Family Life, Civics Notes Form One Topic 6
Civics Form One Topic 6: Family Life - Civics Notes, Download Family Life Notes, Civics form one notes.
A family is a group of people who are related by blood, marriage, Or adoption. Some of the reasons for getting married or companionship and getting children.
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
Courtship is a period during which two people get to know one another before they get married. It is also appropriate for the preparation for the wedding.
Courtship enables the two partners to understand each other and to know each families members.
Marriage is the union of a man and a woman as husband and wife. It is formal and legal between a man and woman, accompanied by a wedding ceremony
IMPORTANCE OF COURTSHIP
Courtship is important period before marriage because it helps a couple to: -
Develop self-discipline
Without self discipline, an individual may be disqualified by the family of the potential husband or wife.
Know each other
It gives the two partners an opportunity to know each other's feelings, altitudes, expectations and another aspect of life before marriage. This helps to avoid unnecessary conflicts in the future.
Prepare for marriage
Marriage requires a lot of things to be done in advance, involves the couples relatives neighbors and friends.
Show evidence of maturity
People who intend to get marriage must be mature enough to take care of the family they are due to start.
Acquire property
Courtship gives a couple times to acquire some basic requirement of life such as a house and furniture.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
Courtship and marriage are closely related. This relation can be seen in the areas.
Courtship is the foundation of a good marriage
The courtship period allows the couple to learn important life skill. For example one learner how to love and understand his other partners.
The two partners decide to get marriage.
A good marriage needs a blessing or parents, relative and neighbors.
EARLY OR PREMATURE MARRIAGE
Is the marriage done under 18 years old. The legal age for marriage in Tanzania is less than that 15-18 years and above considered to be early or premature marriage
CUSTOMS AND BELIEF THAT ENCOURAGE EARLY MARRIAGE
Customs are habits that are passed from one generation to another. They include greetings, punctuality and obedience.
Belief are things that are thought to be true by a certain community, different society have their customs and belief about marriage.
The following are some customs and belief that may encourage early marriage.
1. Payment of bride price
The parents of a girl receive bride price in terms of cash, livestock or land; this can encourage early marriage because greedy parents may be tempted to forced the young daughters to be married in order to get wealth
2. Gender discrimination in education
Is where a boy is given priority over a girl in terms of education; some parents have the wrong belief that educating a girl is west of time and money.
This encourages early marriage because girls are forced to drop out of school in favor of their brother’s.
3. Traditional initiations
Traditional practices such as initiation prepare a girl for marriage. This is encourage early marriage because a girls is considered woman who is ready to start her own family.
4. Inheritance
Some communities do not allow a boy to inherit property If is not married. This encourages some boys to enter into marriages as a qualification to inherity property.
5. Lack of education
Some parents marry off their young daughters due to ignorance.
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY MARRIAGE
1. Complication during delivery
Early marriage causes maternal and infant death in the society this is because reproductive organs of the young girl are enough to support matured to a pregnancy deliver safe.
The complication arising during pregnancy and labour most often result in death or permanent damage to the girl’s body.
2. Prevention of young women from continuing
some communities, young girls are forcefully removed from school to be married off.This interfere with their education and future plains.
3. Increase in poverty
Most couples that get married at a young age do not have reliable means of getting income it becomes difficult for them to take care of their children.
4. Spread of HIV and AIDS
Very young men and women may not be able to make correct decision on mental matters. They are at a high risk of being infected with sexually transmitted disease include HIV and AIDS.
5. Break down of families
Very young men and women may lack enough experience, knowledge and tolerance as far as family problems are concerned.
They may not know how to settle their difference and sometimes minor problems lead to separation and divorce.
PREVENTION OF EARLY MARRIAGE
1. Education
The society should be educated on the dangers of early marriage.
2. Basic sociocultural practices
Cultural practices- societies should abandon on negative social cultural practices such as female circumcision and gender discrimination.
3. Laws
The government should enact strict laws against early marriages and enforce the existing one to discourage parents from forcing their children to get married at early age.
4. Poverty alleviation
Poverty alleviation strategies should be strengthened.This will help preventing the economic hardship which force poor parents to marry off their young girl in order to get bride price
FOUNDATION OF A STABLE MARRIAGE
A stable marriage exists where the couple is united under the rules of marriage. A couple supports love and respect each other.
Agreement– the two should also agree on what they expect to achieve in the marriage.
Love– marriage partners must have affection for each other. Love is an important component of a stable marriage.
Trust– the couple must trust each other.
Tolerance and understanding– each partner should exercise to tolerance towards, the weakness of the other. It may not always be possible for one to fully agree with the action of the other person
Transparency– marriage partner should be open with each other. It is wrong to keep secrets which may danger the marriage.
TYPES OF FAMILIES
There are three common types of families these are: -
i. Nuclear family
This is family which consists of a father, mother and children.
ii. Extended family
This is family which consists of a father, mother, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousin and other relatives.
iii. Single-parent family
Single parent families may result from the death of one partner, divorce or getting children.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
A family plays an important role in the community. The reasons why the family is important include: -
i. To foster cooperation in the society
ii. The bring up children who will be honest, trust worthy and responsible people in the society.
iii. Families promote the development of individual members.
iv. Good families act as role models in the society children and youth therefore have role models they can copy.
v. Families provide the children with opportunities to be hard workers
vi. Children are taught customs of their society.
FAMILY STABILITY
A stable family is a one in which peace, respect love and good behavior are observed
The following factors contribute to family stability
i. RESPECT
This is situation in which members. The children respect their parents and people other.
ii. LOVE
This enable family member to help each other
iii. GOOD BEHAVIOUR
A family should live in peace and avoid conflicts
IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY STABILITY
The following are some of the way in which family stability in important
1. Family members participate in other social and economic activities
2. Family members are able to participate in communal activities such as cleaning up market and planting trees.
3. Peace in country begging at the lowest level of the family
4. Family stability helps members to enjoy in positive habits and activities and reduces incidences of drug abuse or crime.
5. Children from stable families are likely to start their own families in future thereby ensuring the continuity of the family as unit.
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FAMILY MEMBERS
Right are the things one is allowed to do or that one is entitled to.
In the family as a unity parent have their right and children also have their right some of the right that parents have are: -
1. Making family decision
2. Guiding and advising their children
3. Being respected by their children
4. Teaching their children community values.
Children in the family also have family. This right include: -
1. Expressing their opinion
2. Being treated equally without any kind of discrimination
3. Being registered after birth and being given name
4. Living with their parents
5. Rest and leisure
6. Getting basic and secondary need like food, education and healthcare
7. To be protected from injury abuse economic exploitation
RESPONSIBILITIES
These are duties that a person is obliged some parental responsibilities are: -
1. Making family decision
2. Providing security for the family
3. Ensuring discipline is maintained by the children
4. Providing family requirement such as a food, cloth, shelter and education.
5. Taking charge of the day to day activities of the family
6. Loving and taking care of the children
7. Arranging and organizing family activities such as cleanliness and preparation of meal.
8. Counseling their children to be well behaved
Responsibilities of children in the family include
1. Helping with domestic tasks
2. Respecting parents and elders
3. Taking care of their young brother or sister
4. Obeying their parents and teachers
5. Going to school to learn.
Consequence of not carrying out responsibilities
1. Family instability:
Children can acquire bad habits and create trouble in the family and in the society.
2. Conflicts:
Frequent misunderstandings may arise between members of the family.
3. Family breakdown:
A family may break down if there are frequent misunderstanding and quarrels.
4. Street children:
In the absence of peace and provision of family requirements children will not stay at home. They will end in the street.
5. Lack of basic need:
If parent do not work hard, children cannot get their basic need as well as other needs