INTRODUCTION

The Caribbean has a rich history, beginning with the migration of the indigenous peoples, followed by the
discovery by the Europeans, colonisation, which lead to slavery and indentureship, and eventual independence across
the region. These periods were interspersed with the repeated themes of migration, oppression and resistance that
gave rise to the society of which we are now a part. The following essay examines the "Dependency Syndrome" of
which Caribbean people are often accused of exhibiting and how our history brought about this effect in the people
of today.

ESSAY
Society can be defined as the largest group to which an individual belongs. It encompasses all interactions
between people and how they make meaning of these experiences. The social organisation in the Caribbean, during
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the most of the colonial period, is called the plantation society. In such a social structure, the European colonisers
comprised the upper class of society, whereas the (predominantly African and Indian) plantation workers formed
separate social organisations within the lower class (due to tensions arising from the circumstances of the arrival of
the Indians). This system discouraged interaction between the Europeans, who held managerial positions and
experienced sophisticated lifestyles and standards of living, and the labourers, who held subservient and subordinate
positions and were subject to poor living conditions. The plantation society was considered a total institution, being
an isolated and enclosed community, with the labourers in submission to the higher authority, who established
procedures which control the routines and interactions of the lower order.
It is our values which determine our relationships and interactions, that promote and evolve into our social
organisations. Our opinions are shaped by the perspective which has been shown to us as we interpret our
interactions and come to believe in the paradigms held by those with whom we share a social location. As such, it is
logical to assume that our historical perspective plays an important role in our beliefs and values (the non-material
culture that binds a society together), as these are passed down from generation to generation, morphing only to
accommodate the changes which accompany each time period.
This representation of society conforms to its definition by historians as being located in time and associated
with a particular time period. This view examines and emphasises society as a set of dynamic relationships between
different groups, these groups in the plantation society being demarcated and insulated from each other by ethnic
identity. The plantation society, as previously mentioned, coincided with the colonial era, where great importance
was placed on social stratification, due to the corresponding disparity in socio-economic status.
It is such that social stratification which largely defined the plantation society continues to influence our
Caribbean society today. Consequently, our norms and values even today lead us to acclaim those of fairer
complexion, just as the high-class, superior European colonisers were revered. We also prefer products from abroad
to our more readily available local counterparts. Overall, a preference is exhibited for visiting North American and
European territories over our own Caribbean tourist destinations and greater interest shown in North American media
and lifestyle. The manifest function of this outlook is to strive towards the improvement of our standard of living,
despite our Third World status. However, what about, for example, the unhealthy, processed imported food which
meets our approval ahead of our own fresh, local produce? In a similar fashion, we hold in higher esteem the brands
and designs of North American products. It is in this way that the dependency syndrome of the Caribbean people
emerges in the occasional importation of goods from abroad relatives. Therefore, latently, this approach only serves
to lengthen and strengthen the European legacy in the Caribbean, as we continue to set their lifestyle as our own
target. Now, as technology allows for geographically segregated countries to be linked, the effect of mass media
from the developed world further ingrains in our minds this superiority of white culture and products.
Furthermore, in order to escape the stratified system in Caribbean society where your caste largely reflects
your class (a convention which has been yielded onto us by the European colonisers), several Caribbean person
ironically migrate to these predominantly white nations in search of a better life and social mobility the
advancement from a lower social stratum to a higher one. This migration tradition has actually been in practice for
decades, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the former labourers sought a source of income for
themselves and their families during the economic depression which ravaged the Caribbean. At that time, the
hegemony of Europeans allowed for policies which barred the ex-labourers from social mobility; hence, the lower
classes seized the opportunity for migration in an attempt to improve their social status. Even during the first periods
of mass migration was it a custom to send remittances to one's family while working abroad; this continues to be
widely practised. After World War II, this mass migration continued, but to the mother countries who welcomed
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colonials to assist in re-building their countries in the aftermath of six years of war. However, Britain and France
established qualifications for immigration after calls of concern from the nationals about the major influx of
immigrants. The Caribbean people then turned to the United States and Canada in an attempt for social mobility,
hence, accounting for the widespread entry of North American culture and transferring the European reverence to
North America.
In addition, supplementary funding and familial support seems to be necessary for Caribbean people to
maintain their livelihood. As speculated by the Dependencia theorists, colonies were merely a periphery maintained
in a much lower standard than the European nations, the core, in order to upkeep and improve the lifestyle and
increase the wealth of these mother countries. As such, following the harsh treatment and submission of colonials,
these lower classes revolted for years after which independence was granted. However, these independent nations
continue to face a financial struggle in an attempt to rise to the standard of the developed world, a direct consequence
of the establishment of the plantation society on slave labour. (This is evident in the economic problems faced by the
plantation owners upon the introduction of indentured labour where only menial wages were paid). Today, large
numbers of citizens live in poverty or migrate to North America or Europe to escape poverty and reach higher strata.
These persons, now associated with improved lifestyles which we consider characteristic of predominantly white
nations, are expected to support their families. This expectation remains well-received as the Caribbean reflects
strong family values and kinship ties. This may date back to slavery and indentureship, when labourers displayed
great resilience in their times of hardship, by establishing networks of extended family and friends.
The European legacy continues to influence our culture even as we embrace that of our other peoples who
make up a larger proportion of our Caribbean society. It is such that the plantation society and more specifically, the
segregation between and importance of social classes has crept into our society today.

CONCLUSION
Although history may be sometimes overlooked as merely a series of events which are past, it does indeed
impact our society and culture today. Upon examination of the "Dependency Syndrome" (considered to be
characteristic of Caribbean society), it is evident that past events have projected themselves into our society today
and influenced our daily lives.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Caribbean Examinations Council. (2011). Caribbean Studies for self-study and distance learning. Cheltenham:
Nelson Thornes Limited.
Mohammed, J. (2007). Caribbean Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
Ottley, J., Dawson, V., & Gentles, M. (2013). CAPE Caribbean Studies. Pearson Education Limited.