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Doing this Caribbean Civilization course was a new experience for me. It was originally a two hour face to face lecture which was then switched to an online lecture, which was not expected. This made the course more challenging than it should have been. This is because when there is a face to face lecture, you are required to attend at an allocated time, which gives the students an opportunity to ask questions in more detail. With the online lecture, there is no set time to review it and students find it difficult to make time to watch which leads to them not having the adequate notes. In closing, this course was challenging for me because it was switched to an online course and I would recommend switching it back to face to face lectures.

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I was quite upset when I learnt I had to take this class
I therefore approached it with the mindset to only do enough to pass

Boy oh boy, was I in for a surprise

Lectures, activities and assignments took up a great deal of my time

I expected the class to revolve around topics that I did before

However, it imparted new knowledge and even included a book on Caribbean folklore

I was skeptical about the book, as I could not understand how ghosts and history would link

But the authors’ techniques were brilliant and the stories drove me to critically think

Upon completion of the book, I formed the opinion that it was an excellent read

In addition, I only had to pay 40 Barbados Dollars, what a steal of a deal!

I learnt that Arawaks and Caribs are terms that we should not use

And although there are debates surrounding the Bahamas, they are part of the Caribbean too

Those were just two of the many things that I have learnt

In addition to defining a Caribbean identity and an explanation of why the region is so diverse

All in all, Caribbean Civilisation exceeded my expectation
As it effectively relayed the history behind this great region.

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At the beginning of the semester, I expected Caribbean Civilization to be revolved mostly around history. I thought it would be focusing on a certain aspect of the Caribbean and parts of the past. Caribbean Civilization was much more than expected, it went over way more topics and even introduced new information and ideas. All of this while providing entertainment in the form of a book. I learned that the Caribbean has way more to know about it than what meets the eye. Every part of it holds a piece of history and cannot be easily identified.

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Gender issues are a worldwide problem, thus, including the Caribbean. Discrimination is experienced by both sexes, whether by the same sex or the opposite. These issues exist in the workplace, in education and even the law. Unfortunately, the gender of a person can determine a lot about their future. This issue is not only a present day problem but also one of the past.
Before, it was only expected of women to stay home, raise the children and look after the household. They were not expected or seen fit to work and make their own money, while men were seen as the providers for the family and could do such. Such stereotypes still exist in today’s societies because of traditional cultures which exist within them. With the Caribbean being multicultural, this way of life would also be found within the region.
However, drastic changes have been made since those days. Females, and males, have acquired the freedom to explore outside of the bounds of these stereotypes, though this does not mean that the issues have been completely erased. Within the workplace, women find it harder than men to find preferred, well-paying jobs. Even if a job is found, the position which the woman has been given is usually, lower than that of the men. More women also receive part time jobs than full time.  Research has even proven that the gender of workers affects their pay and men receive more than women. As the years go by, women are slowly climbing up the corporate ladder and achieving these positions, although the number of them still does not come close to the number of men.

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Caribbean Civilisation is a mandatory course stipulated in the attainment of my Bachelors of Law degree. At first, I thought that the course was redundant and of little value since I had already done Caribbean Studies for CXC CAPE and the material is alike. However, as the semester progressed, I began to see the value in the course as it provided some perspective for Caribbean law and its linkages to the colonial history. Furthermore, it demonstrated the importance of knowing Caribbean history because of all the effects it still has on contemporary society. Caribbean Civilisation was also extremely beneficial in cultivating an appreciation of the Caribbean region, thereby assisting in the development of a Caribbean identity.

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The course Caribbean Civilisation was designed to educate students of the fact that the Caribbean is a distinct and unique civilisation, thereby fostering a Caribbean identity through such education. This portfolio is a representative of what was learnt throughout this course through the application of the knowledge and it includes pictures and videos to make the content more relatable. The issues selected and developed are: Migration in the Caribbean, the Effect of US Imperialism on Cuba and Puerto Rico, Gender Issues in the Caribbean, and Constitutional Reform in the English-speaking Caribbean. An evaluation of the efficacy of the course and its impact on the individual students is also examined in the portfolio.

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The Effects of US Imperialism on Cuba and Puerto Rico

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The Effects of US Imperialism on Cuba and Puerto Rico

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US Imperialism was explicitly demonstrated in The Spanish – American War of 1898, leaving a lasting impact on two Caribbean Islands, namely, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Both islands were geopolitical aberrations and were the only two colonies of Spain in the Caribbean.  For years, Cuba had been adamant to be free from the Spanish rule and these attempts were drastically increased in the time period 1895-1898. The ongoing feud between the Cuban rebels and the Spanish forces captured the United States’ attention as it created both political and economic instability and threatened the investments the US had made in the island. During this period, the US battleship Maine, exploded while in the Havana harbour with no explanation which essentially sparked the Spanish-American War. Mr William McKinley, the US president at the time, sought authorization from Congress to intervene in the battle between Spain and Cuba to return peace and stability to the island. Shortly after this request, the US Congress passed a resolution stating that Spain ought to grant Cuba their independence which Spain rejected. President McKinley was then granted permission to utilize whatever military force was necessary to secure Cuba’s independence. As a result, both Spain and the United States declared war on each other and consequently, the US came out victorious. The war concluded with the ratification of the Treaty of Paris on December 10 1898, which forced Spain to surrender their claim on Cuba, as well as their sovereignty over Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the United States.  The victory of this war granted the United States great power and established their dominance in the Caribbean. As a result, US institutions, political systems and even language were incorporated into the island of Puerto Rico. Also, Puerto Ricans were deemed US citizens and granted all the rights and privileges that came with that title. With respect to Cuba, the US honoured its agreement in the Teller Amendment to completely withdraw from Cuba after the war was concluded. However, to ensure that Cuba would not be subjected to another great power, the US made Cuba incorporate the Platt Amendment into their Constitution. This amendment granted the US a Cuban base, Guantanamo, which still remains presently.

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The events leading to the Spanish American War including the practice of Yellow Journalism. Download this song from The US History Songbook at iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-u-s-history-songbook/id384578719

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One of the topics covered in the Caribbean Civilisation course was migration. Migration is when people move from one place to another. In the Caribbean, many people migrated to other countries whether it was voluntary or involuntary. During the periods of slavery in the Caribbean in the 1700 and 1800s, slaves were taken from the Caribbean to North America to work for the British colonists there. The slaves were ripped from their families in the Caribbean and forced to create a new life in North America. This is an example of involuntary migration from the Caribbean.
During the early 1900s, more than 100 000 Caribbean people migrated from the Caribbean to the United States. The living conditions in the Caribbean proved difficult at the time and finding a job was also a problem. Those people who did find a job were severely underpaid and this made life hard for them. As a result, many people left to go the States looking for better work opportunities in order to provide for their families. This is an example of voluntary migration from the Caribbean.
Now even though people left the Caribbean, they didn't leave their customs behind. The newly created Caribbean Diaspora brought their foods, music, dialects and carnivals with them to North America and these things kept them connected to their Caribbean roots and culture. One Carnival is the Labour Day Carnival in New York which is held every year as seen in the photo below. It is for the Caribbean who can not always make it back to their Caribbean homes for the Carnivals there. They dress similarly and play music from the Caribbean making it seem like their own little Caribbean in a foreign country.

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Constitutional Reform in the English-speaking Caribbean

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Constitutional Reform in the English-speaking Caribbean

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The issue of constitutional reform has been recurrent throughout the Caribbean recently. Many countries such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, and Grenada have all embarked on this change as they have seen it fit to amend the Constitutions of their respective legal systems.
Firstly, in examining constitutional reform, it is important to provide some context to it. The Constitution is the document that signifies the independent status of Caribbean States. This is so because it only emerged post-independence and because it enshrined the rights deserving to every citizen in that state regardless of creed, race and other characteristics susceptible to discrimination and partiality. The Constitution is also very significant to Caribbean countries because, ideally, it is an indigenous source of law and manifestation of the will of the people.
This is, however, a far-cry from what Caribbean Constitutions are in actuality. These documents were imposed onto Caribbean countries after independence and were modelled after the British legal and political systems, undermining the whole notion of indigenous law and a symbolic break from colonialism.
As such, constitutional reform is a welcomed change in Caribbean legal systems as it is a step forward in forging a legal system that is indigenous to the Caribbean and tailored to meet the needs of the Caribbean. This is significant as it relates heavily to the course of Caribbean Civilisation which seeks to inform and engender a Caribbean identity and an appreciation for the Caribbean by departing from the ghosts of colonialism that linger in its various modes.
Constitutional reform, however, has not been greeted with as much enthusiasm as anticipated. In the referendum carried out in Grenada on 24th November 2016 wherein there were seven bills proposed, there was a unanimous 'no' for the all the issues brought forward. This also happened in the referendum carried out by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2009.  This makes it extremely difficult to take steps cultivate a home-grown Caribbean that best suits our needs.
While we see the need for a Constitution geared towards the needs of the Caribbean, the implementation aspect of this may lag behind the ideologies.