CULTURAL DIVERSITY

 Cultural diversity is the variety of

human societies or cultures in a specific
region, or country in the world. The
great differences in the characteristics
and attributes of social groups in the
Caribbean. These stem from the
traditions and activities of the different
European powers that colonized the
region.
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 The main factors that cause cultural
diversity
 Geography.
 Relief or landscape, soils, resources affect
economic activity. Economic activity affects
settlement patterns and lifestyles. For example,
coffee is grown in the Blue Mountains of
Jamaica, coffee requires cool temperatures.
 Bananas and ground provisions are grown in
the Windward Islands where there is fertile
volcanic soil and abundant rainfall.
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 Trinidad produces petroleum products
 In the the Leeward Islands, tourism is a
major industry due to the presence of white
sand beaches).
 Coastal communities tend to engage in
fishing.
 There is a difference between rural and
urban lifestyles
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History.
 Cultural diversify results mainly from
historical factors. The plantation system
caused the influx of Africans, Europeans,
East Indians and Chinese into the region.
These groups brought their cultural
traits and values to the region.
 Racial mixing occurred – whites and
blacks (mulatto), black and Indians
(dougla).

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 A cultural milieu evolved as the various
groups adapted to their specific environment.
Food, dance, language, and family all
adapted to their specific setting. This
resulted in the cultural variations of the
region. In many instances, the cultural traits
and values of different racial groups were
combined to create a creole culture
(creolisation)

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Forms and expressions of diversity or Features of
diversity

 Language – what languages (dialects) are

spoken in the region?
 Political systems – what types of political
systems do we have?
 Festivals – what festivals do we celebrate in the
region?

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 Race and Ethnicity – ethnic groups in the region:
Afro-Caribbean, White (Americans, Europeans,
Syrians, Lebanese, Jews); Asians (Chinese, East
Indians); Amerindians; Hispanics.
 Religions – Christian, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism,
Judaism, Caribbean Syncretic Religions (“Shouter
Baptist”). N.B. (Denominations: Anglican,
Moravian, Baptist, Church of God, Pentecostal etc).
 Food and culinary traditions.

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 Architecture – variuos styles in the
region based on British, French, Dutch
traditions.
 Rural – urban living

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 Race and ethnicity
 Race. The term used to describe one population
from another of the same subspecies. It is based
on visible aspects such as skin colour, facial
features, etc.
 Races are populations that may be distinguished by
appearance. Races are not species; they are able
to interbreed, and are fertile when they do.
(Eysenck, 1971)

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 Ethnicity
 Ethnicity: A group’s cultural links with an
ancestral past. Identification with a certain
group based on cultural and historical
traditions, language, and religion.
 Ethnic group: A human population whose
members identify with each other based on a
common genealogy or ancestry. It is identified
by certain common cultural behaviours e.g.
religion, food, dress, language, etc. .

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 Race is rooted in the idea of a biological
classification, ethnicity is rooted in the idea
of social groups.
 In recent times, the terms population and
ethnicity are used instead of race

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Positive Effects of Cultural Diversity.

 Cultural variations attract tourist

 Encourage cultural retention
 Adapting to and accommodating cultural
differences (tolerance)
 New forms of culture are developed syncretism
(the combination of different systems of
philosophical or religious belief or practice),
hybridization (mixing of the races), ‘cross-overs’.
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 Facilitate better understanding of each
other and ourselves
 Enable development of craft, agricultural
and music industry e.g. Japanese have
developed a love for Jamaican coffee and
sea island cotton.

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Negative Effects of Cultural Diversity.

 Discontent in society
 Discrimination
 Ethnic clashes.
 Division – ethnic differences are used to as
the basis for stratification and social mobility.
 Identity crisis – the offspring of mixed unions
are neither of one ethnic group or the next.
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