Culture and Identity

READ THE extract and answer the questions that follow.

"...Caribbean culture is a rich amalgam of European, African, Indian and indigenous cultural elements. It exhibits a form and a nature that are rooted in the harsher realities and coping strategies of plantation and colonial society. It shows the attempts of the colonial power to 'civilise', that is, to pass on the culture of the metropole or mother state to subject peoples of the colonies."

Adapted from Introduction to Sociology

(SY 14G ­ Culture in the Caribbean UWIDITE).

QUESTIONS

* What is meant by the term 'culture'? (1 mark)

* The passage suggests that Caribbean culture was learnt by force. Name one other way in which culture may be learnt. (1 mark)

* Illustrate two ways in which Caribbean culture has served as a 'coping strategy'. (4 marks)

* State four factors that have contributed to the cultural diversity of the Caribbean. (4 marks)

DEFINING CULTURE

In the historical context, we see the Africans with their negro spiritual songs while working the fields. It was a way of keeping their minds off the misery and pain they were experiencing.

To be human is to be able to have contact with other people. Without contact we would be reduced to basic and instinct behaviour. However, when humans work together, as they usually do, they create cultures that are complex, fascinating and utterly different. Our own culture always appear to be the most 'normal' and other cultures may seem strange, different and even inferior in some cases.

The idea of 'culture' is very important for sociologists. Culture is commonly defined as the way of life of a social group. More specifically, the term refers to patterns of beliefs, values, symbols, art and material goods. It is the entire way in which a society expresses itself. Culture brings people together because it is shared and taken for granted.

The most widely used definition of culture is perhaps from the anthropologist Tylor. According to Tylor:

"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, art, belief, morals, law, custom and any other
capabilities acquired by man as a member of society."

Culture in the Caribbean includes the various styles of music in our society from classical to Calypso and Soca. The way we chose our government or the intricacies of an East Indian wedding ceremony is also culture.

b. The above passage suggests culture in the Caribbean was learnt by force. However, there are other ways by which culture is learnt. These include socialisation and education.

It is important to note, however, that regulation of individuals behaviour does not constitute culture, they occur mainly because men possess culture, and they have certain sta ndards, values, similar attitudes and similar knowledge about the environment. So, in essence, culture is ideational, that is, it refers to standards, attitudes and beliefs in terms of which people act. People actually decide how to act by referring mentally to the culture that they possess. A particular way of behaving can emerge from culture simply because it is shared.

c. Many argue that Caribbean culture has served as a 'coping strategy' and indeed this is true. The origin of Caribbean society was the urgency of the 'newcomers' to cope with the harsh, unfamiliar and unique circumstances of plantation and other agricultural settlements based on forced labour.

When Africans entered the plantation society as slaves, a concerted effort was made to strip them of their culture. African cultural heritage was ignored or despised. Slave culture was only noticed. When it appeared dangerous, for example, obeah and beating of the drum and horn were banned. In essence, black culture, religion, music and art were denigrated.

All new African-born slaves went through the process called "seasoning", which was designed to break their spirits, strip them of their identity, dignity, culture and make them ready to work and to be absorbed into plantation
slavery. Despite all of this, however, slaves retained a
surprising amount of their African heritage.

It was not the Africans alone that suffered; so did the Amerindians, and today we are blessed with the legacies they left behind. Elements of Carib and Arawak culture that remain include the making and use of the hammock, use of cassava and peanuts, basketry and canoes and other arts and crafts.

In the historical context, we see the Africans with their negro spiritual songs while working the fields. It was a way of keeping their minds off the misery and pain they were experiencing. The development of an informal economy also emerged ­ Sunday markets.

In the contemporary context, in response to globalisation, examples would include changes in language, for example when we say "jook" (meaning to "poke") we are actually using a word derived from another language; music; religion ­ shango, voodoo, kumina; food and occupations.

d. Factors which contributed to the cultural diversity of the Caribbean are:

* The change from plantation slavery ­ (forced labour) to industrialisation (paid labour).

* Population growth as a result of migration of people of different cultural backgrounds and place of origin ­ Chinese, Indians, Jews, Syrians, Germans to name a few.

* Communication ­ travel, the media, information
technology.

* Geopolitical location

* Improvement in the level of education.

* Changes in the political system, for example, a change from socialism to democracy (in the western sense of the term).