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Challenges in the Caribbean

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Challenges in the Caribbean
Challenges in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is known to be a place that has been colonized, changed and heavily influenced. Upon the arrival of the Europeans, the Caribbean lifestyle was affected and changed forever. Along with the arrival of the European settlers, many of their values, customs and traditions were brought over. The peoples of the Caribbean countries that were brought over had roots tying back to Africa, China, India and Portugal. These groups of people were colonized by three of the most powerful countries in the world; Great Britain, Spain and France left such a big impact on the colonized countries that much of their influence is present in the Caribbean today (Hernandez-Ramdwar, Lecture, Oct. 10 2005). As many Caribbean countries have gained their independence from the colonizers, their influence on the Caribbean culture, traditions and societies is yet to be freed (Hernandez-Ramdwar, Lecture, Oct. 10 2005). As many historical events took place in the Caribbean, the social construction of the Caribbean lifestyle was altered. These social constructions involve the concept of a patriarchal society because they were challenged by structural functionalists ' views and perceptions. As patriarchy faced many challenges in the Caribbean, so did the other social constructions that were affiliated with it. Matrifocality, constructions of masculinity and patriarchy are all reforms of the Caribbean society. Without the co-existence of one social reform, the others would not be able to exist. Thus, it can be stated that the relationship between matrifocality, constructions of masculinity and patriarchy in the Caribbean is that they all are interrelated and allow each other to exist; without the dependence and influence of one another, these social reforms would not have much significance to the Caribbean society.

In the 1940 's, anthropologists, known as the structural functionalists, arrived in the Caribbean to analyze family structures in



Cited: Barrow, Christine. "East Indian Family Patterns". Family in the Caribbean. C. Barrow Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, 1999. Barrow, Christine. "Caribbean Masculinity and the Family". Caribbean Portraits: Essays on Gender Ideolies and Identities. C. Barrow, Ed. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers 1998 Barrow, Christine. "Slave Families". Family in the Caribbean. C. Barrow, Ed. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randler Publishers, 1999. Brown, Janet. Et al "Caribbean Fatherhood: Underresearched, Misunderstood". Caribbean Families. J. Roopnarine, Ed. Ablex Publishing, 1997. Hodgem Merle. (Chapter 2). Crick Crack Monkey. London: Heinemann 1970) Roopnarine, Jaipul "Family Socialization in an East Indian Village."Caribbean Families.j. Roopnarine, ED Ablex Publishing, 1997 Life and Debt, 2001 Indentured Indian Women in Colonial Guyana. Seenarine, Moses. Retrieved November 1st, 2001. http://saxakali.com/indocarib/sojourner3.htm

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