J A M A I C A

SOCIO1 / MH 12:00p 1:30p

Dr. Asturias

JAMAICA
The indigenous people, the Tano,
called it Xaymaca in Arawakan, meaning the
"Land of Wood and Water" or the "Land
of Springs". With waterfalls, and springs,
rivers and streams flowing from the forestclad mountains to the fertile plains, Jamaica
has one of the richest and most varied
landscapes in the region.
Colloquially Jamaicans refer to their
home island as the "Rock", whereof further
slang names like "Jamrock", "Jamdown"
("Jamdung" in Jamaican Patois), or briefly
"Ja", have derived.
Figure 1
The flag of Jamaica was officially adopted on August 6, 1962.
The black is symbolic of hardships suffered in the past, green
represents the fertile land, and yellow the shining sun. In
addition, black, green and yellow are Pan-African colors, and
pay tribute to Jamaica's significant African heritage.
The two black triangles represent historical struggles and
hardship, green triangles represent agricultural wealth and
hope, and yellow cross-stripes represent sunshine and mineral
resources.

Almost at the centre of the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica

lies 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Cuba and 160
kilometres (100 miles) west of Haiti, the two nearest
countries. The closest point to Jamaica in South
America is Cartagena in Colombia, a distance of 710
kilometres (445 miles) almost due south The latitude
and longitude of the capital, Kingston, are about 18
degrees
N
and
78
degrees
W.
Jamaica is the largest of the English Speaking West
Indian islands. It has an area of 10,991 square
kilometres (4,243 square miles), more than twice
the area of Trinidad, which is next in size, and
measures 243 kilometres (146 miles) from east to
west. Its greatest width is 80 kilometres (51 miles),
from St. Ann's Bay to Portland Point. The distance
from Kingston to the nearest point on the north
coast, Annotto Bay, is 36 kilometres (22 miles).
Jamaica is centrally situated in the Caribbean Zone.
It lies on the direct sea routes from the United States
of America and Europe to the Panama Canal.

The name brings images of tropical

beaches, palm trees, beautiful ebony
people, Rastafarians, and the music of Bob
Marley. But all is not well on this 146 mile
long mountainous island of two and a half
million, mostly descendants of African
slaves, south of Cuba in the Caribbean.

1. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

The Family.
The Jamaican family includes a close-knit web of aunts, uncles, cousins and
grandparents.
Families are close and provide both emotional and economic support to its members.
The family is the most important group a person belongs to, and as such, it the group
with whom a person spends most of his/her time developing and maintaining cordial
relations.
Religion
Religion in Jamaica. According to the most recent census (2001), religious affiliation in
Jamaica consists of 64% Christian (62% Protestant and 2% Roman Catholic), 2%
Jehovah's Witnesses, 3% unstated, and 10% other.
Religion is fundamental to Jamaican life, which can be seen in the references to Biblical
events in everyday speech.
The island has the highest number of churches per capita in the world and more than
100 different Christian denominations. Most Jamaicans are Christians; the largest
denominations are the Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Brethren and
Roman Catholics.
Christmas is typically observed by various denominations with Communion services,
candlelight ceremonies, concerts, all-night prayer meetings and the singing of
Christmas carols.
*RASTAFARIANISMS. Rastafarians believe they are one of the lost tribes of Israel who
were sold into slavery and taken to Babylon (Jamaica) and that they must return to Zion,
which they hold to be Ethiopia.
The movement does not have organized congregations, it does not have a paid clergy, and
it doesn't have a written doctrine.
There are three types of Rastafarians in Jamaica:
1. Members of the Bobo Shanti order wear long robes and tightly wrapped turbans. They
function like an independent nation within Jamaica with their own constitution. Their
lifestyle closely emulates those of the Old Testament Jewish Mosaic Law, which includes the
observation of the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, hygiene laws,
and special greetings among themselves.
2. Members of the Nyahbinghi sect focus mainly on Emperor Haile Selassie and they
proclaim that he is the incarnation of the Supreme deity. They push for their repatriation to
Ethiopia, from where they believe all black people came. Ethiopia plays a major role in this
sect.
3. The Twelve Tribes was founded in 1968 by Dr. Vernon 'Prophet Gad ' Carrington and is

Education
Education through the six years of primary school is compulsory and is free in
government-sponsored schools.
Up until independence, the curriculum in Jamaica's schools mirrored that of schools in
Great Britain.
Vocational training for young adults with disabilities is provided by private voluntary
organizations and NGOs
Politics
an
independent
state,
a
parliamentary democracy and
member
of
the
British
Commonwealth of Nations
political
power
lies
with
parliament which consists of a
House of elected members
representing 60 constituencies
and a Senate of 21 members,
fourteen of them nominated by
the Prime Minister and 8 by the

Portia Simpson-Miller
Prime Minister of Jamaica in 2014

Leader of the Opposition

Economy
mystical music of icons like Bob
Marley, and its broad footprint in
sport has been charted by legends
such as Usain Bolt
heavily dependent on services, the
country continues to derive most of
its foreign exchange from tourism,
remittances, and bauxite/alumina

Usain, Bolt. The Fastest Man in the World has

the records for the 100m (9.58) and 200m
(19.19). He hails from Trelawny, Jamaica.

2.

RURAL AND URBAN AREAS

Sometimes Jamaicans are forced to live in the city because that is where they are born and are
stuck there. Other Jamaicans are born in the country and move to the city because of the
opportunities that exist. Some Jamaicans are born and raised in the country and decide to stay
there and live with nature. For some Jamaicans where they call home is their choice and for
others it is not.
JAMAICAS RURAL AREAS
Problems in rural areas:
o Skilled labourers leaving the area
o Government and private sector
pays less attention to the
development of rural areas
infrastructure, health, education,
businesses and industries.
o Rural areas remain undeveloped
Advantages of rural life:
o More peaceful
o Less risk of crime and disorder
o More spacious living conditions
o Rental and living costs lower
o Familiar surroundings, with family and old friends
o Less pollution
o Even without a job, food and shelter are available
JAMAICAS URBAN AREAS
Pull Factors Towards Urban
Areas
o availability of white
collar jobs
o proper infrastructure
o availability of social
facilities
o wide variety of
entertainment and
nightlife facilities

3.

Push Factors from Rural Areas

o scarcity of jobs except
in agriculture
o lack of (or poor) infrastru cture
o poor social facilities education, health and security.
o lack of entertainment and recreational facilities.

SOCIAL CHANGE

Ska

reflected the optimism of the

Jamaican people in dance and
songs
It encouraged endurance,
brotherly love, unity and gave
them hope as they pressed on
towards independence in 1962.
It demanded social reformation
and political change. For eg.
Skatalite freedom sounds.

Rocksteady
emerged in the late 1960s,
many songs reflected and
encouraged the rude boy

lifestyle
Ex: the song tougher than tough.
(In this period there were incidents of political violence and social unrest)

Reggae Music
understanding of Jamaican lifestyle and culture
deals with the racial and social issues that were encountered during Jamaica's history
it has used reggae music to promote social and political goals
Dancehall (also called ragga or dub)
more of DJ-ing concept, with artistes spinning songs on a certain rhythm
can be often derogatory, but is generally just a lot of fun
It acts as a form of stress release or psycho-physiological relieF

4.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Unemployment is high in Jamaica and as a result, the country has high crime rates,
notably with homicides among young adults, and violence related to drug trafficking.
Officially, Jamaica is ranked as a country of 'medium human development' on the United
Nations' Human Development Index. Despite its progress on many accounts, Jamaica
still suffers from economic and social disparities; problems that are felt most deeply by
children and youth living in extremely poor urban and rural communities. For the families
living in squatter settlements in inner-city Kingston or in isolated rural communities, high
illiteracy, lack of employment skills and/or opportunities, insufficient income for basic
food, education, or transportation lead into the cycle of poverty that in Jamaica can often
become linked to crime or violence.
According to the Jamaican National Youth Policy (2003), unemployment and educationrelated issues are the most critical concerns affecting young Jamaicans today.
The failure of the socialist experiment in the 1970s and the emphasis on exports have
created a burgeoning mass of urban poor (scufflers) who earn a meager living in the

5.

informal, largely small-scale trading sector and engage in extralegal means of survival.
Also, globalization has led to the growth of the international drug trade. The most serious
problem is violent crime, with a high murder rate. Governmental mechanisms for dealing
with crime-related social problems fall under the Ministry of National Security and are
administered through the Criminal Justice System.
The country is also confronted by serious social issues that predominantly affect youth,
such as high levels of crime and violence and high unemployment. Despite the progress
registered in the last two decades, poverty and inequality have increased in Jamaica
between 2007 and 2010.

SOCIALIZATION
Infant Care.
The use of midwives is still popular, and breast-feeding is done in all the ethnic groups,

As a baby ages, the parents and grandparents try to accommodate their expectations to
the child's unique qualities; the baby is allowed to "grow into itself."

Higher Education.
Higher education is considered essential to national success, and the parliament has
established the National Council on Education to oversee higher education policy and
implementation.
Child Rearing and Education.
Firm discipline underlies child care until a child leaves home and/or becomes a parent.
The mother is central, but all members of the household and other close kin have some
responsibility in rearing a child.
For poor parents in all ethnic groups, the single most important route out of poverty is
the education of their children. In more traditional settings, the child is "pushed" by the
entire family and even the community.

6.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
AND SOCIAL CLASS
Classes and Castes

Small number of Whites

Smaller number of free

people of color (generally
mullatoes) (Brown)

Huge
Black
slave
population

Symbols of Social Stratification

Black skin -"uncivilized," "ignorant," "lazy," and "untrustworthy."

(Lifestyle, language, cuisine, clothing, and residential patterns that reflect closeness to
European culture have been ranked toward the top of the social hierarchy, and symbols
depicting African-derived culture have been ranked at the bottom.)

7.

POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHY

world's 136th most populous country (2,868,380 (2011 est.), 2,804,334 (July
2008 est.), 2,930,050 (July 2014 est.)
49th most densely populated country in the world (252/km2 or 656/sq mi)

AGE STRUCTURE
0-14years: 28.4% (male 423,855/female 409,651)
15-24years: 21.7% (male 319,291/female 316,773)
25-54years: 36.4% (male 525,288/female 542,015)
55-64years: 5.6% (male 79,875/female 84,562)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 102,377/female 126,363) (2014 est.)
LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH

male (years) in Jamaica = 70.57 in 2011

female (years) in Jamaica = 75.71 in 2011

Source: World Ban
ETHNIC GROUPS
black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or
unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
LANGUAGES
English, English patois
RELIGIONS
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day
Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal
9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%,
Baptist 7.2%, New Testament
Church of God 6.3%, Church of
God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of
God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican
3.6%, other Christian 7.7%),
Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or
unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9% (2001 census)

8.

MEDICINE

Health Issues:
free-living amoebae (FLA) which can infect the central nervous systems of humans and
other animals with deadly consequences
skin-bleaching leading to skin cancer & Ochronosis for long term-bleaching *Ochronosis- a
condition that causes dark blotches to appear on the skin.
Coronary Heart Disease 110.74 96th;
HIV/AIDS 64.49 31th;
Stroke 62.88 129th; Violence 52.92 4th;
Lung Disease 59.34 53rd
Medical Breakthrough
Dr Henry Lowe - development of the Alpha
Prostate Formula (2010)
Dr Carron Gordon and her team discovered that simple outdoor walking
three times per week for 30 minutes can
significantly improve a stroke victim's
health-related quality of life, functional
status, endurance, strength and fitness.

TOP 50 CAUSES OF DEATH

1.
Coronary Heart Disease

Rate
110.74

World Rank
96

2.

HIV/AIDS

64.49

31

3.

Stroke

62.88

129

4.

Violence

52.92

5.

Lung Disease

39.34

53

6.

Influenza & Pneumonia

35.77

93

7.

Diabetes Mellitus

31.57

95

8.

Hypertension

25.81

99

9.

Breast Cancer

24.77

16

10.

Stomach Cancer

16.62

22

11.

Lung Cancers

16.17

78

12.

Road Traffic Accidents

14.75

98

13.

Cervical Cancer

11.79

31

14.

Prostate Cancer

11.29

28

15.

Malnutrition

10.72

27

16.

Low Birth Weight

10.22

93

17.

Diarrhoeal diseases

10.05

75

18.

Colon-Rectum Cancers

9.73

73

19.

Kidney Disease

8.93

134

20.

Congenital Anomalies

7.21

59

21.

Liver Disease

7.01

127

22.

Other Injuries

6.98

146

23.

Lymphomas

5.52

85

24.

Inflammatory/Heart

5.14

102

25.
26.
27.
28.
29.

Suicide
Pancreas Cancer
Liver Cancer
Endocrine Disorders
Birth Trauma

4.92
4.73
4.36
4.31
3.90

132
63
132
122
97

The Guinea Hen Weed

nutraceuticals developed by Dr Henry
Lowe and his research team.

30.
31.

Peptic Ulcer Disease

Skin Disease

3.77
3.61

89
72

32.
33.
34.
35.
36.

Falls
Oesophagus Cancer
Uterin Cancer
Other Neoplasms
Bladder Cancer

3.56
3.28
3.27
3.03
2.87

106
82
9
90
79

37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.

Leukemia
Meningitis
Drownings
Asthma
Oral Cancer
Anaemia
Maternal Conditions

2.59
2.42
2.40
2.40
2.17
2.14
1.82

147
91
121
125
126
90
83

44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Epilepsy
Ovary Cancer
Fires
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Tuberculosis
Alzheimers/Dementia
Appendicitis

1.71
1.62
1.22
1.09
1.05
0.80
0.78

96
142
112
120
153
170
16

9.

LAW
Jamaica's Minister of Justice Senator Mark
Golding says legislation has been drafted to
decriminalize marijuana on the Caribbean island
where the drug has long been pervasive but
prohibited.

10.

AGE AND GENDER ROLES

Division of Labor by Gender.
Men are predominant in leadership
positions in government, the professions,
business,
higher
education,
and
European-derived religions and engage
in physical labor in agriculture.
Women work primarily in paid and unpaid in household labor, formal and informal retail
trades, basic and primary education, clerical and administrative jobs, and social welfare.

Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding, who made

the announcement at a special press briefing
Tuesday at the Office of the Prime Minister, said
while the amended law will observe Jamaicas antinarcotics obligations, the industries will operate
under licence. --Law to be amended to facilitate
medical ganja industry. Tuesday, September 30, 2014 | 7:13

The Relative Status of Women and Men

Traditionally, woman's place is in the home and women receive less remuneration than
men.
The appropriate place for men is outside the home, in agriculture, business, government,
or recreation.
11.

MODERNIZATION
The Government has set aside $278.9 million in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, which
have been tabled in the House of Representatives, to continue the Public Sector Modernisation
Programme, this year.

12.

SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
There is a widespread, rebellious attitude directed towards the system itself among the urban
poor. At the same time, the urban poor are integrated into the political system through
patronage-based structures. Reasons for this are the lack of a clear-cut line between party
politics, organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as occasionally disproportionate actions of
the security forces in urban ghettos. Social and economic benefits, security and order are often
guaranteed by non-governmental, criminal actors in the ghettos.

13.

DEVELOPMENT
Key indicators show a medium-range developmental level that lags behind other of other states
of the Commonwealth Caribbean that otherwise have much in common with Jamaica. Poverty
and unemployment rates are as high as ever. According to CEPAL data, the unemployment rate
ranges between 15% and 16% since beginning of the 1990s.
18,7% of the population is living below the national poverty line. According to UNDP, 13,3%
have only 2$ a day at their disposal this complies with the poverty rate in Costa Rica. In
Jamaica, the origin of a persons ancestors (skin color) and social class are closely connected
a legacy of Jamaicas history of slavery and colonialism. Policies of the last years, however,

could prevent the poorest fifth of the population to suffer outstandingly under deteriorating
conditions. Belonging to the lighter-skinned minority is still correlating with prosperity.