ONE does not have to be a sociologist to understand the interconnectedness between the family and the society as a whole - the family being the fundamental unit of society and the basis of all healthy and progressive civilisations. It is reasonable to argue, therefore, that dysfunctional or weak family structures harm societies, thus making them structurally weak and dysfunctional too. Hence, one might ask, what impact, if any, do dysfunctional families have on our Jamaican society? Is the social crisis we now face an offshoot of years of poor governance, illequipped parenting or cultural misdiagnoses?

    While the jury is still out on a single causal factor, it is clear that a combination thereof is responsible for some, if not most of the problems we face today. In every culture, the family is a microcosm of social reality. If we accept this, then we cannot reject the view that the overabundance of dysfunctional and splintered families has given rise to increases in domestic violence, homicides, poverty, unwanted pregnancies, anti-social behaviour, sexual recklessness and economic retardation.

    Evidently, a seismic shift that focuses on the development of functional families is a categorical imperative, not a hypothetical one, since we cannot fix societal ills without strong families. To do otherwise would simply propel us to the periphery and render us to the backwaters of civilisation. Simply put, a healthy society depends on stable families and family structures. Consequently, public policies must address the creation of a stable economic and political environment and a menu of suitable socio-cultural programmes so families can flourish, because the family is the hub from which prosperous societies emerge.

    As I see it, a family is a group of individuals, somewhat like a community, typically consisting of a man, a woman and children with a continuing legal, genetic or emotional relationship and residing in the same house. Generally speaking, it is through our families that we learn: love, caring, ethics, honesty, fairness, respect, reason, peaceful conflict resolution and tolerance. These fundamental skills and family values allow us to live honourably, harmoniously, and prosperously in the wider society.

    I do not take the stubbornness of the problems that beset us lightly, nor do I think lavish philosophical arguments will sway us any closer to the antidote. However, I do believe there is a "Balm in Gilead", the approach to which must be holistic, starting with the very core of our societal arrangement - the family. Society relies on the family to provide for the economic and security needs of individuals, especially children and the elderly. So, when the family is shattered, or economically deprived, the consequence manifests itself in anti-social behaviour.

    We cannot move forward, however, without understanding the historical basis for the social crisis we have to fix because, although slavery was abolished 270 years ago, remnants from that period still affect us today. Mentally, many remain "inextricably linked to the paradigm of the plantation" - a reality that poses a huge hindrance to the development of strong families and socioeconomic progress.

    During slavery, men were encouraged to have multiple relationships and to "breed-up" (the bull and heifer scheme) so they could produce more of what the slave masters wanted - cheap and reliable sources of labour. Unfortunately, this benighted practice still haunts us, as too many of our men continue to believe that the best way to exert their masculinity is to operate as sex machines, and view the ability to have "nuff gal" and "pickney" as the ultimate goal.

    Unfortunately, these men have mismanaged their manhood - without regard for the responsibility that comes with fatherhood - and have converted their sex organs into "WMDs" (Weapons of Mass Destruction). The results? Thousands of single-parent households headed by struggling moms, and countless neglected children, who are most likely to drop out of school, get pregnant, commit crimes, or go to prison, thus extending the cycle of poverty.

    Just recently, a newspaper report confirmed that "a growing number of Jamaican youth are spending their formative and productive years behind bars", according to Children's Advocate, Mary Clarke. Citing a 2007 report, Mrs Clarke said, "More than 200 juveniles were placed behind bars, three of them for murder, and 17 others for the illegal possession of firearms. The figure pushed the total number of youths, aged 13-18, in prison to 410 as at June 2008, up from 253 in 2006, 194 in 2005 and 128 in 2004. Of the 203 youths who were newly incarcerated in 2007, 159 were males and 44 were females. In addition to murder and the illegal possession of firearms, they were imprisoned for a variety of other offences, such as shop-breaking and larceny, wounding, and assault."

    Fixing the social crisis cannot be done in isolation, for while it requires moral, spiritual and cultural recalibration and the promotion of good values and attitudes, it also hinges on the reshaping of the economic arrangements. We cannot ignore that the social crisis is also a spin-off of years of socio-economic injustice and inequality, with vast sections of the population left out of the contracts and contacts. This should not surprise us, since the social commentary inherent in most of our reggae songs speak of an oppressive Jamaican system.

    My argument is simply this: the government and society as a whole have an obligation to deal with the issues that directly affect families, such as poverty, education, skills training and the lack of social capital, triggered by the existence of the "two Jamaicas". And while poverty, in and of itself, does not cause people to commit crimes such as stealing, it plays a role in its execution. Therefore, as we formulate measures to address the social ills like crime and violence, we must be mindful not to limit the prescription to phony policies. Instead, we should settle on a set of objectives that can strengthen families, otherwise we would be only feeding the factories that produce more of what we do not want.

burnscg @aol .com  

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