What evidence is there to suggest that aspects of social life in Jamaica during the period 1930-1985 are still

present today?

Name: Samantha Johnson Candidate #: School Centre #:

Table Of Contents

Acknowledgement Rationale Essay Pictures Bibliography

1 2 5-8 9-13 14

Acknowledgement

Rationale (Aim/Purpose)

This study was conducted to find evidence that suggests that aspects of social life in Jamaica during the period 1930-1985 are still present today.

Jamaica, officially the Commonwealth of Jamaica, is the 4th largest island nation of the Greater Antilles. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 kilometres south of Cuba. Jamaica is the 5th largest island country in the Caribbean. The indigenous Arawakanspeaking Tano name for the island was Xaymaca, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water" or the "Land of Springs". Once a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it became an English, and later British, colony in 1655 under the name Jamaica. It achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962. With 2.8 million people, it is the third most populous Anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. Kingston is the country's largest city, with a population of 937,700, and its capital. Jamaica has a large diaspora around the world consisting of Jamaican citizens migrating from the country. Fifty-three per cent of the population resides in urban areas. The population is 90 %black, 1 % East Indian, and 7 %mixed, with a few whites and Chinese. The black demographic

category includes the descendants of African slaves, post slavery indentured labourers, and people of mixed ancestry. The East Indians and Chinese arrived as indentured labourers. Social refers to a characteristic of living organisms as applied to populations of humans and other animals. It always refers to the interaction of organisms and to their collective co-existence, irrespective of whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the interaction is voluntary or involuntary. Thus the term social life refers to the opportunities to do enjoyable things that exist in a particular place. The question is therefore asking what opportunities to do enjoyable things did the people living in Jamaica during the period 1930-1985 have and do we still have some of these opportunities today. The first inhabitants of Jamaica were the Arawaks. They lived very peacefully with each other. It was into this peaceful and easy Arawak way that Columbus and the Spaniards arrived. The first European to have come to the Caribbean and the New World was Christopher Columbus. When Columbus arrived in Jamaica on 5 May 1494, he planted the flag of Spain here. This meant that Spain owned Jamaica. The names of places and rivers in Jamaica remind us that the Spaniards once lived here. Towns such as Ocho Rios, Santa Cruz and St Jago de la Vega, and rivers such as Rio Cobre, Rio Minho and Rio Grande were named by the Spanish settlers. As time went on and the Arawaks proved they were incapable of doing the back breaking work that the Spaniards wanted them to do and as a result many and eventually all died. When the English took over Jamaica and started importing slaves from Africa they brought with them both aspects of their culture. Some of these aspects are still present today.

The slaves arrived in the New World naked, bereft of all the trappings of their culture, but in their new environment, they were able to revive or recreate much of what they had known, and so before long several aspects of their African culture, including music, religion, customs, oral traditions and dress were evident on the estate. Slaves danced and sang at nights and on weekends to entertain themselves, they sang at work to make the burden of work lighter and they sang after work. They sang and danced at celebrations, which were permitted by the planters, for example Christmas. They used drums, rattles made from gourds filled with small stones and seeds, flutes, banjos, mouth violins, tambourines and xylophones to produce music. These instruments are used today mostly in church or other religious settings. In spite of the efforts to suppress the music of the enslaved portion of the West Indies population, African music remained popular among slaves. The artisans continued to make drums and other instruments, many of the festive celebrations of Christmas, Old/New Year,

Easter celebrations remained annual highlights for the slaves .Funerals , weddings, naming ceremonies were occasions celebrated with music. The John Canoe dance remained popular, and African religions like Shango, Kumina, Pocomania, remained vibrant, brightly embellished with their music. Another aspect of the African culture, which was evident among the slaves in the Caribbean, was their religion. The belief of slaves from Dahomey in a creator God and a host of lesser gods was combined with the beliefs of the Roman Catholic in the Caribbean, and Voodoo emerged out of this mixture. Practices like Kumina, Pocomania, with their belief in spirit worship and spirit possession remained vibrant. Myalism with its presumed ability to deal with disasters, and obeah provided the Africans on the estate with the means of fulfilling their religious needs, and staying in touch with their gods through the leadership of myal and obeah men. Another aspect of the African culture which survived in the Caribbean was related to birth and death practices. The burying of the babys navel string at the root of a tree was one such. Slaves also staged elaborate and mournful funeral rites at burial, accompanied by wakes before and after the burial as they had done in Africa. The tradition of passing on information by word of mouth, from one generation to the next was also evident and formed part of the social entertainment among slaves who used moments of relaxation to tell stories to their children. Although they created a Creole language of their own distinct African words helped to colour the stories, as well as other pieces of information that were passed on through their oral tradition.When it was possible the females would plait their hair in cane rows or braid it and sometimes wear head ties. African crafts like basketwork, straw work and pottery have also helped to enrich the Caribbean culture. Today these are famous on the tourist market with numerous craft markets and vendors across the island.The Sunday market which was later changed to Saturday was also used as a means of socialization for slave where they would meet with their obeah men and sell their produce.

Elements of ancient African religions remain in remote areas throughout the island, most of which practices are described generally as Obeah, Kumina or Pocomania. Though the congregations are small, they are visited by many Christian and non-Christians seeking traditional solutions that cannot be found in churches or other religious organisation. It is estimated that as much as 80% of the population secretly seek the services of the African traditional religious healers when confronted with serious problems that conventional society cannot remedy. In Jamaica, the most important celebration of all is called The Nine Night. It is the tradition of commending and commemorating the dead so they will not come back and harm or

endanger their living family and friends. A very elaborately detailed and intensive ceremony is held to properly bid farewell to the passed soul. Those who return in evil and mischief are known to the people of Jamaica as a duppy. Dance has always been important to Jamaica from colonial times until the present. Early folk rhythms and movements often enhanced Christian religious celebrations, or were associated with Christian holidays. More recently, dances have become associated with the music of Jamaica, particularly dancehall styles. More than 30 distinctive Jamaican dances have been identified. According to the National Library of Jamaica, traditional Jamaican dances fall roughly under three categories: African derived, European derived and Creole. The Africa derived dance tradition is divided into two types: religious dances and social dances. Religious African dances, such as the ritualistic Kumina, Myal and Pocomania, are integral parts of worship ceremonies. The aim is to bring the dancers into the realm of the spiritual and heighten their readiness for possession. This part of Jamaica's African heritage has mainly been preserved by the Maroon Communities. The Jamaican Creole dances integrate elements from both European and African cultures. Examples are Maypole, (originally religious but now mainly social).Jonkonnu, Bruckin's, Revival, Pukkumina (possibly the best-known Revival (religious) style which still exists today) and Dinkie mini, a dance in the Wake Complex of traditional dances. Social dances that are European derived include those that accompanied work songs and ring games. Dance theater is also growing in importance. Rex Nettleford, Eddy Thomas, Olive Lewin, and Edna Manley are four Jamaicans whose influences on the arts music and dance in particular has been extremely important. Nettleford, Thomas, and Ivy Baxter formed the National Dance Theatre Company in the 1950s. Other important Jamaicans in dance theater have included the Tony-Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan. Jamaica today boasts a rich social culture. All the above mentioned aspects are still present today though some may not be as prevalent but lasting still the same. As we can see most of our culture is from our African roots but English and Spanish among other groups that came to the island, ties in along the way too to make us Jamaican as our motto states Out Of Many One People.

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/social-life

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica

http://wiki.answers.com/