Family Is A Universal Term - 1927 Words

Family is a universal term, but that doesn’t mean it has a universal definition. It’s impossible to attach one definition to the term because it holds different meaning for different people in different societies. The US Census Bureau defines family as consisting of â€Å"at least two people related by marriage, birth, or adoption and living in the same household. â€Å" (Spearin, 2015). Although it’s not directly stated in this definition, the American definition of family is based on underlying themes such as heterosexuality and a nuclear family structure with a mother, father, and their 2.5 kids. This definition greatly differs from the definition of family in Jamaica, which is where I was born. In Jamaica, the domestic unit usually consists of†¦show more content†¦The varying construction of family in US and Jamaica is the result of the varying historical events that occurred in these countries. In the US, the construction of family was influence d by the change in the mode of production and the rise of individualism. In Jamaica, the construction of family was influenced by slavery. During this period, slave owners enforced a ban on formal marriages between two slaves until 1826. If a slave wanted to or even attempted to marry another slave, slave owners sold them to someone else. The lack of family structure during this period is part of the reason why cohabitation is so prevalent in Jamaica. Slavery had far reaching effects not only on the construction of family, but also the construction of gender roles and sexuality within said family. It has had far reaching affects on the daily lives of my family members, and how they interact as a unit. My aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great grandparents all spent the majority of their lives living in Jamaica, and it’s very noticeable in the way they run their households. In my family, there is a clear division of labor, similar to the division of labor present in the US in 1950. The women are in charge of taking care of the kids and getting them ready for school before they head off to work. When they get back from work, 8 out of 10 times, they are the ones to cook dinner and make sure the