Introduction A society is a body of people that are characterized by culture and population among other things. Through research it was found that there are three theories that can explain the formation of a Caribbean society. These three theories are Creole, Plantation and Plural society and they all were able to explain a lot about the Caribbean society over years. However when it comes to the Caribbean today one theory seems to stand out more than the rest. The Plantation society theory tries to explain the social Caribbean structure in relation to the plantation experience. According to Professor George Beckford “plantation societies are characterized by the existence of a right social hierarchy based on labour, racial and cultural differences, large areas of land denoted to production, Authoritarian management centralized, among other things”. The plantation model stresses on the existence of two classes – “a white/free class which owned the means of production and a black/slave class which owned labour”. This model shines a spotlight on the traditional Marxist argument which speaks about the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The plantation society model serves to authenticate the assertion that occupation was linked through race. Although wealth and power can be inherited, they are also the products of occupation. A plural society is a population that has two or more cultural groups living together, but which uphold their individual identities and practice. It is a society that combines diverse cultural groups in the same room. Cultural plurality which derives from plural society is “a condition in which two or more different cultural traditions characterize the population of a given society (smith; 1974 p 14)”. Smi... ... middle of paper ... ...covert or over strain”. Plural society theory helps us to comprehend and explain the social and cultural strain existing in societies such Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. M.G Smith ( 1974:75) in defining the plural society, noted , “ there is a plural society, with different sections of the community living side by side , but separately within the same political unit”. Conclusion The social composition of the Caribbean is the result of the racial alliance and allocation of occupation. The plural society model becomes apparent to see in the consideration of the racial alliance and distribution of occupation. There is verification of all three theories in the Caribbean society but amongst them plural society is the clear choose to relate to the Caribbean society today, because it best explains what is taking place in society today especially in Trinidad and Tobago.
In this paper I covered the geography, lifestyle history, people, and the society. Many different people transformed the history and the culture they have today. The people in Jamaica live in small communities without very much to live off of. Their climate does not range very much and their seasons depend on rain. Although, there society is poor, the people still find ways to live their lives to the fullest.
Eck, Diana L. “What is Pluralism?” The Pluralism Project at Harvard University. Harvard University, 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
During Gregory’s ethnographic research in the Dominican Republic, he encounters many individuals, some tourists, others expatriates, as well as citizens native to the island. One individual by the name of Minaya, discusses changes in the sugar cane industry. In 1988 he became a worker at a sugar mill that his uncle owned, but claimed that the industry became “Capitalized” (Gregory 2007: 15). He explains this capitalization as the industry being leased out to private corporations, which incurred poor working conditions and minimal wages upon the laborers. Minaya also expresses the fact he has no formal education, a big factor...
Since these traditions have become apparent through centuries they are customary and have a tendency to lack individualism, as the group among which a person lives is seen as more important over the individual. In many parts of the world today, you can examine such cultures and see the ways that individuals offer themselves to family and community life.
Curtin, Philip D: The rise and fall of the plantation complex:essays in Atlantic history (Cambridge, 1990).
Until the early 1800’s, Spain created an empire that lasted around three hundred years and was considered “the most powerful country in Europe” (Mini Q). During the late 18th century, the Spanish colonies had an uncompromising social structure to which people were placed in different classes based on their heritage. The Creoles, people born in the colonies but of pure Spanish blood, lead the fight in the struggle for independence because of the economic and social conditions as well as the attempt to gain political power.
In “Manifesto of the Communist Party,” Karl Marx argues that there is only two social classes and the one who will be in the lead are the wealthy individuals. Like, in “The Social Contract,” Jean-Jacques Rousseau says that in order for things to not remain the same, there has to be changes on the state. Unlike, in “Workers,” Richard Rodriguez explains about his experience in working and about the choices he had to take in life. While, in “Roberto Acuna, Migrant Farm Worker,” Studs Terkel mentions about is life experience when he worked in the fields. On the other hand, in “Does Race Matter in Latin America?” Deborah J. Yashar talks about the discrimination and the history about race in Latin America. In order to help reduce the injustice between
The culture of a community invariably determines the social structures and the formation of a society. Developed over time, culture is the collection of beliefs and values that a group of people maintain together. Culture is never constant, and thought to be continually renewed over years as new ideas and concepts become mainstream. It ranges from how people live, day to day topics for conversations, religion, and even entertainment. It is analogous to guidelines, or the rulebook of the said group of people. Society, on the other hand, emanates from the social structure of the community. It is the very institutions to which create a regulated and acceptable form of interaction between peoples. Indeed, culture and society are so perversely intertwined in a
The word community is defined as a group of individuals residing in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. We all, whether we know this or not, belong to particular communities and even sub communities (self contained community within an unusually large area). One particular community that I've been a part of during my entire life is the Haitian community. An Haitian Community is usually a place where a group of Haitian nationals reside, we share many cultural beliefs and practices together. In this paper I will be investigating some of the beliefs and practices of the Haitian Community.
Pluralism comes from the political system that focuses on shared power among interest groups and competing factions.# A pluralistic society contains groups that have varying interests and backgrounds, including those of ethnic, religious, and political nature.# Differences like these are to be encouraged, with overall political and economic power being maintained. When a number of people, all sharing a common interest are threatened, a group is involuntarily formed in order to defend against competing interests.
The Spanish culture is rich in history. They demonstrate a sense of family, religion and community in order to maintain their heritage. My paper will review briefly the Spanish culture and evaluate the contrast and similarities between them and African Americans. This flow chart will range with differences and similarities on religion, socialization and there place in the future of our country. This journey allowed me to learn a great deal.
Colonialism came to Latin America in the fifteenth century by the Europeans. They discovered three forms of civilization: there were the Mayan, Aztecs and the Incas (MLA, pg.13). After the arrival of the Europeans the nation transformed their cultural adaptations and suppressions. Before Latin American independence, three institutions exercised control over the population in Latin America. First, there was the Spanish crown where the colonist had to produce revenue and did so by putting a tax on everything. The government was universal and relatively efficient because it had to be in order to collect it’s taxes. Second, there was the Catholic Church, which had a strong influence on the people’s everyday lives. Lastly, there was there was patriarchy (MLA, pg.20). In Latin America, similar as to the most of the world, men had complete control over their wives. This was mainly about property rights because illegitimate children can inherit their father’s property. Though, it seemed to be made out as a way of purity. Nonetheless, Latin American society had a wide range of cultural blending. A new Latin American culture emerged mixing one whites from Spain, called the peninsulares, two, whites born in the Americas called creoles, three, Native Americans, and four, African slaves (MLA, pg.20). This caused a great deal of racial diversity and a social hierarchy. There were four basic racial categories, white, black, mestizo, a mix of white and American Indian, and mulatto, a mix of white and black (MLA, pg.19). There were constant attempts to classify and divide them into their own racial group. From the 16th century and on, Latin America had a huge diversity of mixed race people. During the19th, Latin America saw rapid changes in socia...
As the Hispanic Caribbean has evolved it has managed to grow and thrive beyond belief, whether one is discussing art, music or just the culture alone the Hispanic Caribbean is truly reaping the benefits of allowing themselves to be influenced by many other cultures. While the Hispanic Caribbean is thriving they are still facing the many new found struggles that come along with the territory of becoming more affluent as well as more accepting to other cultures and their beliefs. Often with the growth of large proportions comes many problems, problems also can come about when incorporating of different cultures as a whole as well as just bringing in their beliefs and mannerisms. None the less it can be argued that the struggles being faced in
The beautiful, radiant and vibrant island that goes by the name of Jamaica is located on the Windward region of the Caribbean. It is one of the best place to be on earth. Our motto “Out of Many One People”, symbolizes the vast cultures and races that make up this beautiful island. Jamaica the land I love, lives on in each individual and leaves a positive impact even with just one visit or no visit at all. In this essay I will elaborate on the various cultures that build up the island, the different attractions the country has to offer and an overview of the unique lifestyle of Jamaicans.
Modernization theory is an unworkable guide for facilitating Caribbean growth because of the many weaknesses, which have been highlighted. The modernization theory although is without a doubt one of he most influential theory, is in fact an unworkable guide to Caribbean development as it simply describes the development process without showing how it might be achieved. The theory is in fact a unilinear, ethnocentric theory and it is with all it's shortcomings which one can conclude that it provides an unworkable guide to Caribbean development.