Family in Belize

     Family is a single word, with many alternative meanings. individuals have many ways of shaping a family and what being a part of a family means to them. Families dissent in terms of economic, cultural, social, and plenty other facets, however what each family has in common is that the individuals who call it a family are making clear that those people are important in some way to the person calling them his family.

     The dictionary defines family in several ways. One definition is "a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children." While this definition is a good starting point, there are several modern family structures that are excluded by this definition, such as childless couples or other variations on the family unit. Another definition is "Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another and reside usually in the same dwelling." (Blessing, 2019) 

Who makes a family? 
             

The traditional family consists of a father, mother and kids. This is the family shown on television as the normal family. However, the 21^st century showcases an assortment of family units, some completely different from the standard of the 1950’s. Today, children are also raised in single parent homes, by grandparents or by homosexual parents. Some families prefer not to have kids, or cannot have children due to some medical or emotional barrier. The concept that parents and kids build a family is a basic definition; however to accurately acknowledge different family structures, a broader definition is important. In addition to a more universal family definition, there are also plenty of people who consider a group of friends to be family, there are also are lots of folks who consider a group of friends to be family, and adults who consider pets as defining members of the family unit.

Homosexual Parents

Single Parent

A family contains a group of people who shares a legal bond or blood bond. Legal bonds are Families are legally bond through marriages, adoptions, and guardianship's, as well as the rights, duties, and obligations of these legal contracts. Legal bonds are often modified, expanded, or dissolved to vary the composition of a family. Blood Bonds are People who are directly connected through a standard relative or ancestor are apart of a family. This includes both distant and close family members  like siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and grandparents. Researching a family tree or kinship group records will reveal familial blood bonds.

There are different types of family structures each of that is equally viable as a collateral, caring unit.The different families are Nuclear family, Extended family, Complex family, Single parent family, Step family, Traditional family, Grandparent Family, Adopted family, Gay/ Lesbian Family, Foster Family and childless family. Here is a video summarizing  the meaning of each family. 

Lets go more in depth about the Extended and Nuclear family. An Extended family may also be known as a complex family, multi- generation family, or joint family. This type of family unit has multiple generations and additive relatives aside from just the parents and their kids living within the same household and taking up responsibilities for that household. In Belize there are a lot of extended families especially in the villages, they still believe in living together as one family. For example I have an uncle that lives with his wife, and her entire family in one household in Crique Jute village in Toledo District. They tend to work together and share the different household responsibilities between each other. They say that they love living together in one household because they feel more connected as a family, it is less expensive for them because everyone is working so they can all pitch in to pay the bills and lastly because they love doing everything together and enjoy the companion of each other.

A nuclear family on the other hand is the traditional type of family structure. This family type consists of two parents and children. The nuclear family was long held in esteem by society as being the ideal in which to raise children. Children in nuclear families receive strength and stability from the two-parent structure and generally have more opportunities due to the financial ease of two adults.(Blessing, 2019)
                      
                                    
In Belize an increasing number of Belizean families are headed by single parents, especially mothers. Due to this trend, many of the present-day youths decline to pursue marriage and get involved in common law relationships with their partners. It is not common to encounter youths living with their parents around the age of 20 or above.(En.wikipedia.org, 2019) As a consequence of this trend, the most common family structure in Belize is the single-parent family. Moreover, grandparents are frequently involved in raising their grandchildren, with or without the assistance of the parents.

Stated from an article I came across, many lower-sector households in Belize City were headed by single parents, usually women. Female workers generally received lower incomes than their male counterparts, and women experienced an unemployment rate 250 percent higher than men. In numerous cases, migration of both parents resulted in children being raised by siblings, older relatives, or friends of the family. Some of the more privileged members of Belizean society perceived that increases in juvenile delinquency, crime, and drug use among Belizean urban youth were directly attributable to breakdowns in family structure. (Countrystudies.us, 2019) After reading this article it made me realize that the common family type in Belize is the single parent family, I was raised by a single parent also so I know the struggles of being in a single parent household. When my father had past away when I was a baby, my mother had to take up the role of raising me on her own. 
Life in a  single parent home although common is quite stressful for the adult and therefore the children. The single parent may sometimes feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of juggling caring for the kids, maintaining employment and maintaining with the bills and home chores. And generally, the family's finances and resources are drastically reduced following the parents' breakup.

                                             

Reference:

Blessing, M. (2019). Meaning of Family. Retrieved from 

https://family.lovetoknow.com/about-family-values/meaning-family

Mayntz, M. (2019). Definition of Extended Families. Retrieved from https://family.lovetoknow.com/about-family-values/definition-extended-families

En.wikipedia.org.(2019, November 18) . Culture of Belize. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Belize

Countrystudies.us. (2019). Belize - STRUCTURE OF BELIZEAN SOCIETY - The Lower Sector. 
Retrieved from http://countrystudies.us/belize/30.htm