Abstract This paper discusses the book "The Killing Time" written by Gad Heuman. It describes how, in 1865, a few hundred Afro-Jamaican farmers and sugar workers advanced on Morant Bay, in retaliation for the way they had been treated politically, socially and economically, regardless that slavery had been abolished many decades earlier. The paper describes the events as set out in the book.
From the Paper "According to Heuman, the 1865 rebellion came in large part as the culmination of grievances after the 1834 emancipation had led to ultimate freedom. The black majority still had unequal access to farmland, high taxes, unemployment, low pay and supervision primarily by white management personnel. Many of the African-Jamaicans were involved with the Great Revival that had encouraged a lack of credibility in the real outcome of the emancipation as a means of true freedom for the blacks. Many were members of the Native Baptist church, which for a long time had made up many of the judicial staff including judges, attorneys, police, justices of the peace and clerks for the parish affairs."
Abstract The paper looks at the economic and social situation in the Oakwood/Eglinton areas, examining the integrationist efforts which have been undertaken to alleviate some of the struggles men, women and children face. The paper discusses the inclusionary tactics practiced by the larger communities housing Afro-Caribbean families and investigates the barriers which frustrate any sort of integrationist initiative. The paper concludes that the past and present have been difficult for recently-arrived Jamaicans in a city that prides itself on its racial tolerance, but there is hope that concerted community action can brighten the future.
From the Paper "The first thing which must be done in a paper of this sort is to look at the economic and social situation which exists within Oakwood and within Eglinton. In truth (simply by glancing at the ward profiles provided on the official web site of the City of Toronto), it appears as though Oakwood and Eglinton are not conjoined as many might think at first glance. Furthermore, a look at the city's neighborhood profiles is only a little more helpful - and it, too, marks the two areas as distinct. Be that as it may, some things can certainly be deduced which offer insight into how the Jamaican community is treated in Canada. For one thing, when looking at household income distribution in the neighborhood of Oakwood-Vaughan (for 2001), it is striking that the income bracket with the largest percentage of the population is that bracket housing those making $10,000 - $19,999 per annum. Ironically, the next-largest income bracket is comprised of those making $100,000 per annum or more (City of Toronto, "Oakwood-Vaughan: Social Profile #3," 3)."
Abstract This paper addresses the Afro-centric Social Work paradigm, giving the definition and meaning of "Afro-centricity" and further describing the values and concepts of Afro-centricity as a social science paradigm on which social work practice can be built. The article describes the origins and principles of the Afro-centric or African-centered paradigm, the relationship of Afro-centricity to social problems, and explains the reasons for the emergence of an Afro-centric social science perspective.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Afro-centricity - Definition and Meaning
Afro-centricity as an Emerging Paradigm in Social Work Practice
Effects on Male and Female Groups
Conclusion
From the Paper "Peoples of African origin have a unique place within a multicultural society. The history of African Americans in the United States differs from those who came to US as immigrants. Despite African Americans' social and economic progress, they continue to lag behind White America in the areas of income, education, and health (McKinnon, 2003). While several models of social work practice that can assist colored people have emerged, the concept "Afro-centricity" better describes the cultural values of people of African descent and deployed for the social work practice. Social workers are encouraged to follow the Afro-centric paradigm because of its emphasis on eliminating oppression of the colored people."
Abstract This paper defines Reggae is a heavy four-beat rhythm, which is driven in different measures, depending on the artist concerned, by two percussion instruments,drums and a corrugated stick rubbed against a plain stick called the scraper, and two string instruments, the bass guitar and the electric guitar. The author points out that reggae is influenced by the traditions of African music, and its link to life before the African diaspora, and so before slavery, runs through the music as one of its defining revolutionary elements. The paper examines Jamaican music by using a reader-response model to understand the importance of the changes in the music over the years.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The History of Jamaican Music
Reggae Reader Response
Is Reggae Still Radical?
From the Paper "Although it might seem from our current vantage point that there has always been a connection between reggae and Rastafarianism, this connection actually came about through the work of a number of groups such as Big Youth and Black Uhuru. They pushed the messages of both reggae and the Rastafarian movement, a pan-Africanist movement, which urged the children of the African diaspora to return to the continent of their forebears and created a divinity of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I (whose birth name was Ras Tafari). The fact that Rastafarianism promotes the use of ganja (marijuana) as a sacrament did much to endear the movement to many reggae fans."
Abstract This paper discusses Afro-Brazilian dance forms. It looks briefly at the history and origins of the dance form and discusses its importance in understanding the culture in Brazil. The paper then focuses on specific forms of Afro-Brazilian dance. It describes each dance form, the occasion in which the dance is used and how it is performed by the dancers.
Table of Contents:
Candomble
Samba
Capoeira
From the Paper "The Candomble dancing is a ceremonial, religious dance, done during one of the numerous terreiros de candomble scattered throughout the city of Bahaia. Women wear long skirts, usually colored ones. They dance to be respectful to the orixas, or gods. "Each deity represents a given force or element in nature, and has a favourite colour and type of food. Yemanja, for example, is the goddess of the sea, who usually dresses in blue and white. The favourite colour of Oxun, the goddess of beauty, is yellow. In the religious ceremonies, practitioners dress in the colours of the orixas and place food at the altar before singing special songs and dancing precisely choreographed steps to the sacred drums. The anthropomorphic nature of the orixa allows an intimate contact between believer and deity, and the highlight of the Candomble ceremony is the epiphany, or possession, when the orixa takes over the believer's body" (Davis)"
Abstract Explores the multicultural and expanded immigration policies in Canada and its positive results on society.
Explains the success of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and offers reasons that Canada now attracts so many ethnic groups. The emphasis of the paper is on the Chinese and Jamaican ethnic groups.
From the Paper "Canada is a multicultural country to which people come from different ethnic and national backgrounds, but all live in harmony here. Since the forming of multiculturalism and the expanded immigration policies, Canada has attracted people from all over the world that come here for a better education, better work and a better life in general. There has been a growing trend, from only a few ethnic groups in the past, to over eighty ethnic groups today, perhaps largely due to the very successful Canadian Multiculturalism Act."
Abstract This paper is an overview of Afro-American history, beginning with slavery in the 1700s. The author looks at how slavery affected the nuclear family, both economically and psychologically, and how this pattern continues to be prevalent in today's Afro-American families. Some of the issues discussed include, the owner-slave relationship, marriages between slaves and how slavery affected children and their identity. The paper also looks at the post-Emancipation period and the hardships that the freed slaves continued to encounter including poverty, unemployment and racial discrimination. According to the author, migration from the South to the North was one of the most significant changes that occurred as a result of Emancipation. The Afro-American families' strong bond, which may not be categorized as a
'traditional' but 'extended' family can be traced back to the period of slavery and in this author's opinion, shows the strengths of the community as a whole.
From the Paper "Roberson reported that some of the migrating families were quite large, with six or seven children. It could be very difficult to find housing to old a family of that size, even with extensive family and community support. So often, these parents would have to make hard decisions to break the family apart, at least temporarily. Some of the children would be taken in by aunts and uncles, but given that the extended family was so strong, connected and well bonded together, this wasn?t as wrenching as it might have been. The extended family continued to watch out for and support the new arrivals until they had work and a place to stay. (Roberson, accessed 2002)"
Abstract This study will seek to understand the different ways that violence and substance abuse can be stopped, or at least, minimized in the current events of social working. By using the Code of Ethics of National Association of Social Workers, we can see how this issue can be dealt with along these guidelines. By making new approaches to the Afro-American community in this regard, the strategies and approaches that are possible will be attended to here. By creating out reach programs in various neighborhoods to help teach the black community these devastating issues on drug abuse, and violence (gang and domestic), perhaps this and other methods of social construction can help build a new culture for Afro-Americans in America at this time
Abstract This paper focuses on the issue of African-American women and feminism, from the 1960s to the present, while focusing on the views and opinions of various authors such as Patricia Hill Collins. Collins, a powerful voice in matters of black feminist epistemology, contends that because black women have access to both the Afro-centric and feminist standpoints, then, for a full analysis, both traditions should be represented through an "alternative epistemology." Collins also states that the key dimension of an Afro-centric feminist epistemology is the black woman's centrality in families and community organizations.
The writer of this paper discusses the issues that pertained to many African-American women in the 1960s and 1970s, who felt that the objectives and practices of feminism pertained mainly to white women. In the early 1970s, black feminists challenged this situation, questioning the assumption that white feminists spoke for all women and demanded -and eventually were given- women's studies programs on the experiences, culture and literature of black women. At that time, the activist black women who made the demands were denounced for espousing black nationalism, nonetheless, appropriate courses on "women of color" were eventually added to the women's studies' curriculum, which are detailed in this paper. This paper examines the progress and empowerment of African-American women over the years who are now able to lead in ways they had never thought possible, prior to 1960.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Main Body of the Paper: Literature Review
Epistemology
Conclusion
References
References Not Included in the Body of the Paper
From the Paper "In her book, Collins suggests that the Black feminist thought processes speaks to "the importance that knowledge plays in empowering oppressed people." Moreover, Black feminist thought offers a "fundamental paradigmatic shift in how we think about oppression," though the process of reconceptualizing "the social relations of domination and resistance." Black feminist thought also empowers "subordinate groups" by infusing them with "new knowledge" that helps them define the reality of their own existence. What is impressive about Collins - besides the fact that clearly she's brilliant, alert to what real Black women are doing and feeling - is that she is fair-minded when it comes to her scholarship, and generally eschews long and emotional harangues about the white culture, and about white feminist epistemology that has in the past stood in the way of African-American feminists reaching out to the world with their vision."
Abstract This paper talks about democracy in the context of the Jamaican socio-poltical domestic realities. The process of how democracy arose in Jamaica is discussed as well as the hurdles it faced. The paper also examines how Jamaica can overcome some of its problems to ensure the continuation of democratic political rule.
From the Paper "At the very basic level, the idea of democracy implies representative government, and implies a context wherein citizens are thought to, or are seen to be able to choose leaders freely in regular elections that are supposed to be fair. Democracy from its earliest conception, especially the emblazoned Western style of democracy, was mainly concerned with elected representatives serving the people in a somewhat unencumbered fashion, free from criticism about policy choices, actions of leaders and decision-making processes at the governmental level. Some argue that what exists in Jamaica, is a Westminster-type democracy."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the Jamaican influences on the origins of hip hop music. The plan of the research will be to set forth the popular-culture origins of hip hop in the United States in the South Bronx of New York City, and then to discuss the influences and implications of Jamaican musical style on the development and dissemination of hip hop through American and non-American cultural venues.
The temporal origin of hip hop music, which is largely considered an American phenomenon although its influence has been felt in Europe and Asia, has been identified as the 1970s, and its origin of location as the South Bronx in New York. According to Dimitriadis, hip hop music was a key aspect of a more pervasive cultural innovation that exploited a species of performance art, flamboyant costume, and performer-induced .."
Abstract This five-page undergraduate paper compares African-American, Haitian-American, and Jamaican-American Family structure. The discussion includes births, weddings, deaths, elderly family member treatment, and adult children living with parents across each group.
Abstract This Master's level paper describes the upheavals in the Jamaican economy due to the IMF loan conditions, and its effects on the country's exchange rate and balance of payments.
Tags: WORLD HISTORY AND CULTURE / CARIBBEAN, jamaica economy upheavals
Abstract This paper discusses the history and development of the music genre, reggae. In order to understand reggae, the paper also describes other genres of Jamaican music. It then discusses the instrumental tracks and musical dynamics of reggae music. The paper finally looks at the three main categories that reggae drumbeats are grouped into and its two sub-genres.
From the Paper "The supplementary subgenre of reggae is Dancehall, which is a type of Jamaican popular music that developed around 1980 through the likes of such artists as Yellowman, Super Cat, and Shabba Ranks (Chang, 30). Today, it is known to many as "Bashment". This style of reggae can be seen by a deejay singing and rapping or toasting over raw and danceable music riddims. The rhythm in dancehall is much faster than in reggae, whereas drum machines replaces acoustic sets. Dancehall as a musical genre, has been considered as the creation of Henry "Junjo" Lawes in 1979 and further refined by King Jammy in the early 80's during their transition from dub to dancehall and original attempts to digitize "hooks" to "toast" over by Jamaican deejays (pg. 30). . Dancehall also developed in Jamaica as a result of varying political and socio-economic factors when Jamaicans became dissatisfied with the socialist movement and the harsh economic realities of the time. As a result, neo-liberalist ideologies and materialism become a factor in society and a new entertainment form. Dancehall is an integral part of the Jamaican life and has become a foundation or culture in which music, dance and community vibes come together."
Tags: saxophone, percussion, Dub, lyrics, mento, ska
Abstract This paper describes the literary work of Ralph Waldo Ellison, an Afro-American author and intellectual named after Ralph Waldo Emerson. There is a particular focus throughout the paper on Ellison's representations in the writing of the ?Invisible Man,? his most accomplished novel.
From the Paper "Critics often place the "Invisible Man" under the proverbial lines of a "one hit wonder" for Ellison, obviously pertaining to a book rather than a song. Like a one hit wonder, this paper will show that Ellison's work lives on in the literary discussions of today and on America's bookshelves. The significance of Ellison's work is discussed throughout this paper. Today, there are a vast number of topic groups and symposiums that revolve around the book and its meaning. "
