Caribbean society and culture
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:(1) Define society, demography and human ecology.
(2) Describe the elements that determine the characteristics of a society.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY
Human civilization tends to organise itself in groups which facilitate interaction with each other. Within every community, roles are assigned to individuals for effectual operation; this often leads to a civilized society. A society, therefore, can be defined in the following ways:
A DEFINED TERRITORIAL SPACE
A society is often referred to as people living together in the same geographical area over a long period of time. In the context of the Caribbean, a society is referred to as the boundaries of a nation state. For instance, the Jamaican society, the St Lucian society, the Cuban society, and so on.
A SHARED COMMON PURPOSE
The term ‘society’ is also used to refer to people who share a similar historical background, culture and interests, for example, The Jamaican Horticultural Society or the Jamaican Society for the Aged.
Continuity over time and space/citizenship within a space
The sociologists, in their study of society, speak of an organised group framework, meaning that within each society there is a strict social structure. This refers to a network of interrelationship among the individuals and groups. In their pursuit of understanding the general make-up of a society, sociologists study relationships to verify their effects on the function of the society.
ELEMENTS THAT DETERMINE THE SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF A SOCIETY
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
This determines the general social patterns of a group of people living within a certain geographical area. There are two primary kinds of population studies: demography and human ecology. Demography is the systematic study of the size, composition and distribution of human populations. Human ecology, on the other hand, deals mainly with the structure of urban environments and their patterns of settlement and growth. Studies in human ecology explain why and how cities and other communities grow and change.
SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONS
Societal institutions include churches, government agencies, security forces, hospitals, families, business organisations, schools, and so on. For each institution there are clearly defined relationships among people who perform specific actions within the society. It is imperative to note that each institution has a direct effect on the society. For example, by infusing aspects of Vision 2030 in the curriculum across schools in Jamaica, the goals of the entire society are influenced by the transmission of learning and knowledge in educational institutions.
SOCIAL CHANGE
Social change involves any key modification in the social conditions and patterns of behaviour in a society. Change may be caused by fashions, inventions, revolutions, wars or other events and activities. Sociologists, in the pursuit to uncover the mysteries behind social change within the society, have concentrated their efforts on education, social values and settlement patterns that occur in newly industrialized nations.
THERE ARE FOUR MAIN TYPES OF SOCIAL CHANGE:
Change in the number and variety of positions and roles.
Change in obligation or duties attached to positions.
New ways of organisation. The redistribution of facilities and rewards such as power, education.
Changes can take place gradually or suddenly, and can result from deliberate planning or be unintentional. These changes can be beneficial to some as well as punitive to others and, as such, it is inevitable that there will be resistance to some changes.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES
This refers to similar experiences that people within ethnic/racial groups share. There are practices that are unique to them, such as the preparation of food, religious rituals, mode of dress, politics, festivals and celebrations, that inform their way of living. These practices are passed down to the young. For instance, the Tainos, Kalinagos and Mayans all had distinct cultural practices which made their society an organised, rich cultural state.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Social behaviour is the study of people’s attitude to change, conformity, leadership and any other form of behaviour. It also includes the interaction of people within a group. Through the process of socialization, standards of behaviours are relayed from generation to generation. The sociologist studies how people adjust their behaviours to fit the already established standards.
SUMMARY
The Caribbean society refers to:
The population that falls within the geographical confines of the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
The natives or citizens of those countries that are bordered by the Caribbean Sea and those of the mainland territories .
Those who share a common history of colonialism, slavery, the plantation system and its attendant culture, values and norms.
Those groups of persons who were born in the Caribbean but live outside of the region.