2016

Analysis of Mauritian Family

among UoM Students
ENGG4101(5)

BY:
BOOLAKY Faheem ID: 1312423 - Mechanical Engineering Minor: Industrial
KISTO Chusnee ID: 1312452 Civil Engineering
LIM KWET OY Xiao Chun Yohan ID: 1310583 Civil Engineering
RAMSEWAK K.Teynidhi ID:1311167 - Mechanical Engineering Minor: Energy
Table of Contents

List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... ii

List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................... ii

1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Aim and Objectives....................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 Literature Review.............................................................................................................................. 2

2.1 Family ........................................................................................................................................... 2

2.2 Household ..................................................................................................................................... 3

2.3 Types of family structures............................................................................................................. 4

2.4 Changes in household and family structures................................................................................. 8

2.5 Family diversity across social categories ...................................................................................... 9

2.6 Relationship between family members ....................................................................................... 11

2.7 Domestic violence ....................................................................................................................... 13

2.8 Child abuse.................................................................................................................................. 14

3.0 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 15

4.0 Data Collection and Analysis.......................................................................................................... 16

4.1 Data Collection ........................................................................................................................... 16

4.2 Analysis....................................................................................................................................... 16

5.0 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 19

6.0 References ....................................................................................................................................... 20

Appendix A ........................................................................................................................................... 22

Appendix B ........................................................................................................................................... 28

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List of Figures

Figure 3.1: Simple Random Sampling .................................................................................................. 15

Figure 4.2: Family size ......................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 4.3: Types of family .................................................................................................................. 17
Figure 4.4: Working mothers ................................................................................................................ 18
Figure B.2: Age..................................................................................................................................... 28
Figure B.1: Gender................................................................................................................................ 28
Figure B.4: Religion Proportion............................................................................................................ 28
Figure B.3: Faculty Proportion ............................................................................................................. 28
Figure B.5: Residence ........................................................................................................................... 28
Figure B.7: Extended household type ................................................................................................... 29
Figure B.6: Household type .................................................................................................................. 29
Figure B.8: Family class ....................................................................................................................... 29
Figure B.9: Family size ......................................................................................................................... 29
Figure B.10: Family Ethnicity .............................................................................................................. 29
Figure B.12: Number of children .......................................................................................................... 30
Figure B.11: Family structure ............................................................................................................... 30
Figure B.14: Children living with single parent ................................................................................... 30
Figure B.13: Additional member in extended family ........................................................................... 30
Figure B.16: Transition in family structure .......................................................................................... 30
Figure B.15: Reason for single parent family ....................................................................................... 30
Figure B.17: Family type before experiencing change ......................................................................... 31
Figure B.18: Reason for change in family structure ............................................................................. 31
Figure B.19: Abuse or domestic violence ............................................................................................. 33
Figure B.20: Shift in family structure ................................................................................................... 33
Figure B.22: Help to stop the problem.................................................................................................. 33
Figure B.21: Awareness of other family members ............................................................................... 33

List of Tables

Table 2.1: Family type and description ................................................................................................... 5

Table B.1: Results for Work and Family .............................................................................................. 32

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1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background

Engels (1972) attempt to trace the origin and evolution of family through time led him to conclude
that as the mode of production changed, so did the family. According to him, during early stages of
human evolution, sexual relationships were not limited by any rules and the family was the society as
a whole. As time went by and more and more restrictions were placed on sexual relationships and
production of children, leading to the evolvement of marriage and family through a series of stages.
Furthermore, Maynes and Waltner (2012) states that family is a historical institution rather than a
natural one. Family, as a social institution, has and continues to change over time and places or across
cultures.

1.2 Aim and Objectives

The main aim of this assignment is to conduct a study among the University of Mauritius students
about family structures.
The objectives are to:
Analyse the family structure in the Mauritian society;
Explain the changes in the family structure;
Examine the problems and challenges facing the Mauritian families

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2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Family

The family unit is one of the most important social institutions, which is found in some form in nearly
all known societies. It is a basic unit of social organization, and plays a key role in socializing
children into the culture of their society, and forming their identities- how they see themselves and
how others see them.
The family does not have fixed definition. It has been defined and interpreted differently by different
people
Ken Browne (1992)
The family is defined as a group of people who are related by kinship ties: relations of blood,
marriage, or adoption.
According to him, the family, as a basic unit of social organization plays a key role in socializing
children into the culture of their society.
George Peter Murdock
The family is defined as a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation
and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved
sexual cohabiting adult.
Murdock illustrates the family as a universal institution with four primary functions to play, namely:
1. Sexual
2. Reproductive
3. Economic
4. Educational

Coser (1974)
He argues that the family finds its origin in marriage; it consists of husband , wife and children born
in their wedlock, although other relative may find their place close to the nuclear group, and the group
is united by moral, economic, religious and social rights and obligations.
Stephens (1963)
He defines the family as social arrangement based on marriage and the marriage contract, including
recognition of rights and duties of parenthood, common residence for husband, wife and children and
reciprocal economic obligations between husband and wife.
In order to understand the significance of families as a major social institution, it is necessary to
define the concept of the family both in terms of what it is and how it differs from other types of
communal living, such as household.
As we have seen earlier, the definition by Murdock for family is exclusive because it is based on the
idea that families have characteristics that make them different from other social groups, such as

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schools. This definition is flexible enough to accommodate different types of family relationship and
organization. For example, families do not have to be monogamous (one man married to one woman);
they can be polygamous. One man can be married to a number of women (polygyny) or one woman
married to a number of men (polyandry). Exclusive definitions can be useful for distinguishing
between family and non-family groups. However, they make no distinctions between household
forms, such as single-parent and homosexual (gay and lesbian) households that are considered to be
families in many modern societies (Popenoe, 1988).
Giddens (2006) suggested an alternative definition that focuses on kinship and the general
relationships that make families different from other social groups. Kin relationship, for example, can
be based on:
Biology, such as mother and child
Affinity, such as two adults living together
Law, such as marriage.

According to Giddens, families are defined through people directly linked by kin connections, where
adult members take responsibility for childcare. One advantage of an inclusive definition like this is
that it covers a variety of possible family forms and relationships.

Ambers (2003) suggests that an alternative definition should focus on both kinship (inclusive) and
function (exclusive). Families involve two or more people, bound by ties of mutual consent, who
assume responsibility for:
The physical maintenance and care of group members
Procreation or adoption
Socialization and social control of children
The production, consumption and distribution of goods and services
Affective nurturance (children).

2.2 Household

A household can be defined as one or more people living in a particular house or residence. Many
households are families, but households are different from families. Families do not always live
together while a household may contain people who belong to different families.
1. Single person household

It is a type of household where an adult lives alone, either because of the death of a partner, the
breakdown of a relationship (divorce) or through personal choice.
2. Nuclear household

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Nuclear household consists entirely of a single family nucleus, i.e. a couple with or without unmarried
children, or a lone parent with unmarried children.
Roseneil (2006) suggests that an additional category in this type of household is couple who live
apart. These are people who are in a stable relationship and who spend a significant amount of time
together, but who do not share a home. Some couples do this because work demands and different
routines would make it difficult to live together. Other couples choose this lifestyle because they want
to maintain some independence.

3. An extended household consists of any of the following:

A single family nucleus plus other persons related to the nucleus. For example, a father
with child(ren) and other relative(s).
Two or more family nuclei related to each other, without any other persons. For example,
two or more married couples with child(ren) only.
Two or more family nuclei related to each other with other persons related to at least one
of the family nuclei. For example, two or more married couples with other relative(s)
only.
Two or more persons related to each other, none of whom constitute a family nucleus.

4. A composite household is defined as a household consisting of any of the following:

A single family nucleus plus other persons, some or none of whom being related to the
nucleus. For example, mother with child(ren) and other relatives and non-relatives.
Two or more family nuclei related to each other plus other persons, some or none of
whom being related to any of the nuclei. For example, two or more couples with other
relatives and non-relatives only.
Two or more persons related to each other, none of whom constitute a family nucleus plus
other unrelated persons.
Two or more family nuclei not related to each other
Non-related persons only

2.3 Types of family structures

The traditional image of the family comprising of two adults and two children is only one of the many
different types of family structures that exist. This section thus introduces the various family
structures around the world, emphasizing on the main types in Mauritius along with their strengths
and weaknesses.

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 Table 2.1: Family type and description
Family Type Description
Adoptive family It is a family where one or more of the children has been
adopted.
Bi-racial or multi-racial family A family where the parents are members of different racial
identity groups.
Trans-racial adoptive family A family where the adopted child is of a different racial
identity group than the parents.
Blended family A family that consists of members from two (or more)
previous families. Families may use a variety of terms for the
various family members
Co-custody family An arrangement where divorced parents both have legal
responsibility for their children. Children may alternatively
live with both parents or live with one and have regular
visitation with the other.
Conditionally separated A family member is separated from the rest of the family. This
families may be due to employment far away; military service;
incarceration; hospitalization. They remain significant
members of the family.
Extended family A family where Grandparents or Aunts and Uncles play major
roles in the childrens upbringing. This may or may not
include those relatives living with the children. These family
members may be in addition to the childs parents or instead
of the childs parents.
Foster family A family where one or more of the children is legally a
temporary member of the household. This temporary period
may be as short as a few days or as long as the childs entire
childhood.
Gay or Lesbian family A family where one or both of the parents sexual orientation
is gay or lesbian. This may be a two-parent family, an
adoptive family, a single parent family or an extended family.
Nuclear family A family consisting of a married man & woman and their
biological children.
Single parent family This can be either a father or a mother who is singly

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Transnational family
Cohabitation family
responsible for the raising of a child. The child can be by birth
or adoption. They may be a single parent by choice or by life
circumstances. The other parent may have been part of the
family at one time or not at all.
These families live in more than one country. They may spend
part of each year in their country of origin returning to the
U.S. on a regular basis. The child may spend time being cared
for by different family members in each country.
It consists of heterosexual couples, and perhaps children, who
live together but remain unmarried.

The types of family structures prevalent in Mauritius are:

1. Nuclear Family
The nuclear family implies the sharing of two generations of family members under the same roof.
Family contacts amongst kin (for example, brothers, sisters, cousins and so forth) are usually weaker
and less frequent than amongst members of extended families. Contact with wider kin, while it clearly
exists, is more likely to involve "impersonal contacts" such as the telephone, rather than the more
closely personal relationships experienced in the extended family.
Strength - Ability to provide support to family members, because, with its small size, people know
each other well and can feel genuine affection for each other.
Weakness - In a time of crisis, it becomes a challenge to a family as there are few family members to
share the burden and offer support.

2. Extended Family
It generally consists of three or more generations living in the same household (or very close
proximity). The usual name for this type of family is a "vertically extended group" because the
"extensions" to the basic family group are inter-generational (that is, "between generations" - they
involve grandparents rather than uncles or aunts).
Another form of extended family structure is that of the "horizontally extended family" which
involves relations such as aunts, uncles, cousins and so forth under the same roof. The "extensions" to
the basic family group branch out on an intra-generational dimension.
Strength - Contains more people to serve as resources during crises and provides more role models
for behaviour and values.
Weaknesses - Family resources, both financial and psychological, must be stretched to accommodate
all members. Furthermore, while many members are present, a parents strongest support person may

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not be a spouse or intimate partner, and a childs primary caregiver may not be his own mother or
father.

3. Single Parent Family

As the name implies, this family structure involves a single person plus dependent children. Although
it is more likely to involve a female parent, a significant proportion of such families involve a male
parent. This type of family is sometimes referred-to as a "broken nuclear" family, insofar as it often -
but not always - arises out of the break-up of a nuclear family. This family structure can be attributed
to four main factors:
An increase in the numbers of people divorcing.
The removal of most of the social stigma formerly involved in pregnancy outside marriage
(this type of single parent family usually involves the desertion of the male partner following
female pregnancy).
The death of a marriage partner.
The decision not to get married but yet to play the role of parents through adoption.
Strength - Such a family can offer the child a special parent child relationship and increased
opportunities for self-reliance and independence.
Weaknesses - If the parent is ill, there is no back up person for child care. If a child is ill there is no
close support person to give reassurance or a second opinion on whether the childs health is
worsening or improving. Moreover, low income is a problem usually encountered by single parent
families, because the parent is most often a women, traditionally, womens incomes are lower than
mens by about 33% (Cherlin, 2008). Single parents may have difficulties with role modelling or
clearly identifying their role in the family (they must provide duplicate roles or financial support as
well as childcare). Finally, single parents fathers may have difficulty with home management or
childcare if they had little experience with these roles before the separation.

4. Reconstituted family
This form of family unit is one of the consequences of high rates of divorce and remarriage (or
cohabitation). Stepmothers and stepfathers head the family. This type of family is usually nuclear in
form and involves parents, children of either spouse from a first marriage and (possibly) children from
their present marriage.
Strengths - There is increased security and resources for the new family. Also, the children are
exposed to different customs or culture and may become more adaptable to new situations.
Weaknesses - Childrearing problems may arise from rivalry among the children for the attention of a
parent. Children may not welcome a step parent because they have not yet resolved about the
separation of their biological parents. Finances can be severely limited if one or both parents are

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obligated to pay child support for children from a previous marriage while supporting the children of
the current marriage.

2.4 Changes in household and family structures

The family structures that were very common a century ago are not nearly as common today. The
social institution called family is linked to other institutions in some ways thus being affected by
them. These external factors force the family to change. Some of these factors are as follows.
1. Decline of Extended Family System
The impact of technology and industrial change has led to a worldwide movement towards small,
nuclear family and dissolution of the traditional extended family system. There is a trend towards
smaller family involving fewer uncles and aunts and other relatives. Furthermore, newly married
couples establish their own family either in the same house or city or in some other city or village.
Nevertheless, mutual support between generations during events still exists.
2. Changing Authority Pattern
There is an alteration in the division of labour and authority in the family. Male authority is declining
in the modern family. New economic and political opportunities have led to the authority slipping
from the hands of family elders. When both partners work, there is a substantial change in the attitude
towards equality between them.
3. Changing Status of Women
The rights of women are becoming more recognized in respect to both initiation of marriage and
decision-making in the family. The revolution in womens employment and feminist movements has
changed the status of women in the family.
4. Free Choice of Mate Selection
The society has seen a new freedom of personal choice, of freer opportunities for romantic love and
sexual intimacy. With time, people began to give more attention to their own feelings rather than
parental wishes and thus arranged marriages are becoming less common
5. Decline in Family Size
Economic considerations force couples to have smaller family with one or two children. On the other
hand, young people believe that reproduction is not the duty of all married couples.
6. Changing Attitudes towards Sex and Marriage
There is a revolution in sexual attitudes and practices. Higher levels of sexual freedom are developing
in societies that were earlier very restrictive. Pre-marital pregnancies have increased considerably and
there is a rise in male-female couples choosing to have what is called live-in relationships or rather
cohabitation.
7. Declining Trend in Non-essential Functions.

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Most of the socialising functions previously performed by the family like child raising, education,
occupational training or caring of elderly have been taken over by the outside agencies, such as
creches, media, nursery schools, hospitals, occupational training centres, hospice institutions, funeral
contractors. The protective functions of the family are on the verge of decline.

2.5 Family diversity across social categories

The family is often considered to be a simple and homogeneous social group. However, there is
family diversity across range of categories, such as class, ethnicity, religion, family size, marital
status, age and family cycle. Family diversity is the expression of the range of family types in a
society, from nuclear through extended and reconstructed to single-parent.
Class
The class of the family will eventually have an effect on its form. For instance, ONeill (2002) makes
several observations about single parents (never married) are compared to two parent families, the
single parents are more likely to have working class origins. They are also more likely to have lower
average incomes and to live in poverty than two-parent families of the same class.
Moreover, family relationships show high levels of class diversity. Adult relationships in middle-class
families are more likely to be symmetrical. Symmetrical family, also known as New Man, is the
relationship in which the family roles are equally shared within the house, in other words,
characterised by joint conjugal roles. These involve lower levels of gender inequality in terms of both
paid and unpaid domestic work. In contrast, working-class families are more often characterised by
segregated conjugal roles, with the female role focused on home and children and the male role on
paid work. In this situation, men have more power and control over women, and family roles and
relationships reflect the needs of male family members, such patriarchal relationships are expressed in
a range of ways from the treat or reality if violence, to dominance through decision making.
Lareau (2003) suggests that parents of different classes interact with their children in different ways.
Middle-class parents generally adopt a deliberate parenting style that actively fosters childrens
individual talents, opinions and skills. Working-class parents are more like to adopt a parenting style
based around natural growth: Parent care for their children, love them, and set limits for them, but
within these boundaries, they allow the children to grow spontaneously. Lareau claims that his results
in middle-class children gaining an emerging sense of entitlement that makes them better equipped
to meet the demands of higher education and the workplace. This cultural advantage translates into
economic advantage.
Age
Age diversity involves differences within and between generations. The different generations, being
raised in different times, have gained different experience and have developed very different attitudes

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and lifestyles. The family experience of a young couple with infant children is also different from that
of an elderly couple without children.
Wider social changes related to age also influence family forms. Such factors include:
Family formation when to start a family
Family size the number of children born and raised
Family structure children have different experiences based on the type of family structure in
which they live

Throughout the industrialised world, people both live longer and enjoy a more physically active old
age that they do in other parts of the world. This affects family forms and relationships in a range of
ways, as follows:
A greater likelihood of likelihood of divorce
Changes in childbearing
Changing patterns of grand parenting

Ethnicity
Ethnic diversity relates to differences within and between cultural or ethnic groups, expressed in terms
of attitudes and lifestyles, especially religious norms and values. The decline in the influence of
organised religion among some ethnic groups is partly due to:
An increase in cohabitation outside of marriage
A decline in the significance of marriage
An increase in divorce rates
The availability of remarriage after divorce

For other ethnic groups, religion may place great emphasis on marriage and disallow divorce.
More specifically, ethnic differences are found in areas such as family size, where different ethnicities
have greater or lesser numbers if children and extended family members. Differences can also be seen
in marriage.
Family life cycle
From the previous section, it is shown that social categories, such as class, age and ethnicity
influence, family life, but families are dynamic groups that have life cycles, like pre-family, family
and post-family. Foster (2005) states that people have different family experiences at different stages
in their lives.

Pre-family
Pre-family formation involves young adults leaving their family of origin to begin a new family.
Young adults are separated from their family of origin:
Geographically a young couple may move away from the area in which their parents live

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 Residentially, in terms of living apart from a family of origin
Socially, in terms of forming new friendships and relationships

Family
Family formation itself is a development stage involving:
Different roles, such as parenting and grand parenting
An evolving set of statuses, such as baby, child, adolescent and so forth

Individual family members not only have different personal experiences of the same family life, but
these experiences and relationships constantly shift and change.
Adults at different stages in family formation also have very different experiences. The family form of
a young couple with dependent children is different from that of an elderly couple with independent
children. Family structures are also significant: lone-parent families are different from dual-parent
families, and a reconstituted family consisting of step-parents and step children is different from a
nuclear family consisting of a single child and its natural parent.

Post-family
Post-family formation is a further life-cycle dimension and includes the phenomenon of boomerang
kids. This is where adult children leave the parental home, then return for one of several reasons:
A lack of employment opportunities
High levels of personal debt
A lack of affordable housing
Relationship breakdown or divorce

This phenomenon shows that family formation is not a linear, progressive and inevitable process.

2.6 Relationship between family members

The relationship between the family members is very important for a good functioning family. The
family members include the parents, children and grandparents. In this section, the various experience
shared by the family members is outlined in terms of their general roles and responsibility.

Parents
To understand parental roles, they need to be analyse in terms of social and personal identities.
Considering parental roles in this way helps us understand two essential ideas:
1. Parental roles are not fixed and unchanging. In the past, social identities were dominant. They
provided clear behavioural guidelines for family roles: the mother worked in the home,
raising children; the fathers role was mainly outside the home as economic provider. There

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 were not many opportunities to develop personal identities that differed from social norm.
Indeed, the penalties for breaking away from the norm were severe, ranging from male
violence against who tried reject or renegotiate their role within the family, to general social
disapproval.
2. Contemporary gender roles still have some connection to those of the past. The role of
mother is usually marked out differently from that of father. They are, however, not as
constrained by social identities as they once were. Rather they are open to negotiation. People
have more personal freedom to decide how they want to interpret parental roles.

With this distinction in mind, continuities and changes in parental family roles in relation to domestic
labour can be illustrated. Domestic labour refers to the maintenance of a home and family, and
involves a range of day-to-day tasks. Cultural beliefs about male and female abilities and roles may
also help explain domestic differences.

Children and parents

Childrens family roles are intimately connected to their relationship with their parents. How parents
relate to children has changed, not just in terms of their different roles in pre-industrial and industrial
societies, but also in relation to postmodernity. Fionda (2002), for instance, suggests that adults in
contemporary societies view societies view children in several different ways:
As objects of concern requiring care and protection from their parents.
As autonomous possessors of rights who should enjoy similar levels of freedom to adults and
who should not be denied the rights adults take for granted, such as protection from assault.
As lacking moral consciousness.

Grandparents
Grandparents were once considered an economic and emotional drain on family resources. Though,
today, grandparents represent a valuable new resources for families, particularly in relation to
childcare. Grand parenting is not a new phenomenon. The contribution of grandparents is not
restricted to childcare, but also provide some form of financial support for their grandchildren and
forms intergenerational ties which are important for sociability and emotional support. In industrial
societies, the life expectancy is longer resulting in more children returning to the family home to
provide financial and domestic care for their parent/s.
Family roles and responsibilities are increasingly open to negotiation. The breakdown of rigid social
identities in post modernity means there is no longer a right and wrong way to perform such roles
and it applies to grandparents as well as parents and children.

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2.7 Domestic violence

Domestic violence, as described by the Domestic Violence Act, first arising in 1997 and later
amended in 2016, includes any of the following acts committed by a person against his spouse, a child
of his spouse or another person living under the same roof -
(a) Willfully inflicting, or attempting to inflict, a wound or blow, or threatening to inflict a
wound or blow
(b) Willfully or knowingly placing or attempting to place, or threatening to place, the spouse or
the other person in fear of physical injury to himself or to one of his children
(c) Intimidating, harassing, stalking, ill-treating, insulting, brutality or cruelty
(d) Compelling the spouse or the other person by force or threat to engage in any conduct or act,
sexual or otherwise, from which the spouse or the other person has the right to abstain
(e) Confining or detaining the spouse or the other person, against his will
(f) Harming, or threatening to harm, a child of the spouse
(g) Causing or attempting to cause, or threatening to cause, damage to the spouses or the other
persons property
(h) Depriving, without any lawful excuse, the spouse or other person of resources which the
spouse or other person is entitled to or requires, or of payment for rent in respect of shared
residence
(The Protection From Domestic violence (amendment), 2016)

It is primarily defined as the perpetual abusive behaviour be it physical, moral, economic, sexual or a
combination of the above and emanates from the need to be in control at all times. Domestic violence
is not specific to any particular socioeconomic group and so can happen to anyone and the person
falling victim to it often experiences a wide array of negative emotions such as a drop in self-esteem,
fear, worry and depression. In 2013, a total number of 1376 of cases of domestic violence were
recorded (Indian Ocean times, 2014) and has since been on a slight decline.
When duely addressed, it can propel the victim to eventually move out and seek out separate
accommodation which may then explain a shift in the family structure.
Domestic violence also leaves a monumental impact on children growing up in these recurrent
conditions. Seeing, hearing and observing the act of violence being perpetuated leaves the child
feeling unsafe, constantly on edge, isolated and vulnerable. Irrespective of whether or not the child
himself is subjected to abuse, physical or mental trauma will always loom in the background. Since
the child at this stage, would equate strength with abuse, he will most likely pass it on and use
violence as a means to resolve conflicts which will, in turn, affect the delicate balance of his
relationships.

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2.8 Child abuse

Child abuse refers to not only physically hurting a child, but also to methods of deprecation and
neglect of the former. As depicted under section 13 of the Child Protection Act, amended in 1998,
any person who ill-treats a child or otherwise exposes a child to harm shall commit an offence and
any person who in an advertisement exploits a child by using him in such a way as is likely to cause
in him or in any child watching him reactions which are contrary to morality or detrimental to
psychological development shall be deemed to expose a child to harm (Child Protection, 1995).
Similar to the case of domestic violence, it does not target specific households on the social strata so
any child can be a victim to this pitfall.
As the child grows, feelings of resentment may deepen and cause alienation of the former from his/her
family, hence again changing the dynamics of the family structure.

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3.0 Methodology

For our assignment, we have chosen the stratified sampling technique for our survey. Stratified
sampling is a famous method in statistics of sampling from a population.
In surveys, when subpopulations within an overall population vary, it is advantageous to sample each
subpopulation (stratum) independently. Stratification is the process of dividing members of the
population into homogeneous subgroups before sampling. Then simple random
sampling or systematic sampling is applied within each stratum. This often improves the
representativeness of the sample by reducing sampling error. It can produce a weighted mean that has
less variability than the arithmetic mean of a simple random sample of the population.

Figure 3.1: Simple Random Sampling

For our assignment, the different subpopulations are actually the different faculty at UoM. Each
member in our group was responsible for 10 surveys. A random sampling has then been done between
male and female students. We also ensured that the survey forms were issued to random student from
the different faculty on the campus so that the data collected can represent the whole UoM students.

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4.0 Data Collection and Analysis

4.1 Data Collection

The graphs in Appendix 2 display the results obtained from the surveycarried out among the UoM
students.

4.2 Analysis

Family Size

Family Size

12%
25%
3 members
4 members
5 members
33%
more than 5 members
30%

Figure 4.1:Family size

According to (Population And Vital Statistics, Republic Of Mauritius, January June 2009), the
family has witnessed a major decline in its average size. Long ago, families used to have
approximately more than 7 members and with time number of members in the family is decreasing.
This has due to the decrease in birth rate with time. It can also be seen from our survey that the
students have small family members; with approximately 88% students have 5 members in the family.

Reasons for this decline:

More effective and cheaper methods of contraception, as well as easier access to abortion,
even it is illegal.
Children have become an economic liability and a drain on the resources of parents. Parents
prefer to invest maximum resources on their children in secondary and tertiary education.
Thus, having fewer children allow parents to do so.

16
 The status of women has changed and today they have less desire in child bearing and rearing.
Most women have become financially independent and career-oriented. With the setting up of
the EPZ sector in the 1970s, many Mauritian women have entered the working sphere.
People are less reliant on care by their children when they reach old age. They have access to
a wide range of welfare benefits.
With industrialization, there was a need for a geographically mobile labour force in most
industrial societies. This implies a workforce that can easily move to other areas for work and
promotion. This may encourage families to have fewer children.

Types of family

Types of family
0% 2%

25%
Single person
Nuclear
Extended
Composite
73%

Figure 4.2: Types of family

It has been observed that the number of extended family has decreased drastically withincreasing
family. This analysis reflects in our survey that has been conducted; 73% of students come from a
nuclear family and only 25% come from extended family. People belonging to the younger age group
are opting to acquire a nuclear family structure after marriage as a consequence of modernizing
influences due to industrialization and urbanization. It has been observed in Mauritius that there is an
increasing trend towards the formation of nuclear family units. The main reasons for a shift in family
structure are marital independence, better educational and employment opportunities, internal
migrations due to employment opportunities, better economic status, and independence in beliefs and
value patterns, as a consequence of modernizing influences.

17
Women working

Mother work

40%
Yes
No
60%

Figure 4.3: Working mothers

The role of women in Mauritius is changing rapidly. This can clearly be seen from our survey with
60% of women working in different sectors of the economy. A major force for change has been the
rapid influx of women into the many jobs created in the 1980s in the export processing zones.
Nowadays, more and more women in Mauritius are participating in the more professional world as
they are more educated. Jobs allow women formerly confined to the roles of mother and wife to gain a
certain degree of personal and social freedom. Working women also contribute economically in the
house. This helps to run the house more smoothly especially in this expensive world. The mentality of
men has also change as they contribute to the household chores and they look after their children so
that their wife can work.

18
5.0 Conclusion

In the light of the above, the objectives of this assignment was achieved. With the results obtained
from the survey, the family structure among the UoM students were identified, whereby, the family
size and the family type were obtained. From the analysis, it is shown that about one third of the
students are from a four-member family and a large majority of the UoM students of about 73% is
part of a nuclear family structure. This indicates that this generation was mainly directing itself
towards a nuclear family structure with a small family size of about four members. Furthermore, the
analysis of the questionnaire has shown that for more than half of the sample, the mother is also
contributing in the income of the family which is a major change compared in the past. This shows
that more women are needed in the financial support of the family due to the change in lifestyle
occurring with globalisation. To conclude, this research can further be improved by covering a large
sample size in order to get a more fluent data collection.

19
6.0 References

ANGELINI. P.U., 2008. Our Society: Human Diversity in Canada. 4th edition. USA.

BROWNE. K., 2005. An introduction to sociology. 3rd edition. UK: Polity Press.

BURLEIN, L., 2000. Defining the family: A Historical and international perspective [online].
Chigago, Census 2000- Analysis Report. 2016[online]. Available
from:http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/Pages/2000/volumeII/house.html[Accessed 17 October
2016].

CLARK, T., 2016. Quizlet- The family and social change- people [online]. USA. Avalable from:
USA. Available from: http://www.socqrl.niu.edu/collarcounty/DEFFAMILY.html [Accessed 17
October 2016].

Indian Ocean Times. 2014. THE PROTECTION FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (AMENDMENT)
. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.indian-ocean-times.com/Mauritius-1-376-domestic-violence-cases-
recorded-between-January-and-September-2013_a2607.html. [Accessed 23 October 2016].

EDWARDS, J.O., 2009. The Many Kinds of Family Structures in Our Communities [online].
Available from: https://www.scoe.org/files/ccpc-family-structures.pdf [Accessed 17 October 2016].

Family Structures or Forms [online]. Available from:

http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu/soci1101/531family_structures_or_forms.html [Accessed 16 October
2016].

Fionda, J, 2002. Legal Concepts of Childhood. Hart Publishing.

Foster, L, 2005. Gender, Pensions and the Life Course, adapted from paper presented at the Annual
British Sociological Conference, 2004.

Lareau, A, 2003. Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. University of California Press.

Livesey, C, 2014. Sociology. 1st ed. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

LIVERSEY. C., 2014. Cambridge international AS and A level Sociology Coursebook.1st edition. UK,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

MARSHALL, J. AND STUART, S., 2001. Child Development. Oxford: Heinemann Educational
Publishers.

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Mauritius Assembly. 2016. THE PROTECTION FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (AMENDMENT)
. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://dpp.govmu.org/English/Documents/Legislation/CHILD%20PROTECTION.pdf. [Accessed 23
October 2016].

MAYNE, M.J. AND WALTERS, A., 2012. The Family: A world of history. USA: Oxford University
Press.
MEHTA. S. R.,2010, Social transformation of an island nation, Kalpaz publications, India.

Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare. 1995. Child Protection.
[ONLINE] Available at:
http://dpp.govmu.org/English/Documents/Legislation/CHILD%20PROTECTION.pdf. [Accessed 24
October 2016].

ONeill, R, 2002. The Fatherless Family. CIVITAS The Institute for the Study of Civil Society.

PILLITTERI, A., 2009. Maternal & Child Health Nursing. 6th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

RAMSAMY, L.J., 2005. An analysis of change in family structure and its impact. University of
Mauritius.

SEVER. A., TROST. J. E., 2011. A sociological Analysis of family conflicts. Canada: Wilfria Laurier
University Press.

https://quizlet.com/58615550/the-family-and-social-change-people-flash-cards/ [Accessed 17 October

2016].
World Economic Forum, 2013, The Global Gender Gap Report. Switzerland.

YourArticleLibrary.com: The Next Generation Library, 2016. Major Changes that Occurred in the
Family Patterns after Industrialization [online]. Available
from: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/kinship-and-family/major-changes-that-occurred-
in-the-family-patterns-after-industrialization/31300/ [Accessed 18 October 2016].

21
Appendix A

Questionnaire: The family structure of UoM students

Dear respondents,
We area group of final yearengineering students of the University of Mauritius currently
conducting a survey on the family structure of UoM students. We would be grateful if you
could take some of your precious time to fill in this questionnaire as your views will be
important in carrying out this study. Your responses will remain confidential.
Thanking you in advance for your participation.

1. Respondent Detail

1.1 Gender:
Male
Female

1.2 Age: ...............

1.3 Faculty:
FOE
FOA
FLM
FSSH
FOS

1.4 Religion:
Hindu
Muslim
Christian
Chinese
Others:

1.5 residence:
Village
Town
City

22
2. Types of household:

Single person household

Nuclear household
Single family nucleus with children
Extended household
Single family nucleus with children + relatives
Several family nucleuses with children + relatives
Composite household
Single family nucleus with children + relatives and non- relatives
Several family nucleus with children + relatives and non- relatives
Several family nucleuses that are not related

3. Family class

Upper class
Middle class
Lower class

4. Family size

3 members
4 members
5 members
More than 5 members

5. Familys ethnicity

Hindu
Muslim
Creole
Chinese
Other:.

23
6. Family Structure

6.1 Are you a unique child?

Yes
No
6.2 If you chose No in Qu. 6.1, what is the number of children in your family, including you?

6.3 If you chose extended family in Qu. 2, who are the additional members in your family apart
from your parents and siblings? You may choose more than one answer.
Grandfather
Grandmother
Aunt
Uncle
Cousins
If other, please specify ..

6.4 If you chose single parent family, who do you live with?
Mother
Father
6.5 What has led to this family structure?
Separation
Divorce
Death of a parent
Pregnancy outside marriage
If other, please specify
6.6 Have there been any transitions or changes in your family structure throughout your
childhood or adolescence?
Yes
No
6.7 At what age did you experience this change?
..

24
6.8 If you chose yes for Qu. 6.7, what type of family structure did you previously belong to?
Nuclear
Extended
Single Parent
Adoptive
Blended (consists of members from previous families step parents)
Co custody
Foster
Cohabitation
If other, please specify .

6.10 What has led to this change in your family structure?

Separation
Divorce
Death of a parent
Death of grandparents
Remarriage of parent
Marriage of parents previously cohabitating
If other, please specify .

25
7. Work and family

7.1 Does/Did your father work? 7.11 Does/Did your mother work?
Yes Yes
No No

7.2 Is/Was that occupation permanent, 7.12 Is/Was that occupation permanent,
temporary or for a fixed term? temporary or for a fixed term?
Permanent Permanent
Temporary Temporary
Fixed term Fixed term
If other, please specify If other, please specify
.. ..

7.3 Does/Did he work overtime? 7.13 Does/Did she work overtime?

Yes Yes
No No

7.4 If yes, how often does/did he do so? 7.14 If yes, how often does/did she do so?
Daily Daily
Alternate days Alternate days
Once per week Once per week
Once per month Once per month
If other, please specify If other, please specify

7.5 Does/Did he work on Saturdays? 7.15 Does/Did she work on Saturdays?

Yes Yes
No No

7.6 If yes, state how often per month? 7.16 If yes, state how often per month?

7.7 Does/Did he work on Sundays? 7.17 Does/Did she work on Sundays?

Yes Yes
No No

26
7.8 If yes, state how often per month? 7.18 If yes, state how often per month?

7.9 Does/Did he work on night shifts? 7.19 Does/Did she work on night shifts?
Yes Yes
No No

7.10 If yes, state how often per month? 7.20 If yes, state how often per month?

8. Past history involving abuse/domestic violence.

(A) Have you ever witnessed or been yourself a victim of abuse/domestic violence?
Yes ( )
No ( )
If no, please disregard this entire section.
If you have been solely a witness, skip directly to (B)(ii).

(B) Do other trusted members know about it?

Yes ( )
No ( )

(i) If yes, did you notice a shift in the family structure?

Yes ( )
No ( )
If yes, how?_____________________________________________________________

(ii) If no, did you do anything to stop it from happening again?

Yes ( )
No ( )
Have you noticed any change in the family dynamics?
_________________________________________________________________________

If no, what do you think compelled a stagnant situation? _________________________

27
Appendix B

Section 1: Respondent Detail

Gender Age

17% 20 yrs
45% male
50% 21 yrs
55% female 33%
22 yrs

Figure B.2: Age

Figure B.1: Gender

Faculty Proportion Religion Proportion

FOE
18% 13% Hindu
25% FOA
35% Muslim
17% FLM
30% Christian
20% FSSH
20% 22% Chinese
FOS

Figure B.3: Faculty Proportion Figure B.4: Religion Proportion

Residence

8%
Village
25%
Town
67% City

Figure B.5: Residence

28
Section 2: Types of household

Household type Extended household

0% 2%
Single
type Single family
person 10% nucleus
25%
Nuclear
Several
73% family
Extended 90%
nucleus

Figure B.6: Household type Figure B.7: Extended household type

Section 3: Family class Section 4: Family size

Family Class Family Size

5% 3 members
Upper Class
12% 4 members
30% 25%
Middle
Class 33% 5 members
65% 30%
Lower Class
more than 5
members

Figure B.8: Family class Figure B.9: Family size

Section 5: Familys ethnicity

Family Ethnicity

13%
Hindu
35%
Muslim
30% Christian
Chinese
22%

Figure B.10: Family Ethnicity

29
Section 6: Family Structure

Family Structure Number of children

3% Nuclear
Extended 9% 15%
Single Parent 1 child
25%
Adoptive 2 children
Blended 36% 3 children
72% 40%
Co- custody 4 children
Foster
Cohabitation

Figure B.11: Family structure Figure B.12: Number of children

Additional member in Children living with

extended family single parent
0%
Grandfather
6% 13%
31% Grandmother
6% Mother
Aunt
Father
44% Uncle
100%
Cousins

Figure B.14: Children living with single parent

Figure B.13: Additional member in extended family

Reason for single parent Transition in family

family structure
10%
Separation

Divorce Yes
No
Death of a 90%
100%
parent

Figure B.16: Transition in family structure

Figure B.15: Reason for single parent family

30
 Family type before
experiencing change
Nuclear
Extended
Single parent
Adoptive

100% Blended
Co-custody

Figure B.17: Family type before experiencing change

Reason for change in family struscture

Separation

Divorce

Death of a parent

Death of grandparents

Remarriage of parent

100% Marriage of parents

previously cohabitating

Figure B.18: Reason for change in family structure

31
Section 7: Work and Family
Table B.1: Results for Work and Family

Father work Mother work

3%

Yes Yes
40%
No No
60%
97%

Job condition Job condition

0% 0%
Permanent
Permanent
Temporary
Temporary
Fixed term Fixed term
100% 100%

Overtime Overtime
17%
Yes Yes
No
No

83%

Frequency Frequency
overtime
Daily
overtime
0% 0% Daily
Alternate Days 33%
Alternate
60% Once per week Days
Once per
67%
40% week

32
 Saturday work Saturday Work

41% Yes 42% Yes

59% No 58% No

Frequency Frequency saturday

saturday work work
7%
0% Frequency
Every week Number
35% Every week14
65%
Every 2 weeks
Rarely
93%

Sunday work Sunday Work

8% 0%

Yes Yes
No No
92% 100%

Frequency sunday
work
Once per
33% week
Twice per
67% week

33
 Night Shift Night Shift
5% 0%

Yes Yes
No No
95% 100%

Frequency night
shift

4 per month
50% 50%
2 per month

Section 8: Past history involving abuse/domestic violence

Abuse or domestic Shift in family

violence structure
2% 0%

Yes Yes

No No
98% 100%

Figure B.19: Abuse or domestic violence Figure B.20: Shift in family structure

34
Do the other members of Help to stop problem
the family aware of the from happening or
situation? aggravating?
0% 0%

Yes Yes

No No
100% 100%

Figure B.21: Awareness of other family members Figure B.22: Help to stop the problem

35