Adjusting to a new culture and environment is a normal process and can generate a wide variety of reactions and feelings. However it might be easy to everyone who has to encounter it. When you first experience a new culture everything seems exciting and new to you. This is because being in a new culture your curiosity and interest of the new surroundings, and possible the anticipation and appreciation of the new opportunities to be found in the new culture (Cultural Transition and Adaptation, 2007). One thing that someone for a different culture has happen to them when coming to a new place is culture shock. This happens when the person primary focus on the differences between one’s home culture and the new culture. Also, they focus on the problems that will arise due to those differences between cultures. One culture that was examined was the Jamaican culture.
Jamaica is a rich strong and vibrant culture that is very diverse. Jamaica is in a process of rapid social change. The culture heritage and the cultural expression of people is indicated by ethnicity, social class, religion, education, and language. Jamaica social class is largely determined by the color or shade of a person. The white Jamaica and near whites are at the top of the social hierarchy, they dominate business, banking and commerce. The whites have better educational opportunities. The middle class are really the educated working class, they are darker in color, have less wealth, but strive for education as means of social mobility. The middle class dominates government and politics.
Jamaican religion varies. Jamaica has more churches per square mile than any other country. They are remnants of African religions like revivalist movement, kumina and voo...
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...ling or flashy jewelry culture.
In spite of many difficulties the country faces, Jamaican’s are naturally upbeat, engaging and outgoing. Teachers have to make every effort to keep students focused on effort and excellence. Jamaicans are accustomed to and authoritarian structure where there is some social distance. Jamaica moves at a slower pace than the United States. There is more bureaucracy and less of a sense of urgency to accomplish tasks. Jamaicans do not like a condescending approach; they don’t want you to try to be like them. Jamaicans expect you to maintain your standards and your identity. English is the official language of the country, but you have to speak slowly to ensure that there is a mutual understanding. Jamaica is a highly sexually oriented society; the family structure is complex, conventional marriage, concubine, and visiting relationships.
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.
After visiting the country of Jamaica this past summer, I realized how dissimilar some countries can be from the United States. Jamaica was not unlike the United States in a terrible way, but the disparities made me additionally interested in researching about the beautiful and culture-rich country of Jamaica. Even though the majority of facts about the history and culture of the United States and Jamaica are dissimilar, I was surprised to come across some similarities among these two countries.
Upon seeing various Jamaican films and listening to various reggae artists, a constant question running through my mind was,"Where are all the womyn?"In all of the films it seemed as though there were virtually no womyn in Jamaica, and those that were there were only on the periphery, not playing a main role in everyday life. Those films that depicted the Rastafarian way of life seemed to show no womyn in them either. I was somewhat confused about the seeming absence of womyn, and it forced me to question their role in Jamaican and Rastafarian society. My questions regarding this issue were pushed further when a friend of mine returned home from Jamaica and expressed the same kinds of concerns. She said that during the few weeks she spent there she had seen maybe a dozen or two dozen Jamaican womyn altogether.
From the country’s earliest days, Jamaica experienced colonial status, with paternal influences from the West. Spain initially maintained ascendancy over the colony; yet, as they embarked upon their sesquicentennial reign, the Empire’s grasp began to loosen. Primarily incessant interstate conflict, between the Empire and its bordering nations, wreaked havoc. Contrastingly, England continued to thrive and experience heightened success in their colonial endeavors. Indeed, as Spain began losing dominance over Jamaica, England looked to the Caribbean to increase their economic hegemony; in 1650, the British successfully cap...
Hart, Richard. (1999). Towards Decolonisation: Political, Labour, and Economic Development in Jamaica. Kingston: Canoe Press.
Reggae music is a very powerful way of communicating a message to its listener’s. Reggae has evolved over time from many different types of music and lots of different forms from ska to reggae. The history of reggae starts over 400 years ago in the days of slavery. Under the severe oppression of slavery the African people tried to hold on the pieces of their culture that they could. Music and dance were among the most important cultural traditions retained by the African people. These African rhythms gave way to mento, which gave rise to Rastafarian chants, which in turn gave way to ska and then rocksteady. (Potash, 29) When reggae music is thought of, Jamaica is instantly the word that comes to most peoples mind. Reggae music is also associated closely with the smoking of ganja. Generally people are uneducated about Rastafarianism, and don’t know that smoking marijuana is a sacrament of their religion. Just like Christians eat bread and drink wine at mass, for the Rastafarians ganja is a way to get closer to Jah or their God. The Rastafarian's God was proclaimed Haile Selassie the King of Ethiopia. The man who predicted this was Marcus Garvey a native Jamaican was an advocate of black unity and pride. Garvey was the one who told the African people that their savior would be the next king crowned in Africa. The Jamaican people revered Garvey and believed in what he preached, and when Haile Selassie was crowned the king of Ethiopia the Rastafarian people rejoiced with their new God, Haile Selassie. The Rastafarian’s loved Selassie, even though Selassie didn’t ask or want to be their God. Selassie made a visit to Jamaica in April of 1966, and when he first landed the thousands of Ras...
"The Rastafarians emerge as a loosely organized inspirational group (or groups?) of men and women concerned at the plight of black people, especially the plight of those whose ancestors were forcibly removed from Africa to become the slaves of the white man on his plantations in the islands of the Caribbean"(Cashmore, 1). The English takeover of Jamaica in 1660 started the terrible beginning of the African Diaspora. Millions of Africans were stolen off of their continent and were shipped over to the Caribbean where they were fashioned to do slave labor so the Europeans could make money. Over 80 million Africans died in the process of departing to the islands. The slaves were denied any form of religion and were treated like animals. They were also denied food and were made to grow their own food so they could feed themselves. Many years went by till the slaves started to rebel. The 'Maroons' were a group of runaway slaves who started a powerful group of guerrilla warriors who lived in the most dangerous woods in Jamaica. But the Maroons gave in and signed a peace treaty in 1738 and were paid to catch the runaway slaves and became supporters of slavery.
Living in two different places is an experience that opens people’s mind to a new way of thinking. The diversities of each country has its own appeal and often times, we find ourselves comparing and contrasting these nations based a variety of aspects. Despite bearing some minor similarities, the differences in geography, climate, tradition, and economy between the two countries, Jamaica and the United States of America are extensive.
Jamaica’s history is one of war and slavery. Due to these things, it made it harder for the Jamaican people to prosper. Arawaks from South America were the first to settle in Jamaica. In 1517, the Spanish brought the first African slaves to Jamaica. When the Spanish invaded, they began to exterminate the Arawaks, but they were also wiped out by years of disease and slavery. 138 years after the first slaves were brought to Jamaica, the British seized the island and gained full control. By 1834, slavery was abolished by the British Parliament (“Ja...
Jamaica’s fighting spirit can be seen even in its early days with the Maroons. The fighting spirit is not uncommon with people who are oppressed or forced against their will. The Maroons came in two waves, the first are slaves that fled during the Spanish rule, the second wave was during British control. The Maroons used the highlands of Jamaica to seek refuge, establish colonies and attack plantations when needed. Even today the beliefs and herbal practices of the Maroons are still evident in Jamaican culture. Their trouble past has made their life difficult but even today they are a presence in Jamaica.
United States and Jamaica have many similarities such as they were both under British rule for several years, and they both elect officials to govern the country. However the differences between the two are quite vast when it comes to the quality of education, government, and healthcare. When the three are compared it is clear to see that in terms of where is a better place for a child to grow up the United States is a better place to be.
Everyone reacts differently to new environments.While some are excited others are upset to have to leave important people behind. Culture shock comes in many different forms and sizes, some may find it harder to adjust than others. The difficulties to adjusting don’t always show up right away (TeensHealth). Culture shock is experienced in many different ways some common feelings are; sadness, loneliness, anxiety, trouble concentrating, feeling left out, negative feelings towards the new culture and frustration (TeensHealth). These feelings are temporary, eventually people get used to their surroundings. Although, many have been planning on the change for a long time, many still experience the impact of culture shock (International Students and Culture Shock). A huge majority of the cultures norms are based on language.
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.
With an increase in legal immigration, there is a possibility that the country’s culture and identity will disappear slowly as more immigrants enter the country. In The Bahamas, many of the immigrants bring along their own culture and language, especially those whose first language is not English. This culture inclusion will eventually lead to the original Bahamian culture disappearing as more and more cultures are included into the Bahamian culture. In the year 2015, The Bahamas introduced a new event called Junkanoo Carnival. Carnival is an event that is often found in Caribbean countries like Trinidad and Tobago or Barbados but not The Bahamas. This is because those countries Carnival are The Bahamas’ Junkanoo. However, The Bahamas continued on with the event ‘Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival’ which is mostly the culture of other Caribbean
“Out of many, one people.” This Jamaican motto is commonly used to portray that even though the people of the country are of many different races, backgrounds and cultures they are all share one common ground. Though a small country, Jamaican culture has many factors have globally impacted others such as Germany, China, and Africa. The people of Jamaica also pride themselves on how diverse their country is from the culturally mixed population to the melting pot of many foods to the wide variety of music. The music of Jamaica is one of the main factors that makes Jamaica unique. The music of Jamaica includes many popular genres such as calypso, ska, dancehall; the more modern form of reggae and the most popular reggae.