PowerPoint Presentation

[Audio] Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels.

[Audio] Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels.

[Audio] Families are a group of individuals who are linked to one another by genetics, marriage, or choice. They combine their material, emotional, and economic resources. It is a social institution whose members are united by shared goals. They rely on one another for mutual support. This social institution is connected to kinship, which is a social bond developed by common ancestry, marriage, or adoption..

[Audio] Family is a key social institution and Family dynamics are vitally important to today's society. But what are family dynamics? The dynamics of a family are the patterns of relationships and interactions among its members. Since slavery, family dynamics have persisted as a recurring theme through generations and across cultures. It includes family roles, hierarchies, ascribed characteristics, and patterns of interactions within a family. There are different types of families today, including nuclear families, single-parent families, extended families, childless families, step or blended families, common law families, and grandparental families. There is no right or wrong family structure because all families are different. Whatever family you grow up in is known as your family of orientation because it introduces you to the world and teaches you how to function in a family..

[Audio] Each family has its definition and characteristic that is widely known. The nuclear family also known as the traditional family or family of procreation is a family that consists of a father, mother, and children that may be biological or adopted. The word "traditional" does not imply simplicity. Society considers this to be the ideal family structure for raising children..

[Audio] A single parent family is exactly what it sounds like. One parent; mother or father, takes on the responsibility of raising the child or children. This type of family may occur due to divorce, death of the other parent, relationship breakups, abandonment, rape and domestic violence..

[Audio] An extended family consists of two or more adults residing in the same home who are related either by blood or marriage. This includes relatives such as an aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandparents. The dynamics of this family are influenced by financial hardships and the inability of older relatives to care for themselves independently. The number of extended families is increasing worldwide. In the Bahamas closes friends are also considered apart of the extended family. This is their choice, and they are called fictive kin. They are incorporated into the family dynamic where they may interact with the family daily or live with the family. People like our mother's best friend who we may call aunty or our godparents..

[Audio] A stepfamily, also known as a blended family, is made up of a husband, wife, or spouse plus their children from prior relationships or marriages. The traditional definition of a stepfamily is that children live full-time in one household. A stepchild as well as a child born to both parents might be included. A "partial mixed family" has children from only one parent, whereas a "completely blended family" has offspring from both parents..

[Audio] Childless family consist of a couple that either does not want to have children or are unable to have children. The childless family is sometimes known as the "forgotten family" because it does not meet the traditional standards set by society. The working couple lives together and sometimes take on the responsibility of pets. They also are in close contact with their nieces and nephews Photo by Andres Ayrton from Pexels.

[Audio] A common law marriage occurs when a couple lives together for a period of time and presents themselves to friends, family, and the community as "married," but without ever having a formal ceremony or obtaining a marriage certificate. There a numerous requirements for common law marriage. Children can be apart of this family..

[Audio] These households led by a grandparent are commonly referred to as " grandfamilies," and they are widespread in families where a single grandparent or both grandparents take over main responsibility for parenting. In most cases the parents are not present. This happens as a result of parent deaths, unfit parents, abandonment or addiction..

[Audio] In the Bahamas family is a social institution that is considered a vital part of society. According to Permanent Secretary Rahming, ""In The Bahamas we understand and honor the critical role of family. We know that the family is the institution in which key values are passed from one generation to the next. We know that families provide a safe space for its members to flourish into whole, productive individuals. And we know how tightly and quickly, families bind together when a member of its treasured unit is threatened." There are different types of Bahamian families. The families that are present within The Bahamas are single-parent families, nuclear families, extended families, grandparent families, childless families, blended families, and common-law families ( FindAnyAnswer 2020)..

[Audio] It's not all roses and sunshine with Bahamian families. They all face their own problems. Poverty, adultery, rape, divorce, addiction, death, disease or disability, and domestic violence have all had an influence on families in The Bahamas. These difficulties have had a negative influence on the family dynamics..

[Audio] Teenage pregnancy leads to single parent families. It occurs in adolescent females between the ages of 10 to 19. Teenage pregnancy is not always the result of consensual sex. It may be caused by rape or molestation. Teenage mothers who have their children often must fend for their children and themselves without any help from family or friends. They are often labeled "fresh" or "fast." If teenage pregnancy happened because of consensual sex, many of the adolescent males that got the adolescent female pregnant would eventually leave both the child and mother because they do not feel that they are ready to take on the responsibility of a child. Some males would deny the child as their own and abandon them. Single-parent households also only have a father since moms have abandoned their children and left them with their father in some situations. Children that grow up in situations like this where their fathers abandon them normally go through a rebellious phase where they take part in illegal activities..

[Audio] Single-parent households are becoming more common in The Bahamas. In New Providence and Grand Bahama, 85 percent of homes are headed by a single parent, usually a mother with many children, with no sign of the putative fathers ( Bodie, 2017). Bahamian moms sometimes bear the most, if not the all, of the burden for family well-being, particularly in the realm of parenting ( Hahnlen et al. , 1997). In the Bahamas, single women tend to give their children their maiden name, and many Bahamian children grow up unaware of their father's identity ( Humanium, 2021). Teens who get pregnant face the danger of losing their support structure, particularly in traditional Bahamian Christian homes..

[Audio] Poverty may affect extended families, grandparent families, and single parent households in the Bahamas. Single parents who are not financially secure and do lack a good support structure may struggle to provide for their children and themselves. Most extended families arise as a result of financial difficulties. They try to save money by combining their households. Poverty can also affect grandparent households. Retired grandparents become the sole guardians of children, and their pension may not be sufficient to care for both the child and themselves. Poverty leads to stress and conflict within the family system. Another problem that nuclear families encounter is a financial catastrophe. In a nuclear family, the spouse is responsible for their own income, spending, and savings. They may have difficulty managing the children's costs, as well as other required expenses. It may therefore result in some disagreements between the pair..

[Audio] Sexual intercourse between a married individual and someone who is not their legitimate spouse. Adultery is the most serious problem that nuclear families confront. Adultery has forced many nuclear families to separate, resulting in single-parent households. Another obstacle that nuclear families encounter is raising children..

[Audio] Domestic violence results from substance abuse and anger issues. It is also known as intimate partner violence, which is a pattern of behavior used in any relationship to establish or retain dominance and influence over an intimate partner. Abuse is defined as physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological acts or threats against another individual. Domestic violence has negatively impacted the nuclear family. According to S. Smith in an article in 2020, During the Covid- 19 pandemic, there was a higher prevalence of an increase in domestic violence in high-income households at 13.9 percent when compared to middle-income and lower-income households, at 10.1 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively..

[Audio] According to a study done in 2020 titled "childless couples with consequences" by Adhikari states that infertility can lead to severe depression, worrying, stress, sadness, isolation, and the feeling of loneliness to the couple affecting women more than men. 2nd Bullet point: Such as becoming a new parent in a blended family, relationships between ex-partners and stepparents, and the relationships between child and stepsiblings. Some adults enter a blended family with no children of their own. They will take on the parental role for the first time as stepparents. The relationship between the children and the stepparent will not be the same as a parent to children. Children may struggle with feelings about a new stepparent. They might be used to treating their parent's partner as a friend. But this is often more complicated when children are involved. Children may wish to stay close to both of their biological parents Moreover, according to a study done by Good Therapy in 2020, the relationships between the children and stepsiblings raise conflicts within the household. Sibling rivalry can also take on a new dimension. Children may feel they must compete for attention and dominance in the new home. A child might also worry their biological parents could start preferring their stepsiblings..

Conclusion. In conclusion, each family has its challenges. There isn't any perfect family structure. Today people are finding their ways distinctively to make it today..

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