Module 1: Caribbean

Society & Culture

Overview
• This module serves to introduce students to the role
played by geography in shaping the society and
culture of the Caribbean region and its diaspora as
well as the historical evolution of Caribbean society.

• It also explores the cultural characteristics of the

Caribbean people, the evolution of the Caribbean
diaspora and the ways in which Caribbean society and
culture influence and are influenced by societies and
cultures outside the region.
How do we define the Caribbean?

How do we locate
and define the
Caribbean Region?
Locating & Defining the
Caribbean
• Before we can attempt any meaningful study of the
society and culture of the Caribbean, it is necessary
to define and locate the actual region.

• Sometimes, the society and culture of a people define

and locate where they live more than some physical or
geographical feature.

• The name Caribbean evolved from the name Caribe,

referring to one of the original groups of people to
have settled in the region.
Definitions
• Geographical
• Geological
• Historical
• Political
• Diasporic
Geographical Location
• A geographic basis for delimiting the Caribbean is a
familiar one.
• It is based on the concept of a ‘Caribbean Basin’
where the central identifying feature is the
Caribbean Sea, rimmed by islands and the mainland
territories of Central and South America.
• This is the traditional geographic definition of the
Caribbean region, which is usually described as ‘lands
washed by the Caribbean Sea’, or it can be thought of
as the ‘West Indies’ and the surrounding mainland
territories.
The Caribbean Basin
Other Geographical Definitions
• Using coordinates – lines of latitude and longitude.
• Approximate coordinates (60W to 90W & 5N to
25N/30N)
• The geographic conception of the Caribbean is based
on a view of the Caribbean Sea as a basin with the
surrounding territories representing the limits of the
basin.
• Such a definition is not comprehensive – it excludes
countries that are normally accepted as Caribbean
and includes some that are not.
Conflict with geographical
definition
Excludes countries Includes countries
that are normally that are not widely
accepted as accepted as
Caribbean: ‘Caribbean’:
1. Guyana 1. Honduras
2. Barbados 2. Colombia
3. Bahamas 3. Mexico
4. Belize 4. Venezuela
5. Suriname
Sub-Regions
• Lesser Antilles
• Greater Antilles
• Windward Islands
• Leeward Islands
• The Bahamas
• The Turks and Caicos
• The Netherland Antilles
Geological
• This definition is not widely known.
• Considered mainly by geologists and seismologists.
• The defining feature here is the Caribbean Plate.
• Much of the Caribbean region lies on the Caribbean
Plate.
• Its boundaries define the region in terms of tectonic
activity.
• While the margins of the plate conform to traditional
geographical conceptions, the western margin lies in
the Pacific Ocean.
• Thus further highlighting the limitations of surface
geography.
• While we need to be aware of the Caribbean as a
geological entity – the shared impact of earthquakes
and volcanic activity, we must also be mindful that
geology does not give a comprehensive framework of
the region. It excludes Guyana, the Bahamas and
much of Cuba!
Historical – the Colonial
Caribbean Experience
• Defining the Caribbean according to geography and
geology alone does not take into account the
importance of human activities and relationships in
demarcating a region.
• How people regard their space and what they regard
as their space are emphasized by those who view
history as an important dimension in locating the
region.
• Here the shared common experiences of the people is
what defines them as Caribbean.
Shared Processes
• Occupation by the indigenous peoples
• European exploration and settlement
• Genocide and war waged against the indigenes
• African slavery
• Indian Indentureship
• Colonialism
• Development of the plantation economy and society
• Independence and the forging of a new society out of
such experiences
• While history is concerned with describing and
analysing significant events, trends and processes
over time, it also examines how such phenomena are
experienced differently over time.
• The Caribbean is considered a region apart largely
because it reflects the legacy of a particular
combination of European nations who were intruders
into the original Spanish Main.
• While the heritage of the majority of Latin American
countries is rooted in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain &
Portugal), the countries of the Caribbean represent
the varied legacies of Britain, France, Holland, Spain,
and to a lesser extent, Denmark.
• Language embodies these cultural differences and
presents the major distinguishing factor that delimits
the Caribbean region within the Latin American
region.
Classification by language
• Anglo Caribbean
• Hispanic Caribbean
• Dutch Caribbean
• French Caribbean
The Political Caribbean
• At present the political entities comprising the
Caribbean are diverse and show varying stages in
achieving political autonomy from the colonial powers
that were once dominant in the region.

• The Caribbean as a single political entity is as yet an

ideal raised by visionaries, statesmen and those
deeply involved in the integration movement.

• The diversity in political arrangements stands in

marked contrast to the political entities of Central
and South America.
• While the Caribbean has not been entirely free of
dictatorships, revolutions, armed interventions and
coups d’etat, these have been limited in impact and
generally the region as a whole has been politically
stable.
• The Caribbean can be defined by its diverse and
complex political relationships.
• Federation
• Associated State
• Independent Republic
• Independent Monarchy
• Dependencies
• Departments
The Diasporic Caribbean
• The term diaspora refers to the scattered or
grouped migration of people away from their country
of origin.
• Usually, the country of migration becomes the ‘new
home’ of the migrants.
• Many, however, choose to live in immigrant enclaves as
a means of identifying with their roots.
• The spread of the region’s people has extended the
diversification of ethnicity in receiving countries.
• The Caribbean has one of the largest diaspora
communities outside of its region.