Family In Belize

The Family and its Changing Dynamics in Belize The family, in one form or the other, has been with us from the beginning of recorded human history across continents, cultures, and ethnicities. Among the many social institutions that make up our society, it is the most basic, and perhaps, the most essential. It is, according to Macionis, “a social institution, found in all societies, that unites people into cooperative groups to care for one another, including all children” (2012). In a sense, it is sort of a microcosm of what society represents on the larger scale. Traditionally, across much of the globe, families are usually built around marriage, including parents and children (Macionis 2012). However, what is considered a family, and who …show more content…
For example, estimates made as recently as 2010 shows that the number of people living in Belize who are divorced number almost five percent of the total number of people who have been married, while the people who are legally separated number around 3 percent of the total number of people who are married (SIB 2010). What is also noteworthy is that, of the 207 705 citizens above the age of fifteen, more than half of them are reported to have never been married (SIB 2010). What this shows us is that people in Belize have accepted the notion that a family does not need to be centered on marriage. In fact, the statistics support this view, as 48 000 people are reported to be a part of a common law union and roughly another 13 000 are reported to be in some sort of union outside of marriage, while the rest are not in a union (SIB 2010). It is good to note, however, that while we see that more people are straying away from the idea of marriage as an ideal, it is still the norm in Belize, as roughly 68 000 of the nearly 130 000 people who are reported to be in a union are married, making it still the most common type of union in Belize (SIB