“…[A] dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.” — Robert A Heinlein

This is a new Jamaica. Our authentic culture is slowly dying. Centuries of interactions grounded in our history of enslavement and colonialism have shaped what we now refer to as the Jamaican culture.

The values and attitudes of the old Jamaica are slowly being replaced by divisive and negative ideals. Integrity and morality are no longer seen as worthwhile principles; instead, the get rich by any means dictum has become the altar of success. Today’s students know more about their neighbours in the North than they do about their rich culture. History education remains optional and this, without a doubt, is just one of the contributing factors to this new Jamaican culture.

The powerful cultural forces from the North have penetrated and saturated our culture in all its facets. How we eat is directly related to the proliferation of fast-food establishments that have its roots in North American culture. As a result, we have become overweight and obese. Our dress and deportment are also closely linked to external cultural forces.

Interestingly, while we are so eager to embrace foreign ideologies and cultures, the outside world sees the value in our culture. Hollywood has embraced and continues to monetise our culture on the silver screen. Cultural penetration — a crossover of cultural elements into a society where it did not originate — is real and ongoing. The term is predominately used to illustrate the fluid nature behind the transfer of ideas and the effects of interaction.

Examination of Culture

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, and the arts. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture as shared patterns of behaviour and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learnt by socialisation. Thus, culture can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group.

Additionally, the ever-increasing era of globalisation has increased the power of cultural penetration. Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, states that culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, among other social indicators.

In order to stem our cultural haemorrhaging, we must return to our core principles. One such is that of the teachings of Marcus Garvey. Garveyism, within the Afrocentric context, views the liberation struggle in terms of African nationalism versus European nationalism. Garveyism is based on the significant fact that African people have been oppressed, exploited, and dehumanised to a greater degree than any other race or class of people in the history of mankind, and our Africanity is deeply rooted in our common suffering and racial heritage.

We have been socialised over the centuries to hate our black skin. This indoctrination is at the forefront of the skin bleaching phenomenon that has overtaken large segments of our population. There are those who are in pursuit of ‘whiteness’ at all cost. As a result, they have turned their backs on their authentic culture.

As we continue to debate the function of education, we must look at some of the theories of education. Functionalists see education as a beneficial contribution to an ordered society. They believe schools prepare students for the workforce, in part, by teaching attitudes, technical skills, and social behaviour appropriate for the workplace, such as cooperation and gender-appropriate attitudes. Functionalists also believe that schooling serves to reinforce the existing dominant social and political order.

On the other hand, conflict theorists focus on conflicts and tensions that characterise social systems. They believe that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities that arise from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity. Conflict theorists argue that schools are sites of conflict.

Regardless of your views concerning the function of education, it is obvious that we need to revisit the cultural impact of the education system, through both the formal and hidden curriculum, on our students.

Becoming

The late Professor Rex Nettleford left us with a rich legacy grounded in culture and language. Nettleford popularised the term ‘smadditisation’ of the Jamaican culture. The term is derived from the Jamaican vernacular ‘smaddy’, which means “somebody”. Consequently, it refers to the process of becoming or being acknowledged as important. This implies that personhood had previously been denied or unrecognised.

Nettleford was concerned about the state of the Jamaican culture in particular when he spoke about “the coarsening of our sensibilities”, bemoaning the lack of sophistication within the culture. Sadly, examples of this lack of civility are observed daily on our roads, in our schools, in our communities, and in other public spaces.

It is obvious that we have a reactionary education system and many of the social ills within the society are not being impacted by it. In as much as the curriculum should address academic well-being, we must also ensure that the personhood of the student is developed and catered to.

There is a huge disconnect between the state of the Jamaican culture and the extent to which the education system is responsible for same. Crudeness, coarseness, impoliteness, and dishonesty are the order of the day. However, all is not lost. The society must take some time to reflect and decide on the path to take, especially since we are merely six years away from 2030.

Vision 2030 Jamaica is the country’s first long-term strategic development plan and covers the 21-year period, 2009 to 2030. It embodies the plans and processes for the realisation of a collective vision, encapsulated in the statement: “Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business”.

Undoubtedly, there is an urgent need to infuse Garveyism into the National Standards Curriculum in order to save our students from the ideals and ideologies which are not germane to us. Additionally, civics should be taught as a separate subject at both the primary and secondary levels and students should be tested at the national level.

Socialisation

What is urgently required is a cultural transformation to stem the haemorrhaging of our culture. Our values, mores, and norms need to be re-examined.

To achieve cultural transformation, a robust and responsive education system is needed. Sadly, too many students are not being positively impacted. What is needed is an education system that is laser-focused and takes into account the unique learning styles and socialisation of the sexes.

Many of our students are uninterested in what is being offered at school. As a result, many have become delinquents, school dropouts, and have run afoul of the law, among other negative behaviour. Boys, in particular, are turned off and have tuned out. Many of our students have identified other pathways to eke out a living and for many it’s worth the time to explore.

Additionally, popular culture, especially through the genre of dancehall music, continues to send conflicting messages to our students. The fact is teachers are no longer seen as role models. For many students the pursuit of an education is a long-term investment and they are not willing to wait on the returns. Regrettably, many of them prefer short-term successes, which are available on different pathways.

An issue of major concern is the state of our families. Undoubtedly, a significant number of Caribbean families are dysfunctional and this results in chronic delinquency among the youth population. As a society we must ensure that a calculated and determined effort is made to guarantee that all students benefit equally from our education system in order to close the cultural deficit that most societies are now experiencing.

In the words of Professor Rex Nettleford, “For all of us who tenant the Americas are the creatures of that awesome process of ‘becoming’, consequent on the historic encounters between diverse cultures from both sides of the Atlantic in circumstances that, for all their negative manifestations, have forged tolerance out of hate and suspicion, unity within diversity, and peace out of conflict and hostility.”

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or waykam@yahoo.com.