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The Caribbean can therefore be politically defined in terms of a shared history of colonial rule. Citizens entrust the government with the power to make decisions on their behalf that protect and uphold their freedom, rights and interests.  Economic policies and political systems of government fragments the Caribbean.  The independent countries are democratic with a combination of capitalism and socialism, for example Cuba, which has a communist system with regards to economic policies and political systems.  Some territories such as Grenada and Dominica are associated states, which over time became independent, whilst some territories such as Anguilla and Martinique, are colonial dependencies.   Many of the British ex-colonies, for example Jamaica, have adopted the Westminster System.  The current parliamentary system of government is the same system that was used whilst under the rule of the British.  The British rule used the Westminster system.  It can be argued that there is mistrust within some Caribbean islands with regards to politics due to lack of transparency and changes with regards to the manifesto concerning the government and political parties. There are specific difference within the political system in the Caribbean. Some countries such as Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados are bipartisan, meaning that they have a two-party political system. Trinidad and Tobago however, has a multi-party political system. Due to this, there is significant mistrust as “ethnic politics constitutes a significant part of the political equation, as Hindu and Muslim East Indians compete and form coalitions with black Trinbagonians” (Countrystudies.us). One of the political parties in Trinidad and Tobago is the People's National Movement (PNM) which was formed and led by Dr. Eric Williams, the country's first prime minister.

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It can be observed that the Caribbean is in fact characterized by mistrust and intolerance. Based on the racial intolerance, gender inequality, political and religious aspects that were discussed, it can be stated that these characteristics are as a result of slavery and colonialism. In addition, while there are levels of grave intolerance and mistrust, they have also allowed for significant strides to be made in terms of equality as well as ethnic and religious acceptance. Even though there is still a considerable amount of change to be made on certain points of view, based on our past historical experiences as a Caribbean, our Caribbean identity is unified.

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Gender Ideologies Contributing To Intolerance

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Gender Ideologies Contributing To Intolerance

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Gender inequality has been a topic of discussion for many years and it has stemmed from the patriarchy.  The patriarchy is a form of social organization in which the male is the supreme authority, holds primary power and is considered the predominant figure in family (Dictionary.com) and by extension, society.  Though gender equality is improving, several institutions and companies within the Caribbean still provide higher wages to men with the same job title as women. Even though women may have more qualifications, they tend to have a lower waged occupation when compared to men. Higher educational achievements of girls does not yet translate in a higher participation in the labour market and closing of the wage gap (Caribank.org).  The Women and Development Unit (WAND) and Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA) are dedicated to encouraging women’s development as well as promoting the goal of gender equality.  Thanks to these organizations, significant strides have been made by women in an effort to shatter the glass ceiling.  This is seen with the first female prime minister of Barbados, The Honourable Mia Mottley, and the first female president of Trinidad and Tobago, The Honourable Paula-Mae Weekes.  Based on gender ideologies, women are seen as caregivers and domestic workers and this traces back to slavery when women were put in charge of taking care of their children and the children of the slave masters.  Whereas men are considered providers and, in some instances they are considered to be effeminate if they earn less than their female companion.  This leads to women having to depend on the male figure for financial stability. Colonialism has contributed to the idea that family must be patriarchal.  Education offered for individuals that portrays systemic inequalities, are still being continued in schools based on the content in certain textbooks.  Thus, it is difficult to break this cycle and change the ideology of gender inequalities throughout different sectors in society.  This is because in today’s society, many of the families are matrifocal but the idea and need for the patriarchy is still present.

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Racial intolerance between East Indians and Africans is still an issue in the Caribbean.  It can be argued that this is as a result of the racial stereotypes that was brought about by the ‘whites’ during slavery.  British planters characterized the Africans as physically strong but lazy and irresponsible, whereas the East Indians were stereotyped as industrious but greedy (Guyana.org).  These views and stereotypes are still prevalent in today’s Caribbean society, as seen with the term “niggeritis” which relates to feeling tired after eating.  It is a reference to the lazy stereotype placed on Africans during slavery by the slave masters.  In some Caribbean countries, namely Jamaica, skin bleaching is a very common practice. Those of darker complexions feel the need to bleach their skin in order to be accepted in society. Eurocentric values promoted and still possibly promotes light skin as a standard of beauty and social acceptance. Many Caribbean nationals take a stance against skin bleaching and promote natural beauty and the embracing of melanin but in certain settings, a lighter skin tone gets you a better job, a higher salary or even the opportunity to be the face of an advertisement. The racial divide is not as prevalent as it was many years ago. The mixing of the cultures and races, referred to as creolization, has made the classification of groups based on social stratification very difficult, maybe even impossible.  Edward Kamau Braithwaite’s view on creolization is that it is an ongoing process.  During his period of study, he noted that the culture of the Euro-Creole elite remained dominant in the mix, resulting in the ‘pervasive dichotomy’ that exists in the Caribbean society (Thompson et al. 141).  Stereotypes are used to justify and provide explanation for competition amongst the various ethnic groups in society.  Even though these stereotypes create mistrust among Caribbean people, mulattoes or Caribbean people of a mixed-race background, acted as the social cement between blacks and whites, facilitating social integration according to Braithwaite (Thompson et al. 142).

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Colonialism, together with the teachings and beliefs that were brought with it, looked down on African religions due to a lack of understanding.  This has resulted in a negative stigma and mistrust towards African religions today.  Many religions that initially came from Africa, such as voodoo and santeria, are still considered to be taboo because the practices are not understood as well as the stereotypes that were placed on them.  During slavery, many Africans were converted to Christianity and its religious teachings were forced upon the slaves and labourers.  The enslaved Africans were not allowed to practice their cultural beliefs, as the slave masters believed that it was evil and would be used as a form of rebellion.  It can be stated, that Christianity is a dominant religion throughout the Caribbean, even though some persons resent it due to the way in which it was forced upon their ancestors.  Though various religious organizations were able to establish schools and places of worship, today some religions are still frowned upon.  For instance, the Muslims were able to put together an ASJA education board and build schools, such as ASJA Girl’s and Boy’s College and TML primary schools.  The same occurred with Hindu’s, where the head of that religious board – The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) educational board, built schools such as Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College as well as the Riverside Hindu SDMS School to name a few.  Persons in today’s society, still look down on and think negatively of the Hindu religion, because they do not understand its origin and the importance of their different deities. This is seen in an article posted by the Hindu American Foundation, where it stated that, “Citizens of Indian and Hindu descent faced widespread discrimination, economic and political marginalization, and were disproportionately targeted for physical violence and harassment.” Even though different religions are discriminated against, they are still able to overcome adversities.  Trinidad and Tobago’s fifth prime minister as well as the first female prime minister are Hindus.  “It is gratifying to note that the Government of T&T specifically recognises the inhumanity and injustices which were committed against Africans and Indians during slavery and indentureship.” (Trinidad & Tobago Guardian dated Thursday July 12, 2012).  The national motto of Trinidad and Tobago established by the late prime minister Dr Eric Eustace Williams, “Together we aspire, together we achieve” seeks to bring unity amongst those living on the twin island.

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The Caribbean is characterized by many definitions based on history and location.  It is an archipelago from the Bahamas and Cuba, southwards to Trinidad.  As well as a region that shared and continues to share the impact of similar historical processes. As a society, our historical experiences and common purpose allows us to interact and develop a sense of belonging.  Our Caribbean culture cannot exist without a society and our culture also gives society its identity. Identity is comprised of the conceptions, qualities, beliefs and expressions that make up a person or group (Thompson et al. 126). It can be characterized based on affiliations to certain groups. For example, cultural identity is based on a sense of belonging, political identity, national identity and social identity are based on social groupings. Intolerance and mistrust characterizes the Caribbean today and this stems from our shared political and historical definitions.  The purpose of this essay is to critically analyze how religion, gender inequality, racial intolerance and politics characterizes mistrust and intolerance in the Caribbean through the concepts of society, history and identity.