The Syncretism of Caribbean Civilization Comparison Essay by Top Papers

The paper relates that while syncretism is a concept that is more often applied to the study of the interaction of religious cultures, within the context of Caribbean civilization this "process of cultural maroonage, of Creolization as the creative and innovative means of fending off oppressive and dehumanising values, is the key to understanding the multilayeredness and polyphony of Caribbean cultures" (Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert 2). In this context, this paper argues the thesis - with reference to a comparative analysis of Caribbean religious traditions and popular culture - that these syncretic processes of rupturing and reforging traditions continue to be manifest today in the re-shaping of Caribbean society.