Gender inequality simply refers to the idea that men and women are not equal, it refers to the unequal treatment and/or perception of individuals, arises from the difference in their gender roles. The year 2017, the University of the West Indies statistics shows that sixty-five percent (65%) of the graduates were female and thirty-five percent (35%) being male graduates. According to the statistics over the years the ratio of female to male graduates has been increasing. However, when you look around country (Trinidad), the males hold the high positions, this may indicate that education may not be the only factor that plays a role in societal hierarchy. The system may indeed be a patriarchal structure in terms of societal hierarchy. 

             According to Simone de Beauvoir (a postmodernist), “one is not born a woman but becomes one” (The Second Sex, 1949), this concept mean that we aren’t born anything in particular, everything that we become is a result of our socialization, noting that we create ourselves based on the resources we have to do so. Simone de Beauvoir also stated that the concept was created so that women can be exploited and oppressed by heterosexual men, known as the patriarchy system. Terms such as; glass ceiling and pink ceiling came into existence because of the strong presence of hegemonic masculinity within the Caribbean. With the abolishment of those concepts it would now allow for women and even homosexual men to advance themselves within this contemporary society.

            Hegemonic masculinity was a term first introduced by R.W. Connell, referring to the dominant of masculinity with in the gender hierarchy. Hegemonic masculinity is characterized by; heterosexuality, hyper-masculinity and homophobia, all of the things I strongly don’t support. Caribbean contemporary society has put pressure on their men for not having sexual relationships with multiple females, encouraging males to be unfaithful to their partners, but this is seen as norm, because it’s a guy thing according to some Trinidadian nationals. Hyper-masculinity on the other hand is a psychological term used for male stereotypical behaviors, such as the emphasis on being physical strong and aggressive. I remember receiving a comment that I would not make a good model because my body type was deemed as physically strong, which reinforces that Caribbean people only valuing one form of masculinity. Finally, they also deem homophobia as a quality of hegemonic masculinity, homophobia comprises of negative attitudes, feelings, and violence towards homosexuality or individuals who identify as being part of the LGBT Community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender). However, here in the Caribbean if you aren’t homophobia you must be a homosexual, I remember while pursuing my secondary education, I was in form four (4) at the time. I posted a picture with a straight, gay and lesbian couples stating I see no difference, one of friend’s saw this post and stated that I was gay and I will burn in hell for it. Again a clear example of only supporting one form of masculinity.

          Sir Hilary Beckles supported the views of the public, due to the fact that each campus developed their own software. Student administration systems, whether if it was Microsoft or banner, each campus had their own communication and information systems. We can see this occurring in the society around us, some individuals identifying with the one single Caribbean identity and others having a diasporic double conciseness of their identity. Showing how separated the Caribbean is because we view our selves by the land we currently inhabit and the ancestral lands. Much like the Caribbean, the university is very similar, divided with each other with communication and resources.

            “Putting the University back together as one”, a term Sir Hilary Beckles used for the One UWI initiative, which is aimed at bringing the University back as one entity. Having one university communication network system so that students and employees of the university would be able to access communication systems and information from all campuses. Projects that Sir Hilary Beckles has done so far, in order to make all communication and information unified in one system, would include; UWItv which captures the voices and opinions from each campus, Sir Hilary Beckles stated that it changes the global identity of the university, allowing us to discuss Caribbean civilization as a whole, and also the Caribbean Civilization online foundation course allowing all students of each campus to be gain the same deliverance of the course and resources of each campus. 

        It was important for me to remember that this was a revisionism course, basically meaning the rewriting of the pass in new understanding/insight. It wasn’t much of a hard transition for me because I was never exposed to history in my primary and secondary education. My first interaction with a similar course was at the University of the West Indies Open Campus. I hoped it would have been the first and last time I had to complete any course related to Caribbean History. However, when I found out Caribbean Civilization was a course I had to do, I was not very pleased, but my thoughts quickly changed on the matter. Lectures eight and eleven stood out the most me, which is a bit odd, because lecture eight consisted of religion and education, I’m not a very religious person but understanding my society around intrigued me deeply, especially because of the male ideology of the society. Which is also why I enjoyed lecture eleven the sexuality and gender relations of the Caribbean. I honestly don’t believe there was anything I disliked about the course, except that it was an online course in oppose to a face to face lecture which I would have preferred.

De Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. Translated by Constance Borde and Sheila MalovanyChevallier. New York: Vintage Books, 2011.

Falby, Dominick Bryant. “The Evolution of Gender and Gender Roles in Caribbean Society.” Padlet Is the Easiest Way to Create and Collaborate in the World, Padlet, 27 Nov. 2017, padlet.com/rasenboy/caribbeancivilizationportfolio.

IBW21. “UWItv: A Game Changer in Caribbean Education and Public Outreach.” Institute of the Black World 21st Century, Institute of the Black World 21st Century, 26 Nov. 2017, ibw21.org/editors-choice/uwitv-a-game-changer-in-caribbean-education-and-public-outreach/.

University of the West Indies. “VICE-CHANCELLERY.” VC Biography, UWI Oriens Ex Occidente Lux, 25 Nov. 2017, www.uwi.edu/VCBiography.asp.

University of Sydney, Australia, and JAMES W. MESSERSCHMIDT. 28 Nov. 2017, “Http://Www.xyonline.net/Sites/Default/Files/Connell,%20Hegemonic%20masculinity_0.Pdf.” HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY,

Vuckovic, Milan R. “The Fabric of Gender | Part 1: Postmodernism.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5VfB2HMLj4&t=42s.