Knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among school teachers in Belize (original) (raw)

Women in Belize

Women's Evolving Lives, 2017

This chapter aims to briefly discuss women in Belize in several arenas, including home and work life, development, and education. The information presented is offered as a springboard to learn about the culture; readers are encouraged to refrain from generalized assumptions about all women in Belize. Historical, Political, and Geographic Background of Belize Belize is a diverse country and so is its history. Thousands of years ago its first inhabitants were the ancient Maya. Several attempts at colonization by the Spanish followed in the mid-sixteenth century. After several centuries of settlement by British loggers, Belize officially became a British colony in the nineteenth century, changed its name from British Honduras, and became independent in 1981. Belize is located on Central America's east coast with the Caribbean Sea to the east, Mexico to the north, and Guatemala to the west and south. Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner. As the least densely populated Central American nation, the only one with English as the official language, and as a pillar of stability over the last 30 years in a region filled with violent civil war and political and economic turbulence, Belize occupies a unique position. Its history and location, and its richly diverse people and environments, make this "Caribbean nation in Central America" special. Figures from 2010 indicate Belize's population is 312,698. Estimates suggest this number also live abroad, mostly in the United States. Emigration has long been a controversial topic in Belize (e.g., Palacio 1992; Straughan 2007). In the 1940s,

Belize: Decoding the Census

2015

As a small country of only 320,000 people, Belize is often forgotten in development agendas and when discussing development policies. Yet, problems with poverty and inequality are common in the small country, which is why it is important to understand the country in order to create development policy. This report focuses on the population pro1ile of Belize, as like many countries in the world, has changing population dynamics. In addition, the report brie%ly discusses some of the characteristics of population growth, average household size, gender inequality, ethnicity, education, immigration, and economic inequality. These characteristics are discussed through the context of the 2010 Census, although other monitoring publications were also used. While many of these factors only seem to point towards decline, this report is overall positive, as Belize is at a point where it can best capitalize on its attributes for future growth and development. However, the choices to capitalize on these attributes ultimately fall at the hands of the Belizean government.

Ethnicity and the use of health services in Belize

Journal of Biosocial Science, 1994

Data from a survey conducted in Belize in 1991 show differentials in the use of maternal and child health and family planning services by the various ethnic groups found in Belize. These groups differ from one to the other with regard to place of residence, educational attainment, religious affiliation, socioeconomic status, country of birth, principal language spoken in the household, and parity. The purpose of our analysis is to determine whether ethnic group differentials in the use of health services really exist or are artifacts of the characteristics of these groups. Our hypothesis is that, although Belizeans have diverse cultural backgrounds, ethnicity will not be a strong determinant in the use of health care services, after controlling for other relevant characteristics. In addition to presenting cross-tabulations and frequencies, logistic regression will be used to estimate multivariate models of the probabilities that women use specific health services. It is our hypothesis that when other background variables are controlled for, the coefficients on the ethnic variables will not be significant. Health services to be considered include postpartum, newborn, and family planning services. Place of delivery of last live birth will also be examined. ETHNICITY IN BELIZE Although small in size, Belize is rather unique within Central America because of its ethnic diversity. Formerly British Honduras, Belize obtained its independence from Great i •> INTRODUCTION

Orthography Development for Belize Creole

1994

The young nation of Belize is located at the intersection of Central America with the Caribbean. It is the only country in Central America with English as its official language, but there is a growing Spanish-speaking population. Belize relates politically and socially with both the nations of Central America and the Caribbean region. It has a 1991 estimated population of 194,300 people, of which approximately 30 percent, identify themselves as Creoles (Barry 1992:67, 165). The English-Lexicon Creole of Belize is the most widely used second language of the country.

Belize

The Oxford Handbook of Central American History, 2020

Belize’s history and politics reflect the country’s anomalous position between the Anglophone Caribbean and Hispanic Central America. Older historical narratives emphasized its exceptionalism as the region’s sole British colony, associating national identity with its creole (English-speaking) residents. Official discourses belied the country’s actual ethnic complexity, and patterns of wealth and land distribution that mirrored the inequities of the neighboring countries. Recent historiography has emphasized its arduous path to independence, which was complicated by colonial intransigence to self-governance and a long-standing Guatemalan territorial claim. Belize’s contemporary challenges stem from its political affinities with the Commonwealth and geographic location in Central America. Like most of the Caribbean, its agricultural economy has been wracked by market liberalization, caused by the loss of EU trade preferences. Migration from other Central American countries and between...

Politics and Identity in the National Formation of Belize

Oxford Handbook of Central American History, 2020

Belize's history and politics reflect the country's anomalous position between the Anglo phone Caribbean and Hispanic Central America. Older historical narratives emphasized its exceptionalism as the region's sole British colony, associating national identity with its creole (English-speaking) residents. Official discourses belied the country's actual ethnic complexity, and patterns of wealth and land distribution that mirrored the inequities of the neighboring countries. Recent historiography has emphasized its arduous path to in dependence, which was complicated by colonial intransigence to self-governance and a long-standing Guatemalan territorial claim. Belize's contemporary challenges stem from its political affinities with the Commonwealth and geographic location in Central America. Like most of the Caribbean, its agricultural economy has been wracked by market liberalization, caused by the loss of EU trade preferences. Migration from other Central American countries and between Belize and the United States has reshaped the country's demography, heightening inequities rooted in the colonial era.