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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