Characteristics of

Caribbean Society
and Culture
Cultural diversity etc.
Cultural Diversity
Cultural Diversity
 The term refers to different t
ethnic traditions based on race,
language, religion, customs and
family practices found in one
society or region (Mohammed
2007). The vast differences in
the characteristics and attributes
of social groups in the
Caribbean stem from the
traditions and activities of the
different European powers that
colonized the region.
Cultural Diversity (contd)
Main factors that influence cultural
diversity:

Geography

History

Language
 Festivals

Race and ethnicity

Religions

Food and culinary traditions

Political systems

Cultural Diversity (contd)

Positive Effects of Cultural Diversity:

It encourages cultural retention

It facilitates adapting to and accommodating

cultural differences. Living in such societies
enables one to reflect on the values and
customs of others. One can learn to
appreciate other cultures.

Members enjoy a variety of foods, festivals

and celebrations, etc.
 It enables the development of craft,
agricultural industries as well as, the
creation of different forms of music,
art, literature, etc, which speak to the
experiences of more than one ethnic
group.
Cultural variations attract tourists

Negative Effects of Cultural diversity:

It may foment discontent in society. This may

arise from feelings of ethnic superiority aided
by perceptions that one group is getting more
out of the national pie than ones own group.

Certain groups (minorities) may experience

discrimination and exploitation which may
lead to social unrest.

The offspring of mixed unions can

experience an identity crisis.
 Ethnic politics develops, with political parties
support divided along racial lines.

Ethnic prejudices are preserved through

socialization and this is further reinforced in
interaction with friends and relatives.

Social Stratification and

Social Mobility
Social Stratification:

This is the ranking of society into groups or

classes of people according to wealth, power,
status and or prestige (Mohammed, 2007).

In addition, a particular race or colour may be

aligned with those who have wealth, prestige
or status in the society.
 Social Stratification
under Slavery
During the era of slavery Caribbean society
was a closed system of stratification based
on race and colour. The society was termed
as a plantation society.

A plantation society was a rigidly stratified

system of social and economic relations
enforced on plantations in the Americas
(Mohammed, 2007).

Economic characteristics very large

agricultural land holdings which demanded a
huge labour force for manual work. The
owners and managers were Europeans who
had access to capital.
 Social Relationships the large plantation
encouraged the formation of a miniature
social system with little contact with the
outside. The total institution of the plantation
demanded that everyone observed the
superiority of European culture. Different
races contributed to cultural diversity but
the way in which the plantation was
organized discouraged easy interaction and
mixing of the races

Effects of Social Stratification on

Contemporary Caribbean
Certain social groups continue to dominate
society. These groups may be direct descendents
of Europeans whether white or coloured.

There is still a strong resemblance to the colonial

economy where raw materials are exported and
there is a minimum of manufacturing or significant
investment of local persons in the economy and
abroad. Very little has changed in terms of
developing viable alternatives which could lead to
economic diversification.
 Cultural pluralism is still evident. Certain ethnic
groups may be found in specific geographical
locations, in certain occupations and in certain
clubs and associations. Cultural pluralism
describes a situation where different cultural or
racial groups in a society mix only to a certain
extent, with limited social and cultural integration
(Trinidad and Guyana).

There is a preference for or a privileging of the

ideology of European superiority ( more recently it
has become a wholesale acceptance of US
cultural values evident in fashion, consumer
goods, images of physical beauty, appreciation of
lifestyles and values.

Contemporary Changes
Society and culture today are not as stratified
as plantation society largely due to the social
mobility brought about through education.

Political power today largely resides in the

hands of people who are descendents of
slaves and indentured labourers.
 There are groups today in the society who
espouse African customs, ethnic wear,
religions, designs and interaction with the
African continent in an effort to learn more
about their ancestral roots and at the same
time supplant European ideologies of
superiority.

Social Mobility
Social mobility is the movement of persons
from one status position to another.

Social mobility may be inter-generational i.e.

a person attains a higher class position than
that of his/her parents; or intra-generational
i.e. a change within a persons class position
within his/her lifetime.

Factors affecting social mobility: marriage,

divorce, inheritance, windfall, skin colour?,
education.
A meritocracy is a society where social mobility
is attained through achievement (educational
qualifications).
 Social mobility (contd)
In contemporary Caribbean social class is used
to distinguish between those who have the
same social and economic resources and
therefore the same social status and those
who do not.
A social class is a group of people who share a
similar position in the stratification system.
The typical social class divisions in
contemporary Caribbean are upper, middle
and lower. These divisions are in line with
Webers categorisation of class that is based
on power, prestige or status.
In the Caribbean context, social class is the key
ingredient in the stratification of society rather
than the strict ascription of race and colour
that typified plantation society.