“The diversity of family forms, and the extent to which some of these differ from the types traditionally associated with European communities, do not mean that a wholly chaotic family situation prevails…. On the other hand, it is equally inaccurate to deny altogether that instability is characteristic of many West Indian family forms”. These quotations from ‘The Population of Jamaica’ by the demographer George Roberts highlight the difficulty of giving a clear picture of the patterns of family organisation and the ways in which they function in that island.