Caribbean Studies module 1

Caribbean Society & Culture

Location and definition of the Caribbean region

Geographic location Names of territories Sub-regions: Greater Antilles, Lesser

Antilles, western Caribbean, Southern Caribbean, The Bahamas

Position of the Caribbean in relation to the Caribbean sea, Atlantic Ocean and the continental land masses.

Definitions of the Caribbean

Geographical Geological Historical Political Caribbean identity and culture

Characteristics of society

Shared common purpose A defined territorial space Continuity over time and space Citizenship within a space

Culture

Learned behaviour common to all human beings

Norms and values which provide a guide to behaviour

Institutions which prescribe behaviour

Characteristics of Caribbean Society and Culture

Cultural diversity Positive and negative effects of

cultural diversity Ethnic and cultural differences Accommodation made among

different ethnic groups with respect to space, political and economic power and social visibility

Social Stratification Plantation society and its impact on

Caribbean social stratification (race, colour, money)

Education as basis for new class formation and upward mobility (social mobility)

Concepts such as plantocracy, intelligentsia, middle class, bourgeoise, working class, underclass, caste

Hybridization

Factors such as racial admixture and colour in the formation of Caribbean society and culture, terms like mulatto, mestizo, dougla, transculturation, creole

Erasure, retention and renewal of cultural practices

Impact of Historical Processes

Migratory movements and the establishment of patterns of settlement by different groups within the Caribbean from pre-Columbian times to the present

The development of systems of production: encomienda, slavery, indentureship, the plantation system

History cont’

Responses of Caribbean people to oppression and genocide: resistance, development of peasant groups

Movements towards independence Political enfranchisement

Political enfranchisement

Adult suffrage Internal self-government Economic enfranchisement Entrepreneurial activities, including

shopkeeping and savings societies

Geographical impact on society and culture

Plate tectonics Definition Location and movement of the

Caribbean plate Earthquakes and volcanoes: social

displacement hurricanes

Geographical impact cont’

Soils – erosion, conservation Coral reefs – coastal protection,

sustainability of fishing industry droughts

Impact of societal institutions

Family Education Religion Justice System

Caribbean-Global Interactions Consumption patterns: goods and

services Creative expressions: festivals, music,

theatre arts, culinary practices Education: impact of colonialism; the

information age, language; curriculum reforms, for example, teaching Caribbean Studies in universities in the UK

Global interactions: Political influences

Westminster System: Constitutional monarchy (Jamaica, Barbados and Bahamas)

Rule of law Electoral process: first-past-the post

system Caribbean contribution to the political

life of the host communities of Europe and north America

Global impact continued

Labour: influence of migratory labour Sport- cricket, soccer, basketball,

track and field Religion – traditional and non-

traditional religious practices Mass Media Tourism

Caribbean influences on extra-regional countries

Important political issues created within countries of Europe and North America by presence of large numbers of Caribbean people (for example, impact of Haitians and Cubans living in Florida upon the politics of that State)

Caribbean impact abroad cont’

The impact of Caribbean festivals like Notting Hill Carnival in the United Kingdom, Labour Day in Brooklyn, Carnival in Miami and Caribana in Canada on the economies of the areas where they occur; the impact of migrant labour on the economies of the countries of North America

Caribbean impact abroad cont’ The impact of festivals and music of the

Caribbean (for example, carnival, calypso, reggae, Punta, salsa, zouk), upon the festivals, music, pageants and street parades of the countries of North America, Europe, Africa and Japan

Impact of Rastafarianism Influence of Caribbean culinary practices