Migration & Family Life in Jamaica

2741 Words11 Pages
What is the relationship between migration and The Breakdown of Family Life in Jamaica? An article entitled Human Migration Guide (6-8) on www.nationalgeographic.com, states that Migration (human) is the movement of people from one place in the world to another for the purpose of taking up permanent or semi-permanent residence, usually across a political boundary. An example of "semi-permanent residence" would be the seasonal movements of migrant farm labourers. People can either choose to move ("voluntary migration") or be forced to move ("involuntary migration"). It is essential to state that there is no single definition for the word family. As society becomes more complex and diverse, various sources may modify definitions suitable to the social context. I believe that it is therefore prudent to observe various definitions. According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary (2012), a family can be defined as the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children; also: any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family. For example, a single-parent family. Burgess and Lock (2012) states that the family is a group of persons united by ties of marriage, blood or adoption constituting a single household interacting with each other in their respective social role of husband and wife, mother and father, brother and sister creating a common culture. Migrations have occurred throughout human history, beginning with the movements of the first human groups from their origins in East Africa to their current location in the world. Migration occurs at a variety of scales: intercontinental (between continents), intra-continental (between countries on a given continent), and interregional (within countries). One of the most significant migration patterns has been rural to urban migration—the

More about Migration & Family Life in Jamaica

Open Document