Civics Form One Notes – Family Life
Full text version of Civics Form One Notes on Family Life, transcribed from the supplied source document. Source images are intentionally omitted; all recognized text from the topic pages is included below.
Full text: This page contains the complete recognized text for source pages 39-45. For the original PDF layout and illustrations, use the WhatsApp button below.
1 Purnitre
2. Transporting goods and people
3. Meat, milk, skin.
4. Health eare
5. Provision of education
6. Mineral such as diamonds
TOPIC 6: FAMILY LIFE
‘A family is group of people who are related by blood, mariage, or adoption. family is
stared when a man and a woman are united by marsiage. Some of the reasons of geting married
are companionship and to get children. Children are an important component ofthe family
Courtship and marriage
Courtship isthe period when two people carefilly study and gt to know one another before
they get married. Courtship enables the two partners to understand each other and o each others”
family members. Is also an appropriate time for preparation of wedding
“Marriage isthe union of man and woman a husband and wife, Is the formal and legal bond
between man and woman, Its normally accompanied by a wedding ceremony.
Importance of courtship
Courtship is an important period before mariage because it helps a coupe to
1. Develop self discipline — without self discipline an individual may be disqualified by the
family ofthe potential husband and wife, He or she may also not forth challenges faced during
marriage
2. Know eachother ~ it gives two parners an opportunity to each other’s eetings, altitudes,
expectation and other aspects of ile before marrage. This helps to avoid unnecessary conflicts
in the future
3. Preparation for marriage ~ marriage needs alot of things tobe done in advance. It doesnot
cnly involve the two people who are geting married, Marriage also involves the couple’s of
relatives, neighbors and fiends. All these people needs time to make various arangements, For
the mariage
4. Show evidence of maturity — people who intended to get married must be mature enough to
take care ofthe family they are due to start.
5. Acquire property ~ courtship gives a couple time to acquire some basic requirements of life
such as house and furniture,
Relationship between courtship and marriage
Courtship and marriage are closely related. Ths relationship can be seen inthe following areas
|. Courtship isthe foundation of good marriage as it gives the couple time to know each other
wel
2. The courtship period allows the couple to learn important life skills, For example during
courtship one may learns how to love and understand his or her partner.
3. tis during the courtship that the two partners decide to get marred. This happens when the
{wo are satisfied that they can live together.
4. A good marriage needs the blessings ofthe parents, relatives and neighbors. It is during
‘courtship that all these people can be brought together and know each other.
Early or premature marriages
‘The legal marriage in Tanzania is 18 years. Any mastiage of person below that age is considered
‘an early or premature marriage.
Customs and beliefs that encourage early marriages
Customs are habits that are passed ftom one generation. They include greetings, punctuality
and obedience. Such habits are accepted in a society in which they are practiced.
Beliefs are things that are thought to be true by a certain community. Different society has their
customs and beliefs about marriage
‘The following are some customs and beliefs that may encourage early marriage
1, Payment of bride price: Bride price is also known as dowry. It isa gift that is given toa
boride or her parents by her future husband in consideration for marriage. The parents ofa giel
receive bride price in terms of eash, livestock or land. This can encourage eatly marriage because
sreedy parents may be tempted to marry off their young daughter to get wealth,
2. Gender discrimination in education: this is where a boy is given a priority over a girl in
{erm of education, Some parents have wrong beliefs that educating a girl is waste of time and
‘money. This encourages early marriage because girls are forced to drop out of schoo! in Favor of
their brothers. After leaving the school the next step is usually marriage.
3. ‘Traditional initiations: traditional practices suchas initiation prepare a girl for marriage
This encourages early marriages because once agit is initiated; she is considered a woman who
is ready to start her own family.
4. Inheritance: some communities do not allow a boy to inherit property if he is not married
‘This encourages some boy to enter early marriages as qualification to inherit property
5. Lack of education: some parents marry off their young daughter due to ignorance. They
hhave not been enlightened on the danger ofthe practice:
Problems associated with early marriages
1, Complication during delivery: carly marriages are one ofthe causes of maternal and
infant death in the society. This is because the body of a young gtl isnot physically matured to
catry pregnancy to fullterm and deliver safely. The complication arriving during pregnancy and
labour most often result death or permanent damage tothe girl’s body.
2. Prevention of young from continuing with their education: in some communities, girls
are forcefully removed from school to be married off. Ths interferes with their education and
their future plans.
3. Increase in poverty: most couples that get marriage at young age do not have reliable
‘means of getting income. It becomes difficult for them to take care oftheir children. This lead to
the increased poverty in the society. The children may end up inthe streets.
4. Spread of HIV and AIDS: very young men and women may not be able to make correct
<ecision on marital matters. They are at high risk of being infected with sexually transmitted
diseases including HIV and AIDS,
5. Breakdown 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 dferences and sometimes minor problems may lead to separation and divorce.
Prevention of early marriages
1, Education: the society should be educated on the dangers of the early marriages.
2. Basic socio-cultural practices: society should abandon negative socio-cultural practices
such as female circumcision and gender discrimination,
3. Laws: the government should enact strict laws against erly marriage and enforce the
cxistng ones to discouraging parents from forcing ther children to get maried at an early age.
4. Poverty alleviation: Poverty alleviation strategies shouldbe strengthened. This will help
in preventing the economic hardships which force poor parents to marry oftheir young girls in
oder to gt bride price.
Foundation of the stable marriage
Stable mariage exists where the couple is united under the rule of marrage. Such a couple
supports, loves and respects each other stable mariage is based onthe following conditions
1. Agreement: there must bean arrangement of marriage between the bride andthe
bridegroom. The two should also agree on wht they expect to achieve inthe marriage
2. Love: marriage partner mast have affection foreach other. Love isan important
component ofthe stable marriage
3. Trust: the couple must trast each other, None of them should do things that are contrary to
the expectation ofthe oer.
4. Tolerance and understanding: each partner should exereis tolerance toward the
weaknesses of the othe. It may not always be possible for to filly agree with the ation ofthe
ther person but marriage partner should try to understand each other
5. ‘Transparency: marrige partner should be open with each other tis wrong to keep it
secrets which may endanger the mariage.
‘Types of families
‘There are three common types of families. These ae:
1. Nuclear family: this isa family which consists of father mother an children.
2. Extended family: this is family which consists of father mother, children, grandparcats,
aunts, uncles, niees, nephews, cousins, and other relatives.
3. Single-parent family: this is one-parent family. It consist of one parent and his or her
children, Single-parent fails may result fom the death of one partner, divorce or geting
children when one is not married
‘The importance of family
A family plays an important role i the community. Some ofthe reason why the family is
important includes:
|. To foster co-operation in the society. Stable Families are able to work together for national
development
2. Tobring up children who willbe honest, trustworthy and responsible people in the society
3. By working together, families promote the development ofthe individual member
4. Good families act as role models in the society. Children and the youth therefore have role
‘models they can copy.
‘5. Families provide the children with the opportunity to be hard workers so that in the future
they can be productive citizens.
6. The family is the unit through which children are taught the customs oftheir society
Family stability
A stable family isthe one in which peace, respect, love and good behavior are maintained. The
essential needs ofthe family members are taken eae of
‘The following factors contribute to the family stability:
1. Respects this i the situation in which members ofa family value each other. The children
respect their parents other than thir immediate family, e.g. elders, school worker and neighbors.
‘When family members respect each other and other people, they harmony in the family. This
creates stability inthe family
2 Love: this enables family members to help each other and co-operate in all aspects of
{family matters. When there is love within the family, the stability ofthe family is enhanced.
3. Good behavior: a family isthe bass for ood behavior in the society. The family becomes
stable its member has good behavior.
4. Peace: family should live in peace and avoid conflicts. Parents and children will be
comfortable and will enjoy life when they reall on good terms,
Importance of family stability
Family stability is important not only tothe family members, but also to community as well as
the nation, The following are some ofthe ways in which family stability is important
0 Family members are able to fully participate in other social and economic
activities. Children are able to concentrate in school and parents are able to concentrate at work
oy Family members are able to participate in communal activities such as cleaning up
markets and planting tees
(ii) Peace nthe county begins a the lowest eve. Therefor, stability is the god basis
for peace and stability within the country.
(iv) Family stability ensures that members are engaged in positive habits and activites.
‘This is therefore reduces incidences of dug abuse o rine.
” Children fom stable families are likely to want to stat their own families in future,
thereby ensuring the continuity of family a a uit
Rights and responsibilities of family members
Rights
‘Rights are the things that one i allowed 1 doo that one seated. In the Family as uit,
parents have their rights and the children have their rights. Some of the rights that parents are:
1. Making family decision
2 Guiding and advising their children
3. Being respected by their children,
4. Teaching their children community values,
Children inthe family also have righ. These rights inlude
1. Expressing their opinions.
2. Being treated equally without any kind of discrimination
3. Being registred afer birth and being given names.
4. Living with their parents
5. Restand leisure
6. Getting basic and secondary needs like food, education and healthcare.
7. Tobe protected fiom injury, abuse, cconomic exploitation and fiom other forms of harm,
Responsibilities
‘Those are dates that a person is obligated to full. Some parental responsibilities are:
1. Making important decisions.
2. Providing security forthe family
3. Ensuring discipline is maintained by their children,
4. Providing family requirements such as food, clothes, shelter and education
5. Taking charge of day-to-day activites of the family
6. Loving and taking care oftheir children
7. Arranging and organizing family activites such as cleanliness and preparation of meal
8. Counseling their children to be well behaved
Responsibilities of children inthe family include:
1. Helping with domestic tasks
2. Respecting parents and elders.
3. Taking care oftheir young brothers or young sisters
4. Obeying their parents and teachers.
5. Going o schoo! to learn,
Consequences of not carrying out responsibilities
‘The consequences of being irresponsible ate:
1. Family instability: children can acquire bad habits and create trouble inthe family and in
the society
2. Conflicts: Frequent misunderstandings may arise between members ofthe family.
3. Family breakdown: a family may breakdown if there is frequent misunderstandings and
quarrels,
4. Street children: inthe absence of peace and provision of family requirements, children
will not stay at home. They will end up inthe streets.
5. Lack of basic needs: if parent do not work hard, children cannot get their basic needs as
well as other needs. This lead tothe poverty and lack of development inthe nation,
Chapter summary
A family is the group of people who are related by blood, marriage or adoption. A family is
started when a man and a woman are united by marriage.
Courtship isthe period during which two people carefully study and get to know each other
before they get married. Marriage isthe union of man and woman as husband and wife. The
importance of courtship i to
