ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the structure of kin relationships and the formation of kin groups based on cognatic descent and family localities in conjunction with "Caribbean" patterns of conjugal ties and "Latin American" patterns of households. Identification with a family name, participation in a family support network, and acquisition of land on Gaye Caulker are all closely connected. There is a direct connection between sexual relationships, mating patterns, and the composition of the domestic group. An understanding of the characteristics of sexual relationships on Caye Caulker is basic to understanding mating patterns, household composition, and kinship ties in general. The main categories of people on Caye Caulker are islanders and nonislanders, kin and nonkin. Islanders have many advantages over nonislanders. Households within kin localities are established on the basis of a conjugal relationship that produces a nuclear family. This 'Latin American' pattern of household structure exists in conjunction with characteristic 'Caribbean' patterns of sexual relationships and mating.
