SOCIO1 / MH 12:00p – 1:30pDr. Asturias

JAMAICA

JAMAICA

Figure 1 The flag of Jamaica was officially adopted on August 6, 1962. 

The black is symbolic of hardships suffered in the past, green represents the fertile land, and yellow the shining sun. In addition, black, green and yellow are Pan-African colors, and pay tribute to Jamaica's significant African heritage.

The two black triangles represent historical struggles and hardship, green triangles represent agricultural wealth and hope, and yellow cross-stripes represent sunshine and mineral resources.

The indigenous people, the Taíno, called it Xaymaca in Arawakan, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water" or the "Land of Springs". With waterfalls, and springs, rivers and streams flowing from the forest-clad mountains to the fertile plains, Jamaica has one of the richest and most varied landscapes in the region.

Colloquially Jamaicans refer to their home island as the "Rock", whereof further slang names like "Jamrock", "Jamdown" ("Jamdung" in Jamaican Patois), or briefly "Ja", have derived.

The name brings images of tropical beaches, palm trees, beautiful ebony people, Rastafarians, and the music of Bob Marley. But all is not well on this 146 mile long mountainous island of two and a half million, mostly descendants of African slaves, south of Cuba in the Caribbean.

Almost at the centre of the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica lies 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Cuba and 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Haiti, the two nearest countries. The closest point to Jamaica in South America is Cartagena in Colombia, a distance of 710 kilometres (445 miles) almost due south The latitude and longitude of the capital, Kingston, are about 18 degrees N and 78 degrees W. 

Jamaica is the largest of the English Speaking West Indian islands. It has an area of 10,991 square kilometres (4,243 square miles), more than twice the area of Trinidad, which is next in size, and measures 243 kilometres (146 miles) from east to west. Its greatest width is 80 kilometres (51 miles), from St. Ann's Bay to Portland Point. The distance from Kingston to the nearest point on the north coast, Annotto Bay, is 36 kilometres (22 miles). 

Jamaica is centrally situated in the Caribbean Zone. It lies on the direct sea routes from the United States of America and Europe to the Panama Canal. 

1. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

The Family. The Jamaican family includes a close-knit web of aunts, uncles, cousins and

grandparents. Families are close and provide both emotional and economic support to its members. The family is the most important group a person belongs to, and as such, it the group

with whom a person spends most of his/her time developing and maintaining cordial relations.

Religion Religion in Jamaica. According to the most recent census (2001), religious affiliation in

Jamaica consists of 64% Christian (62% Protestant and 2% Roman Catholic), 2% Jehovah's Witnesses, 3% unstated, and 10% other.

Religion is fundamental to Jamaican life, which can be seen in the references to Biblical events in everyday speech.

The island has the highest number of churches per capita in the world and more than 100 different Christian denominations. Most Jamaicans are Christians; the largest denominations are the Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Brethren and Roman Catholics.

Christmas is typically observed by various denominations with Communion services, candlelight ceremonies, concerts, all-night prayer meetings and the singing of Christmas carols.

*RASTAFARIANISMS. Rastafarians believe they are one of the lost tribes of Israel who were sold into slavery and taken to Babylon (Jamaica) and that they must return to Zion, which they hold to be Ethiopia.The movement does not have organized congregations,  it does not have a paid clergy, and it doesn't have a written doctrine.

There are three types of Rastafarians in Jamaica:1. Members of the Bobo Shanti order wear long robes and tightly wrapped turbans. They function like an independent nation within Jamaica with their own constitution. Their lifestyle closely emulates those of the Old Testament Jewish Mosaic Law, which includes the observation of the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, hygiene laws, and special greetings among themselves. 2. Members of the Nyahbinghi sect focus mainly on Emperor Haile Selassie and they proclaim that he is the incarnation of the Supreme deity. They push for their repatriation to Ethiopia, from where they believe all black people came. Ethiopia plays a major role in this sect. 3. The Twelve Tribes was founded in 1968 by Dr. Vernon 'Prophet Gad ' Carrington and is the most liberal of the Rastafarian orders. Members are allowed to worship in a church of their choosing or within the privacy of their house. They consider themselves the direct descendants of the 12 Sons of David.

Politics an independent state, a

parliamentary democracy and member of the British Commonwealth of Nations

political power lies with parliament which consists of a House of elected members representing 60 constituencies and a Senate of 21 members, fourteen of them nominated by the Prime Minister and 8 by the Leader of the Opposition

Economy mystical music of icons like Bob

Marley, and its broad footprint in sport has been charted by legends such as Usain Bolt

heavily dependent on services, the country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina

Education Education through the six years of primary school is compulsory and is free in

government-sponsored schools.  Up until independence, the curriculum in Jamaica's schools mirrored that of schools in

Great Britain. Vocational training for young adults with disabilities is provided by private voluntary

organizations and NGOs 

Portia Simpson-MillerPrime Minister of Jamaica in 2014

Usain, Bolt. The Fastest Man in the World has the records for the 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19). He hails from Trelawny, Jamaica.

2. RURAL AND URBAN AREAS Sometimes Jamaicans are forced to live in the city because that is where they are born and are stuck there. Other Jamaicans are born in the country and move to the city because of the opportunities that exist. Some Jamaicans are born and raised in the country and decide to stay there and live with nature. For some Jamaicans where they call home is their choice and for others it is not.

JAMAICA’S RURAL AREAS Problems in rural areas:

o Skilled labourers leaving the areao Government and private sector

pays less attention to the development of rural areas – infrastructure, health, education, businesses and industries.

o Rural areas remain undeveloped Advantages of rural life:

o More peacefulo Less risk of crime and disordero More spacious living conditionso Rental and living costs lowero Familiar surroundings, with family

and old friendso Less pollutiono Even without a job, food and

shelter are available

JAMAICA’S URBAN AREAS Pull Factors Towards Urban

Areaso availability of white

collar jobso proper infrastructureo availability of social

facilitieso wide variety of

entertainment and nightlife facilities

Push Factors from Rural Areas

o scarcity of jobs except in agriculture

o lack of (or poor) infrastru cture

o poor social facilities – education, health and security.o lack of entertainment and recreational facilities.

3. SOCIAL CHANGE

Ska reflected the optimism of the

Jamaican people in dance and songs

It encouraged endurance, brotherly love, unity and gave them hope as they pressed on towards independence in 1962.

It demanded social reformation and political change.  For eg. Skatalite  “freedom sounds”.

Rocksteady emerged in the late 1960’s,

many songs reflected and encouraged the rude boy lifestyle

Ex: the song “tougher than tough”.

(In this period there were incidents of political violence

and social unrest)

Reggae Music understanding of Jamaican lifestyle and culture deals with the racial and social issues that were encountered during Jamaica's history it has used reggae music to promote social and political goals

Dancehall (also called ragga or dub) more of DJ-ing concept, with artistes spinning songs on a certain rhythm can be often derogatory, but is generally just a lot of fun It acts as a form of stress release or psycho-physiological relieF

4. SOCIAL PROBLEMS Unemployment is high in Jamaica and as a result, the country has high crime rates,

notably with homicides among young adults, and violence related to drug trafficking. Officially, Jamaica is ranked as a country of 'medium human development' on the United

Nations' Human Development Index. Despite its progress on many accounts, Jamaica still suffers from economic and social disparities; problems that are felt most deeply by children and youth living in extremely poor urban and rural communities. For the families living in squatter settlements in inner-city Kingston or in isolated rural communities, high illiteracy, lack of employment skills and/or opportunities, insufficient income for basic food, education, or transportation lead into the cycle of poverty that in Jamaica can often become linked to crime or violence.

According to the Jamaican National Youth Policy (2003), unemployment and education-related issues are the most critical concerns affecting young Jamaicans today.

The failure of the socialist experiment in the 1970s and the emphasis on exports have created a burgeoning mass of urban poor (scufflers) who earn a meager living in the informal, largely small-scale trading sector and engage in extralegal means of survival. Also, globalization has led to the growth of the international drug trade. The most serious problem is violent crime, with a high murder rate. Governmental mechanisms for dealing with crime-related social problems fall under the Ministry of National Security and are administered through the Criminal Justice System.

The country is also confronted by serious social issues that predominantly affect youth, such as high levels of crime and violence and high unemployment. Despite the progress registered in the last two decades, poverty and inequality have increased in Jamaica between 2007 and 2010.

5. SOCIALIZATION

Infant Care. • The use of midwives is still popular, and breast-feeding is done in all the ethnic groups,• As a baby ages, the parents and grandparents try to accommodate their expectations to

the child's unique qualities; the baby is allowed to "grow into itself."•

Higher Education.Higher education is considered essential to national success, and the parliament has established the National Council on Education to oversee higher education policy and implementation.

Child Rearing and Education. • Firm discipline underlies child care until a child leaves home and/or becomes a parent. • The mother is central, but all members of the household and other close kin have some

responsibility in rearing a child. • For poor parents in all ethnic groups, the single most important route out of poverty is

the education of their children. In more traditional settings, the child is "pushed" by the entire family and even the community.

6. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL CLASS

Classes and Castes• Small number of Whites• Smaller number of “free

people of color” (generally mullatoes) (Brown)

• Huge Black slave population

•

Symbols of Social Stratification

Black skin -"uncivilized," "ignorant," "lazy," and "untrustworthy." (Lifestyle, language, cuisine, clothing, and residential patterns that reflect closeness to European culture have been ranked toward the top of the social hierarchy, and symbols depicting African-derived culture have been ranked at the bottom.)

7. POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHY − world's 136th most populous country (2,868,380 (2011 est.), 2,804,334 (July

2008 est.), 2,930,050 (July 2014 est.)− 49th most densely populated country in the world (252/km2 or 656/sq mi)−

AGE STRUCTURE0-14years: 28.4% (male 423,855/female 409,651) 15-24years: 21.7% (male 319,291/female 316,773) 25-54years: 36.4% (male 525,288/female 542,015) 55-64years: 5.6% (male 79,875/female 84,562) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 102,377/female 126,363) (2014 est.)

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH• male (years) in Jamaica = 70.57 in 2011• female (years) in Jamaica = 75.71 in 2011

Source: World Ban

ETHNIC GROUPSblack 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)

LANGUAGESEnglish, English patois

RELIGIONSProtestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9% (2001 census)

8. MEDICINE

Health Issues: • free-living amoebae (FLA) which can infect the central nervous systems of humans and

other animals with deadly consequences• skin-bleaching leading to skin cancer & Ochronosis for long term-bleaching *Ochronosis- a

condition that causes dark blotches to appear on the skin. • Coronary Heart Disease 110.74 – 96th;

HIV/AIDS 64.49 – 31th;Stroke 62.88 – 129th; Violence 52.92 – 4th;

Lung Disease 59.34 – 53rd

Medical Breakthrough • Dr Henry Lowe - development of the Alpha

Prostate Formula (2010)• Dr Carron Gordon and her team -

discovered that simple outdoor walking three times per week for 30 minutes can significantly improve a stroke victim's health-related quality of life, functional status, endurance, strength and fitness.

TOP 50 CAUSES OF DEATH Rate World Rank

1. Coronary Heart Disease 110.74 962. HIV/AIDS 64.49 31

3. Stroke 62.88 129

4. Violence 52.92 4

5. Lung Disease 39.34 53

6. Influenza & Pneumonia 35.77 93

7. Diabetes Mellitus 31.57 95

8. Hypertension 25.81 99

9. Breast Cancer 24.77 16

10. Stomach Cancer 16.62 22

11. Lung Cancers 16.17 78

12. Road Traffic Accidents 14.75 98

13. Cervical Cancer 11.79 31

14. Prostate Cancer 11.29 28

15. Malnutrition 10.72 27

16. Low Birth Weight 10.22 93

17. Diarrhoeal diseases 10.05 75

18. Colon-Rectum Cancers 9.73 73

19. Kidney Disease 8.93 134

20. Congenital Anomalies 7.21 59

21. Liver Disease 7.01 127

22. Other Injuries 6.98 146

23. Lymphomas 5.52 85

24. Inflammatory/Heart 5.14 102

25. Suicide 4.92 13226. Pancreas Cancer 4.73 6327. Liver Cancer 4.36 13228. Endocrine Disorders 4.31 12229. Birth Trauma 3.90 97

30. Peptic Ulcer Disease 3.77 8931. Skin Disease 3.61 72

32. Falls 3.56 10633. Oesophagus Cancer 3.28 8234. Uterin Cancer 3.27 935. Other Neoplasms 3.03 9036. Bladder Cancer 2.87 79

37. Leukemia 2.59 14738. Meningitis 2.42 9139. Drownings 2.40 12140. Asthma 2.40 12541. Oral Cancer 2.17 12642. Anaemia 2.14 9043. Maternal Conditions 1.82 83

44. Epilepsy 1.71 9645. Ovary Cancer 1.62 14246. Fires 1.22 112

The Guinea Hen Weed nutraceuticals developed by Dr Henry Lowe and his research team.

47. Rheumatic Heart Disease 1.09 12048. Tuberculosis 1.05 15349. Alzheimers/Dementia 0.80 17050. Appendicitis 0.78 16

9. LAW Jamaica's Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding says legislation has been drafted to decriminalize marijuana on the Caribbean island where the drug has long been pervasive but prohibited.

10. AGE AND GENDER ROLES

Division of Labor by Gender.  Men are predominant in leadership

positions in government, the professions, business, higher education, and European-derived religions and engage in physical labor in agriculture.

Women work primarily in paid and unpaid in household labor, formal and informal retail trades, basic and primary education, clerical and administrative jobs, and social welfare.

The Relative Status of Women and Men Traditionally, woman's place is in the home and women receive less remuneration than

men. The appropriate place for men is outside the home, in agriculture, business, government,

or recreation.

11. MODERNIZATION The Government has set aside $278.9 million in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, which have been tabled in the House of Representatives, to continue the Public Sector Modernisation Programme, this year.

12. SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION There is a widespread, rebellious attitude directed towards the system itself among the urban poor. At the same time, the urban poor are integrated into the political system through patronage-based structures. Reasons for this are the lack of a clear-cut line between party politics, organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as occasionally disproportionate actions of the security forces in urban ghettos. Social and economic benefits, security and order are often guaranteed by non-governmental, criminal actors in the ghettos.

13. DEVELOPMENT Key indicators show a medium-range developmental level that lags behind other of other states of the Commonwealth Caribbean that otherwise have much in common with Jamaica. Poverty and unemployment rates are as high as ever. According to CEPAL data, the unemployment rate ranges between 15% and 16% since beginning of the 1990s.

18,7% of the population is living below the national poverty line. According to UNDP, 13,3% have only 2$ a day at their disposal – this complies with the poverty rate in Costa Rica. In Jamaica, the origin of a person’s ancestors (skin color) and social class are closely connected—a legacy of Jamaica’s history of slavery and colonialism. Policies of the last years, however, could prevent the poorest fifth of the population to suffer outstandingly under deteriorating conditions. Belonging to the lighter-skinned minority is still correlating with prosperity.

Minister   of   Justice   Senator   Mark   Golding,   who   made   the announcement at a special press briefing Tuesday at the Office of the Prime Minister, said while the amended law will observe Jamaica’s anti-narcotics obligations, the  industries will  operate under   licence. --Law to be amended to facilitate medical ganja industry. Tuesday, September 30, 2014 | 7:13 PM