them. This change in Caribbean family structure has negatively affected the Caribbean as a lack of strong values in citizens like a distaste for committing crimes leads to more crimes being committed and a society fearing for its safety. According to regional statistics, with the increase in persons in the Caribbean moving away from extended family type structures to nuclear family structures, there has been an increase in crime in the under 18 population, as well as the 18 to 25 population. An incarcerated youth population decreases economic prosperity for the region, as the young people are not available to take up jobs to replace their aging counterparts.
The family is the backbone of the Caribbean. It is here where children are socialized to be pro social and commit acts that are for the benefit of their communities. Over time, families have transformed into smaller nuclear arrangements, over the once favored extended family structure. This has led to values not shared as effectively as before, and young people leading reckless lives, and committing crimes in their communities. If Caribbean communities are to continue being prosperous, there is a need to ensure that these modern family arrangements do still effectively pass on positive values to the young ones.
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