Does matrifocality characterize Caribbean families?

Essay submitted by user Shanique Hayden

General Comments: Writer demonstrated

1. very good understanding of the question

2. very good knowledge of the social issue – matrifocality

3. ability to cite relevant sociological arguments to surrounding the issue

4. ability to clearly express their point of view, using the case studies cited. This was a generally well written essay.

Mark scheme: Knowledge & Understanding - 7

Interpretation & Analysis – 7

Synthesis & Analysis – 7

Total Marks - 21/25

The Caribbean is characterized by Matrifocality. Is this a true assessment of the Caribbean?

Matrifocality simply defined means pertaining to, or designating a family unit or structure headed by the mother and lacking a father permanently or for extended periods. A family defined by George Peter Murdock is “a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexually relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.

The Caribbean region is often characterized by sociologists as one in which the family structure is highly dysfunctional due to the fact that matrifocal families are the most common forms of families throughout the region. The predominance of this family structure has been highlighted in many studies done on the Caribbean. These include those done by Frazier, Herskovits, Elliot Liebow and Oscar Lewis. These studies support the writer’s view that the Caribbean is characterized by Matrifocality. Frazier believed that the matrifocal family derived from slavery retentions. He claimed that the way many Caribbean families are formed and structured was as a result of the influences from the days of slavery being retained in the Caribbean. These plantation experiences include the inability of the slave fathers to cohabit with and provide for their children. This was due to the fact that the white plantation owners forbade it and to keep them separated they often sold the males and the males and females lived in different quarters. Due to this practice under slavery, it is Frazier’s view that the males have developed a lazy and reluctant attitude when it comes to being an active member of their families.

Another factor is the fact that many of the slave women had either forced or consensual sexual relations with the white plantation owners. These white men did not claim their children and so the women had to bear the burden of raising the children all alone, and these practices he believes have been carried over into modern societies. Contradicting Frazier’s view is Herskovits. He believes that the Caribbean matrifocal family form, among others is as a result of African cultural retentions brought here by the slaves. These cultural retentions include their sexual relations and family patterns such as polygamy which was reinterpreted in Caribbean to produce progressive monogamy. This type of sexual relationship leads to a man having multiple sexual partners which may lead to multiple children with different women. As a result of this the father is unable to be an active member in the lives of all his children and so has to resort to arrangements such as visiting relationships and in some cases single parent families, usually headed by the female.

Another point highlighted by Herskovits was that in African Polygamist families the women had a certain kind of economic independence and so the men played a marginal role. It was as though the man was not necessary for the family to function effectively. This pattern, he believes, continued and was transmitted to the Caribbean when the slaves came here. So this would account for the marginal roles that men play in the lives of their families in the Caribbean. Elliot Liebow argued that matrifocal families in the Caribbean were due mainly to the economic position of blacks. Liebow sees female headed families resulting from the desertion by the husbands or male figures because he has insufficient funds to play the role of father and breadwinner. Faced with a situation of failure to perform his manly duties, men often desert their families. So he is of the view that the matrifocal families that result thereafter are as a result of low income and not poverty. This is to say that some men do not earn a substantial amount to invest in improving his economic standings. Most times he earns just enough to survive and so has no guarantee of provision should he invest. As a result of this his economic standings may remain the same or deteriorate over time. If this should happen he would be unable to carry out his duties as father and provider for his family. Most men do not want to be faced with this reality and so they abandon the situation by leaving the mother alone to care for the children. On the other hand, there is Oscar Lewis, whose view is contained in the concept of the culture of poverty. He believes that matrifocal families are as a result of poverty and states that Matrifocality has become a part of the subculture of the poor.

Also supporting Lewis’ view is Ulf Hannerz who argues that female-headed families are so common that to some degree they have become an expected and accepted alternative to the standard nuclear family. Therefore matrifocal families can be seen as not only a product of poverty but also of culture. So it is the view of Lewis and Hannerz that due to poverty, the presence of matrifocal families is normal. It is widely accepted in society and as such has become a product of culture. So it can be said that matrifocal families are prevalent in the Caribbean due to the presence of poverty.

To conclude, it can be said that the family structure that dominates the Caribbean is the matrifocal family. This is supported by the works of Frazier, who believes that the matrifocal family is as a result of slavery retentions, Herskovits, who claims that Matrifocality is as a result of African retentions and reinterpretations, Liebow, who is of the belief that Matrifocality is as a result of the economic position of the black men and the combined views of Lewis and Hannerz who both believe that the matrifocal family is as a result of poverty. Due to these studies and the fact that matrifocal families are very dominant in the region, the writer concludes that the assertion that the Caribbean is characterized by Matrifocality is a true assessment.