JAMAICAN CULTURE

IN 1494 COLUMBUS NAMED THE ISLAND SANTIAGO. THE SPANISH WROTE THE NAME USED BY THE NATIVE TAINOAS XAYMAC. THE WORD IS TO MEAN MANY SPRINGS.

JAMAICA HAS 14 124 PARISHES AND IT HAS 4200 SQUARE MILES. THEIR CAPITAL IS KINGSTON. TODAY THE POPULATION IS 2.7 MILLION. 53% OF THE POPULATION RESIDES IN URBAN AREAS. MANY OF THE FOLKS ARE DESCENDANTS OF AFRICA ISLANDS AND POST SLAVERY INDENTURED SERVANTS AND MIXED LABORERS . EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH.

IN 1994 - 1655 JAMAICA WAS A SPANISH COLONY. IN 1655 JAMAICAN THE COLONIAL PERIOD WAS MARKED BY THE CONFLICT BETWEEN WHITE OWNERS AND AFRICAN SLAVE LABORERS. IT WAS THE SAME DURING INDEPENDENCE - HERE WERE POOR FOLKS. BY 1944 THE GRANTING OF A NEW CONSTITUTION, JAMAICAN GAINED UNIVERSAL SAUFFRAGE.

THE JAMAICANS ARE MULTI-CLASS AND HAVE AN IDENTITY TRADITION IN WHICH THERE IS MINIMAL SEPARATION. BETWEEN SACRED AND SECULAR AND SPIRITUAL FORCES AND RITUAL DANCES AND DREAMING AND DRUMMING AND EMPHASIZE SELF RELIANCE. THEY HAVE A DRIVE TO SUCCEED ECONOMICALLY.

THE INDIGENOUS NATIVES HAVE LEFT EVIDENCE OF THEIR MATERIAL CULTURE AND INFLUENCE. JEWS CAME HERE AS INDENTURED SERVANTS TO HELP ESTABLISH THE SUGAR INDUSTRY AND BE PART OF THE MERCHANT CLASS.

BY 1850'S, EAST INDIANS AND CHINESE WERE RECRUITED TO FILL LABOR GAP LEFT BY SLAVES. THE ETHNIC DIVISION BETWEEN WHITES AND BLACKS HAS LED TO SOME CULTURAL PREJUDICES. SETTLEMENT PATTERNS CENTERED AROUND THE LOWLAND PLANTATIONS. AS THE PLANTATIONS DECLINED, POPULATION GREW TO URBAN CENTERS THAN JOB OPPORTUNITIES. THEY HAD DEVELOPED GOOD TRADING WITH WITH OTHER COUNTIES.

THEIR PRE COLUMBIAN HOUSES WERE OF MUD WALLS AND PALM FRONDS. TODAY MOST EVERYONE LIVES IN SPANISH STYLE HOUSES AND SOME HAVE ENGLISH INFLUENCES. THE PLANTATIONS HAD SERVANT'S QUARTERS.

THEIR FOOD IS DIFFERENT. IT IS A TEA OF BOILED BANANAS AND ROASTED BREADFRUIT AND SALTED COD AND CHOCOLATES. THEIR MAIN MEAL IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON. THE MAIN MEAL MAY BE BOILED YAM OR PLAINTAINS OR FRIED FISH.

RICE IS A UBIQUITOS CEREMONIAL FOOD. THEY EAT SWEET POTATOES, YAMS, AND PLAINTAINS. RICE IS SERVED WITH CURRIED GOAT MILK AT WEDDINGS AND AND OTHER OCCASIONS. SOME AFRICAN RELIGIONS USE GOATS FOR SACRIFICE. GOAT BLOOD IS MIXED WITH RUM - YUCK!

SINCE 1960'S THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN BASED ON LARGE SCALE EXPORTING. MINING AND MANUFACTURING ARE THE MAJOR ECONOMIES HERE.

THEY OWN FAMILY LAND AND MEMBERS WHO SHARE USE RIGHTS, AND ALL MEMBERS SHARE IN PRODUCING CROPS. JAIMACANS TRADE WITH US, ENGLAND, CANADA, AND THE CARRIBEAN COMMUNITY. THEY IMPORT SOME HARDWARE, ELECTIC AND TELECOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, FOOD FUEL, MACHINES AND TRANSPORTORTATION EQUIPMENT. BLACKS NOW WORK IN ALL TYPES OF JOBS, CHINESE WORK IN RETAIL AND WHOLESALE, TRADES. INDIANS ARE INTO PROFESSIONAL AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES. WOMEN ARE WITH DOMESTIC CHORES. THEY TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN. THEY MAY TAKE AFTER A PARENT OR THEY MAY BE INFLUENCED BY THE DEVIL. THE WOMEN TRADITIONALLY ARE SECRETARIES, CLERICAL, TEACHERS, AND DO TRADING ACTICITIES.

MOST OF THE COUNTRY'S WEALTH IS OWNED BY A SMALL NUMBER OF WHITE FAMILIES. THE SOCIAL SYSTEM IS IN PLACE. JAMAICA HAS OVER 150 NON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS. MEN HAVE HIGHER PAYING JOBS HERE THAN WOMEN. THE GRANDMOTHER OFTEN HELPS RAISE THE CHILDREN. THEY HAVE TWO MARRIAGE PATTERNS - LEGALLY RECOGNIZED AND CONSENSUAL UNION THEIR CHURCH IS ANGELICAN AND IS THE CHURCH OF THE ELITE. THE ARTS ARE A LONG TRADITION HERE AND FEW ARE HIRED BY COMPANIES. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. THEIR ARE MANY PERFORMING ARTS WITH MUSIC.

WOMEN ARE EXPECTED TO GIVE ADULT MALES SERVICE IN THE HOME.

THERE RITUALS INCLUDE SPECIAL HEALING RITUALS AND CEREMONIES TO BE THANKFUL OF ANCESTRAL VENERATION AND MEMORIAL SERVICES. THEY BELIEVED THEIR RITUALS TAKE PLACE IN CHURCHES, BALM YARDS, SILK TREES, CEMETERIES, BAPTIZED SITES. THEY HAVE IMPOVERSHED AND LARGE FUNERALS. THEY MIXED TRADITIONS AND HERBAL HEALING PRACTICES.

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