All politics, and all culture are local
I RECENTLY moved to a rural community and have found the most welcoming neighbours. Having lived previously in urban communities, I noticed differences in community dynamics. Urban and rural communities often have tightknit groups, where members look out for each other, share resources, and engage in communal activities. My new rural community takes this to a higher level. At least once a month there is a gathering at one home or another. We all pick up eggs at the local corner supplier. We buy and sell or simply share the fruits of our farm plots.
Communities are networks of people and institutions. Groups of individuals that share interests, actions, a common place, and have shared practices and circumstances. The ways in which we relate to each other, and behave, our belief systems, traditions and practices; the ways in which we celebrate and mourn; how we work and foster our relationships form the culture of our community unit. When we speak of community, we are literally speaking of common ground, shared by many.
Power dynamics are inherent in all communities, blending culture and politics. This interconnection is vital in shaping communities, where local culture and politics are deeply intertwined. Community, citizen security, and culture are closely linked, with family life at the heart. Effective local governance and communication are, therefore, crucial for developing both the physical aspects and the sense of community.
Every community is different, so development must take the nuance of each community into account. Community codes vary, especially in areas affected by violence. Men and women adapt differently, with local pastimes like Ludi and dominoes providing stability. Intuitive understanding of danger and safety is common. Despite rapid socio-cultural changes, traditional institutions like churches, schools, and local shops, along with key figures like community nurses and teachers, remain significant. However, stereotypes are less applicable now due to evolving community dynamics and blurred socio-economic lines.
I recently reread former Prime Minister Michael Manley’s Politics of Change. He tells us, too, that any emphasis on community development must consider cultures of dependence and that Caribbean communities and governance systems were originally designed to encourage the dependency of their residents. The psychology of dependence, he told us, is the most “... insidious, elusive and intractable of the problems we inherit.” He said, “The time comes when … societies, denied responsibility and power long enough … can become almost incapable of response to opportunity because there is not the habit of self reliance.” It has now happened, and it is a trend that must be reversed.
CULTURAL ADJUSTMENTS
Cultural adjustments are, therefore, required for sustainable change. Making change in communities requires placing emphasis on citizen security and health, engendering new, participatory approaches to local governance, sanitation and environmental maintenance, and economic sustainability. Mainstreaming entertainment and recreation as part of economic sustainability.
Additionally, according to Manley: “Man needs material security because he has physical needs. But he has a creative side which is expressed in the arts, the world of ideas and his scientific inventiveness.” What has changed since then is that the two are no longer mutually exclusive. In emphasising the cultural economy as key to community economic development, it is crucial to promptly implement practical steps to enhance and redirect the regulatory framework for local entertainment and economies.
Cultural shifts are central to this development, starting at the community level. Proactive, practical steps, focusing on immediately achievable goals, are essential. Prioritising entertainment within the broader creative industries can be a catalyst. Taking culture and creative industries seriously at last and starting at the level of communities is an important first step.
Mainstreaming entertainment as an economic activity in communities sends the signal that community enterprise and the development of the MSME sector form an important pillar of economic policy. For Jamaica to bolster its GDP, its Government must proactively place emphasis on local community economies by stimulating inclusive economic growth and unleashing the creative economic energy of our people at the local level. At the local level, emphasis has to be placed on entertainment and recreation as a subsector of the broader creative industries. This is driven by community social initiatives to serve as a source of income generation in communities. This requires a proactive approach to simplifying and making new laws governing the entertainment sector as part of a broader legislative framework that legitimises cultural production, expression, trade, consumption, and recreation.
Increasing the efficiency of parish council services in relation to entertainment, making them userfriendly, transparent, and accessible must be a first step. This requires immediate remedial action:
• Establish a one-stop-shop for event approvals and eliminate the use of permits to victimise communities and establish a digital platform for the issuance of permits,
• Establish Community Enterprise Zones (CEZ) to stimulate investment and fortify economic activity within communities and deepen economic linkages across the economy, leveraging the creative economic energy of our people.
• Empower local authorities to manage local amenities (parking facilities, bus parks, etc) to enhance revenue generation and hold them accountable for their performance.
• Introduce new regulations to address street food, vending, barbers, cosmetologists, etc, fostering a conducive and safe environment for these vibrant local economic activities.
• Review the Places of Amusement Regulations (1899) and the Spirit Licence Act 1928 to establish a transparent process and remove arbitrariness, ensuring fair treatment to enhance opportunities within the entertainment industry.
• Review vending regulations and ensure dignified treatment for vendors by prescribing spaces with requisite services and implementing proper zoning for market transformation.
• Support and transform local commerce through reform and development initiatives for market districts.
• Provide dignified spaces that honour and respect vendors, farmers, and consumers, contributing to community well-being and economic growth.
Beyond a regulatory framework for entertainment, there is also a bigger culture-change picture for implementation in communities over time.
FOUR C’S OF COMMUNITY AND CULTURE
The bigger picture requires the implementation of a participatory framework that sees each individual as part of its governance process rather than someone who has to be represented in decision making. I propose four approaches, all grounded in governance reliant on the global best practice of a partnership of equals between the State, the private sector, and civil society – it insists that all politics is local; so, too, is culture..
Collaboration, cooperation, communication and cultural sensitivity (Four C’s) form the core of this commitment. They are the Four C’s of the cultures of community and citizen security. One example of this is stepping up to address the balance between entertainment, worship activities, and well-being in communities, particularly concerning noise levels. It is challenging, contentious, and requires immediate solutions. Recognising this tension is vital to avoid further issues among residents and the entertainment sector. Developing a mechanism to ensure that such issues can be addressed in short order is critical. This will require an emphasis on:
• Strengthening cultures of community coordination - Enhancing collaboration between community organisations and Parish Councils through improved communication and participatory governance.
• Emphasising a culture of wellbeing - Integrating cultural activities like sports, music, arts, and gastronomy with peace-management strategies to foster security and positive relations, especially in trauma-affected areas.
• Engendering cultures of community economics - Encouraging community-based income opportunities through events like Round Robins, tournaments, and festivals.
• Facilitating cultures of public private partnership - This should begin with Kingston, recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Music, by implementing a clear governance structure and partnership-driven projects at various societal and economic levels.
If local government is about community, a primary emphasis on culture change is necessary. The time is now ripe to ensure that considerations of culture are central to community development.
Dr Deborah Hickling Gordon is a specialist in culture in development and cultural policy in SIDS and the Global South; lecturer in cultural and creative industries and opposition spokesperson on culture and creative industries. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com