The evolution of the family

Jun 11, 2014 Editorial

A little less than a month ago, on May 15, Guyana joined the rest of the world in observing International Day of Families. It is the opinion of many persons that the traditional Guyanese family is in danger of becoming an anachronism.
The changing appearance of the typical Guyanese family is easily apparent to even the most casual observer. One of the most striking features is the proliferation of single-parent households, usually headed by women.
Far more children today are born to unwed parents and are raised outside the traditional matrimonial home. Many other children, who were born to married parents, have to endure the trauma of a broken home when their parents separate or divorce. Even in households where children are raised in the traditional family, depreciative social standards are seriously eroding the quality of family life. Many of today’s parents lack essential parenting skills; many are abusive to each other and their children, others are neglectful or indifferent.
The fragile economy of the nation also plays a part in the decline of the family. An increasing number of Guyanese families are economically depressed, and eke out a miserable existence in which they are unable to provide a stable financial or emotional environment for their children.
The changing nature of the typical family has also been influenced by the increasing number of women in the workforce. Many families find it impossible to make ends meet with one parent at home; in single-parent households, the parent almost invariably has to get a job. This means that, in many households in Guyana, parents are not around to look after their children for long periods of the day. Also, when many parents come in from a hard day’s work, they are often so tired and preoccupied with the pressures of work, that they are incapable of adequately dealing with the needs of their children.
Consequently, one of the most common features of a modern Guyanese family is children left largely unsupervised, while parents and guardians work.
Many persons believe that a traditional Guyanese family is also threatened by the increasing latitude given to children by parents who subscribe to modern concepts of parenting. Some assert that Guyanese children in many households are likely to be treated more like miniature adults than children.
In such households, the lines between the behaviour of adults and children are blurred, and many parents either actively encourage, or turn a blind eye, when children indulge in activities that in bygone days used to be exclusively for adults.
For example, parents of today’s children seem to have little qualms about their under-aged offspring staying out late, participating in adult entertainment, or using profanity. This has led to the phenomenon of children having disrespect for rules or authority, desiring the privileges of adulthood, but incapable of handling the responsibilities.
Since ancient times, conventional wisdom has urged mankind to regard families as the foundation block of all societies. The welfare of families affects the well-being of their communities, and by extension, entire countries.
A recent survey in the US by insurance company Allianz revealed that most families with a nontraditional structure are struggling financially.
In its LoveFamilyMoney study, Allianz identified seven distinct family structures, or cohorts, one being the traditional family – those married to someone of the opposite sex with at least one child under 21 living at home – who do not fall under one of the modern family cohorts below:
Multi-Generational Families—Three or more generations living in the same household;
Single Parent Families—One unmarried adult with at least one child under 18;
Same-Sex Couple Families—Married or unmarried couples living together with a member of the same gender;
Blended Families—Parents who are married or living together with a stepchild and/or child from a previous relationship;
Older Parent with Young Children Families—Parents age 40+ with at least one child under five in the household;
Boomerang Families—Parents with an adult child (21-35) who left and later returned to rejoin the family.
Guyana must be wary of the challenges facing the Guyanese family, and seek to overcome them. Otherwise, our society would not only have to adapt to the evolution of new types of families with different needs, wants and capabilities, but also have to deal with the novel difficulties they may present.

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The evolution of the family

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