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In today’s world, it is impossible to ignore the overwhelming impact of globalization. While there are indeed multiple positive advantages of globalization, the size of the region as well as its origin and history makes it difficult to retain its unique identity and also it makes the region susceptible to lose its identity and become easily dominated by foreign powers once more. As such efforts towards Caribbean integration is both relevant and important for Caribbean development. The region should therefore aspire to unite and preserve its identity instead of simply aspiring to be citizens of the global village.

The Caribbean is unique, complex and dynamic and cannot be defined in terms of solely a geographic location, but its definition must comprise a historical, cultural and diasporic collection of ideas, ideals and people. As the world becomes more modernized and technologically advanced the distinction between way of life of many people including those who dwell in the region and its former colonizers are no longer vastly contrasting. This is seen as Globalisation which is the economic, political, socio-cultural and temporal integration of people, values, goods and services enabled through advances in technology, travel and communications (Search-credoreference-com.ezproxygateway.sastudents.uwi.tt, 2019).

As aforementioned, there are many positive effects of globalization, as cultures are now freely exchanged and borrowed as well as appreciated and celebrated. However, based on many Caribbean islands’ size, youth and history, such a movement as globalisation can lead to cultural erasure and assimilation reminiscent of the effects of enslavement and indentureship. The inhabitants of the region must therefore unite to establish and preserve its unique culture and identity as well as compete on the international market without being once more dominated by foreign powers.Caribbean identity is tremendously diverse in nature, it includes different languages, religions, festivals, art forms, values, customs, sports and other forms of self-expression (Secretariat, 2019). It is a dynamic one. Shaped by historical experience of our people, our faiths and our creativity, it continues to be fashioned by our creative energies and other influences. There cannot really be one main "definition" for a Caribbean identity.

Caribbean Identity is one that is in fact pervaded by colonization and the imposition of brutality and exploitation by foreign powers however its identity does not begin here. Firstly, the myth of pre-history must be shattered along with the inaccurate presumption that the region was discovered by European powers. Indigenous tribes such as the Tainos and Kalinagos inhabited the lesser and greater Antilles long before to the advent of Spain, Portugal, Britain and the Dutch. These European powers sought to colonize and Christianise the region in the name of their Sovereign under the practice of bullionism. This resulted in the harsh treatment of the indigenous populations who were often overworked or subjected to death from illnesses from diseases which they had no immunity against. While many of the enslaved population were annihilated, their culture and some of their peoples survived and they remain a crucial part of Caribbean Identity today. This is apparent from their practices such as food, clothes, customs and settlements that remain part of Caribbean culture in present day life.

Indigenous culture soon began to mix with that of the African enslaved who came to the region via the trans-Atlantic slave trade in order the provide labour on sugar plantations. The African enslaved was among the biggest group brought to the region since many were kidnapped and sold into bondage as well as subjected to inhuman treatment while being transported to the Caribbean. However, the African population brought with them various ways of life such as food, song, dance, customs such as sou-sou and box-hand. Many African traditions and practices were also infused into that of European culture for Africans to salvage their individual identity but at times they could not escape death and the wrath of the racist white planter class. This resulted in a hybrid culture and the creation of religions and traditions that married both European and African culture. Following this several other groups were introduced into the Caribbean such as the Chinese and Indians. Indian Indentureship being the bigger of the two schemes which accounts for the large Indian populations in many Caribbean territories. As such historically the Caribbean is both diverse and distinct in what its people experience and how different races intermingled and continue to share cultures and values and beliefs.

The history of the Caribbean’s inhabitants has shaped different institutions in Caribbean society which in effect has affected the present-day identity of its people. For example, the prominence Christianity can be traced back to its introduction by European powers into Caribbean society while the practice of religions such as Santa Maria and the Shouter Baptist faith can reflect the hybridization of different religions. The Shouter Baptist religion being a mixture of Roman Catholicism and African Tribalism (Chinapoo,James Paisley , 2014). This can also be demonstrated in the prevalence of Roman Catholic and Presbyterian Schools in the region.

These historical factors have shaped Caribbean identity in the past but In recent times Globalisation plays an integral part in shaping Caribbean identity through music, fashion, television, science and technology and the internet to name a few. The Caribbean population is becoming increasingly Americanized and subject to western culture and while this may help with the ease and tradition of individual’s assimilating into the cultures of others on a global scale this should never be the objective as one’s Caribbean Identity, a Caribbean identity should be unique and intrinsic to an individual’s sense of belonging. Therefore, the region must seek to be bound together as one entity to be recognised and more established on a global scale. This can be achieved through the lens of Caribbean integration.

Caribbean integration is not a new concept. It is impossible to deny that because the region is young in terms of being independent and republic. Most territories are also very small comprising a few hundred thousand people (except for Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Haiti) and subject to natural disasters as well as infrastructural challenges. Historically, leaders in the region sought to adapt this strategy not to fight the threat of globalization but as a means of attaining independence from the mother country and to strengthen the political and economic power of the region. This can be traced back to movements such as federation and the initiative to establish the Caribbean free trade association composed of Caribbean nations and dependencies that existed during 1965 to 1972, some of these founding countries where Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago followed by Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines Anguilla, St Lucia on 1stJuly, 1968 and then lastly the joining of Belize in 1971. CARIFTA encourage economic activity among its members primarily by removing tariffs and quotas on goods produced within the trade bloc (Caribbeanelections.com, 2019).

While the federation was more of a political movement whose objectives focused on uniting countries to expedite the independence process CARFTA was more of an economic juncture which sought to strengthen the weak and newly established markets of the region by implementing tariffs with certain states to gain foreign exchange and increase profitability, ensure benefits of free trade were equitably distributed, provide longer period to phase out customs duty on certain products which were more important for revenue and to promote industrial development. Unfortunately, the Caribbean Federation did not last as Jamaica and Trinidad decided to leave the association not long before gaining independence. At this time Dr. Eric Williams was quoted saying his famous line, “one from ten leaves naught.” However, the initiative of CARFTA blossomed into the Caribbean Single Market and Economy which sought to deepen economic integration by creating a common market as an integral part of CARICOM which was established in 1973.

Under this, the treaty of Chaguaramas was created and this established CARICOM. It was also responsible for spelling out in three main objectives. The first was to foster economic integration among member states involving free movement of goods, service and capital people. The second was to strengthen the region's external position through the coordination of member states' foreign policies in relation to historical trading partners in Europe and North America. The third was to pool members' limited resources through functional cooperation in areas such as education, health, environment, science and technology, communications, meteorology and the response to natural disasters.

Such an initiative was responsible for the allowing of the freedom of movement of certain classes of individual throughout the region such as university graduates and allowing for ease of access of individuals to trade. This seeks to develop a sense of Caribbean identity by allowing individuals to live and work in different islands.

With globalisation, yes there are  a few good attributes such as, empowering various cultures as it allows self-representation and information sharing on an international level, global media that allows cultures to have a distinctive voice to promote some awareness and provide public knowledge and understanding of their stories and identities, boost tourism, globalisation can also be used to preserve language, customs and culture through technology. To this date these are some of the positive effects of globalisation but unfortunately with anything good, far too often something bad follows. So evidently there are several noteworthy negative implications to globalisation. Due to the unprecedented access to cultures, a much wider audience than ever before has a gateway to see, hear and experience phenomena that were never accessible previously.  Mispresenting, stereotyping and the risk of loss of cultural and intellectual property rights are the consequences of unmonitored access, it promotes a homogeneous set of values and beliefs, and loss of individualism and group identity occur when globalization encourages a western ideal individualism, it allows global access to information opening the gateway to acquiring cultural property and information basically making a way for “global theft”, therefore intellectual property is not being efficiently protected and it is constantly being circumvented by globalization (Etec.ctlt.ubc.ca, 2019). Globalisation also affects the cultural expression of ones’ identity, there is loss of distinct features of ethnic traditions (Koechler, 2019), this is seen through a variety of aspects, such as sports, music, fashion, even the way in which Caribbean people speak. There is this falsified hope of a hybridization of culture but by doing this the whole essence of being “Caribbean” and having “Caribbean culture” is forfeited.

In conclusion while globalization may lead to more communication and ease in migration and assimilation to other cultures. There are more serious issues that needs to be highlighted, such as an individual’s cultural identity is an invaluable facet of one’s identity and territories such as the Caribbean region is highly vulnerable to being dominated by more physically and economically dominated powers thus the region must integrate in order the create a united front in terms of identity and competitivity on the global stage and market. This therefore is strengthening the Caribbean individualism in which we have fought so hard for to the point most Caribbean islands have written constitutions that they are protected by along with gaining independence.

Bibliography

Secretariat, C. (2019). Our Culture — Caribbean Community (CARICOM). [online] Caricom.org. Available at: https://caricom.org/about-caricom/who-we-are/our-culture [Accessed 17 Apr. 2019].

Etec.ctlt.ubc.ca. (2019). Globalization and its Effect on Cultural Diversity - ETEC 510. [online] Available at: http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Globalization_and_its_Effect_on_Cultural_Diversity [Accessed 17 Apr. 2019].

Koechler, H. (2019). Culture in the age of globalisation - DOC Research Institute. [online] DOC Research Institute. Available at: https://doc-research.org/2018/06/culture-in-the-age-of-globalization/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2019].

Caribbeanelections.com. (2019). Caribbean Elections - Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). [online] Available at: http://www.caribbeanelections.com/education/integration/carifta.asp [Accessed 17 Apr. 2019].

Search-credoreference-com.ezproxygateway.sastudents.uwi.tt. (2019). UWIlinC - Login. [online] Available at: https://search-credoreference-com.ezproxygateway.sastudents.uwi.tt/content/entry/sageuksm/globalization/0 [Accessed 17 Apr. 2019].

Photo below, captured by Adrian Moreno, entitled: The beauty of being Caribbean. Photo taken in Trinidad and Tobago.