IMPACT OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS ON CARIBBEAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE Institutio n Fa%il& - a social unit of individuals specicall y related by blood, marriage or adoption and linked together in a special type of social relationshi p, normally sharing a domestic unit. - Nuclear - Extend ed - Single parent - Sibling
Functionalist perspective The family is responsible for - producing and sociali'in$ ne! members of society ( sta!ili'in$ a"ult personalitie s - shape individual identity and personality
Marist perspective The family family - &acilitates ruling class control by sociali%ation into accepting the status )uo, respect rules and obey authority - $eproduces the labour force and "hen functional, motivates the family the bread contributes to !inner to social order and remain fosters value employed consensus and - 'onsume cultural capitalist continuit&. goods - (chieves greater #ey functions control of - $eproduction !omen and sexual regulation - Sociali%ation - Economic cooperation
E"ucatio n The group of social organi%ati ons !hich see to the transmissi on of kno!ledge and skills needed for economic production
This institution is responsible for ( Secon"ar& sociali'ation - 3reparation of persons for the labour force 4 role allocation - 1ntegration of members into society5 solidarity, patriotism, value consensus - (llo!ing for social mobility, motivating members of
Contri!utions an" C#allen$es -
The The fam famil ily y !as !as of prim primar ary y importance during slavery and continues to be a central institution in 'aribbean societies. - Typic ypical al cha chara ract cter eris isti tics cs of of the the A*ro( Cari!!ean family include %atri*ocalit& , loose)unstable con*ugal bonds, and predominanc p redominance e of extended and single parent structures, %ale %ar$inalit& , high illegitimacy rates and strict gendered division of labour. - Expl Explan anat atio ions ns for for thes these e tren trends ds include A*rican Retention +. erskovit%, Slaver& +&. &ra%ier, &. enri/ues, .0. Smith and a"aptation a"aptation to socio(econo%ic socio(econo%ic con"itions . - Earl arly re resear search che ers) social pat#olo$ists deemed the typical 'aribbean family "enu"e" and "&s*unctional because of the relative relative absence of the nuclear form. 1t !as therefore blamed for many of the social ills in society. - The typical In"o(Cari!!ean family is patri*ocal , extended and patriarchal. They are also characteri%ed characteri%ed by various forms of en"o$a%& and eo$a%& . These patterns are largely explained by retention, creoli'ation and adaptation to ne! circumstances. circumstances. - #ey issue issues s in the the 'ari 'aribb bbea ean n fami family ly include barrel children, *uvenile delin/uency, poverty, domestic violence and child abuse, children and !omen2s rights, male marginali%ation, marginali%ation, crime in the society and changes in education and health policies. The education system in the 'aribbean 'aribbean has had only partial success in reducing social ine/uality in society. 1n fact education has been used historically to reinforce the divisions bet!een the social groups in the society. This institution !as one in !hich the pluralis% of !hich .0. Smith spoke existed, and is still evidenced today along social class lines.
Schools are largely engaged in structural or social repro"uction . Education is used to perpetuate ruling class advantage. - Through strea%in$ Education is also largely in7uenced by and other our former colonisers 'aribbean !ide. forms of This legacy includes the ma*or ma*or levels of di6erentiatio the system +primary, secondary and n they tertiary, the classication and ranking further the of schools into traditional +grammar ine/uality and non-traditional bet!een +technical)vocational, *unior high, the social use of 88-plus or 89-plus exams, the
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society 3romoting values such as achievement and e/uality of opportunity. :ridges the gap bet!een the family and the society
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The above is informed by the assumption that society is %eritocratic . -
groups They transmit ruling class ideology and reinforce the false class consciousne ss Through the #i""en curriculu% the inculcation of the appropriate values and attitudes in the !orking class5 1t generates a large pool of unskilled or semiskilled !orkers !ho compete and settle for lo! paying !orking class *obs.
S&%!olic Interactionist s o6er similar arguments noting that teac#er stu"ent relations#ips, streaming and the teaching and learning is executed often result in the negative labelling of members of the lo!er class, reduce the opportunities they are a6orded and simply reproduce the social ine/ualities. :oth agree that a ruling class measuring stick is used to *udge all students.
use of 'ambridge exams +general certicate of Education, use of a value laden and some!hat religious curriculum, a close relationship bet!een the church and schools and even the !earing of uniforms in public schools. (ttempts have been made to in"i$eni'e our schools and conse/uent education ho!ever. These include - The establishment of local universities, primarily the U+I !hich help to generate local information, develop local technology and resources and help to shape curricula and syllabi !hich are more in touch !ith the needs of 'aribbean countries. - The establishment of the Cari!!ean Ea%inations Council !hich sets and administers 'aribbean based school leaving exams +'SE' and '(3E, and designs 'aribbean based syllabi for students. - 3rogrammes similar to t#e Pri%ar& E"ucation I%prove%ent pro$ra%%e inclusive of the 0S(T, across 'aribbean countries, and the introduction of the $;SE programme in
>? a"ult literac&. 'hallenges in our education system include availability of resources in some countries, limited enrolment of students at the tertiary level5 less than 8>>? adult literacy - street c#il"ren, ine/uality in access to and /uality of education received across schools, gender ine/uality and %ale %ar$inali'ation , stigmati%ation of
Institutio n Reli$ion The pattern emerging from practices and rituals based on shared beliefs about the sacred
Functionalist perspective &or structural functionalists, religion does the follo!ing - Enforces the collective conscience of the society. - &osters inte$ration and a sense of !elon$in$ for members of the social group - ighlights the importance of society and thereby increasing the commitment of members to the society. +Reli$ion is t#e .ors#ip o* societ&.
Marist perspective This superstructural tool does the follo!ing - $einforces the false class consciousne ss and ruling class ideology5 - 1t acts as a conservativ e *orce as it sti7es the impetus to seek change5 - (cts as an opiu% for the su6ering sub*ect class5 - 1s not seen as necessary in a perfect communist society.
non-traditional education +a trend !hich is slo!ly changing, interregional competition, /uality of teacher training and of late, availability of *obs for teachers. Contri!utions an" C#allen$es $eligion has al!ays been important to 'aribbean people. - $eligion embodies the entirety of the culture of each ethnic group in the region. - 1t !as the primary tool of cultural suppression and assimilation during slavery as slaves !ere either denied religion or forced to practice 'hristianity. - 1ronically, religion provided the main tool o* resistance for (fricans. $eligion +along !ith the family has been critical to each ethnic group2s retention )preservation of its culture. - $eligion forms the basis of the su!cultural i"entities of many groups in the 'aribbean. ost of the religious forms practiced in the 'aribbean today are s&ncretic5 that is, they mix (frican and European religious rituals and beliefs. Examples include Santeria, voodoo, candomble, ;risha, $evivalism and $astafarianism. o!ever, religion illustrates the fact that cultural traits are ranked in a !ay that usually a6ords the A*ro(creole forms the lo!est status in the pyramid +as opposed to the Euro(creole. $eligion has a6ected our morality, attitudes to sex and marriage, our !ork ethic, economic activities and la!s, perceptions of health and level of discipline.
/ustice S&ste% 'omprises organi%ati ons and structures clearly identied !ith social control such as the *udiciary,
La.s are based on the value consensus. They standardi%e the rules agreed on by members of society. - The *ustice system executes the integration -
The institution is challenged largely by the mass media and by extension, the force of globali%ation. This has been blamed for the gro!ing seculari'ation of society and changes !ithin many churches !hich by traditional standards !ould seem @!orldlyA. This institution The *ustice systems of the 'aribbean is used by the are largely in7uenced by our colonial bourgeoisie to history. odels of government and protect the conse/uently the legislative arms of interests of the most 'aribbean countries are ruling class5 in7uenced by their mother countries. 1t primarily, is noted too that our la!s and even the private police force !ere initially designed to propert&0 suppress rather than to protect - The la!s are individuals. &or most 'aribbean set by and in co%%on.ealt# countries, the Priv& favour of the Council is the highest court of appeal bourgeoisie, and unfairly ;ur *ustice systems have also been
police force and the legislature . 1t administer s 1ustice( *air treat%en t o* all !e*ore t#e la.0
function as dened by Talcott 3arsons. 1t punishes and thereby "eters deviance. - 1t also re#a!ilitates deviants.
punish the in7uenced by global proletariat. standards)conventions such as the Selective universal declaration of human rights la. and the concept of 2u%an Ri$#ts. en*orce%e Constitutions of the 'aribbean nt results in countries guarantee inalienable human an rights such as the right to life, property, overreprese conscience, and the right to vote ntation of among others. These rights it is proletariats expected are to be en*oyed by all citi'ens by birth or naturali%ation in crime statistics. regardless of gender, race, age, creed This is or any other factor !hich might despite the di6erentiate one individual)group from fact that the another. elite not only commit !hite The *ustice system is one of the least collar)elite trusted institutions in
