Exploration of Caribbean History by Tariq DeFour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m Application of learning in Caribbean Civ en-us 2017-12-01 07:20:32 UTC 2025-04-25 15:33:31 UTC hello@padlet.com Single stories are dangerous, but still extremely common tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212157884 What is a "single story?" What are the implications of a "single story"? Am I guilty of believing in a "single story"? Are there "single stories about me and my surroundings?
 
 These are are thoughts that are transmitted by Chimimande Ngozi in her Ted Global presentation in 2009. What is a single story? In her presentation Ngozi summarizes how it is that a perception is built from a single story, "So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become." The point that Ngozi is trying to make is that single story perspectives develop when only one aspect of something is shown, whether it be a person or  place, once they are charaterised by this aspect they are simply reduced to this.
 I have found that Ngozi's sentiments ring true in many cases  throughout the world, but there are specific examples of this rooted in the Caribbean.
 
  In the presentation the commentator makes an excellent reference to how dangerous a single story could be, in her speech she says," Start the story with the arrows of the Native Americans, and not with the arrival of the British, and you have an entirely different story.", this reference can be linked to the Caribbean and the negative and restrictive ways that their native people are portrayed, more specifically the detrimental effects of the single story of the Kalinago people who were historically misnamed as Caribs. The Kalinagos were mischaracterized as cannibalistic brutes who would consume those they felled in battle and hung human limbs within their cabins for all to see. Because of the power of those involved in spreading this false propaganda the Kalinago people still face the harsh reality of being dehumanized  in modern society. Even I, as a younger child believed these cruel misrepresentations as the idea that they were cannibals was thought to me and is still thought at a "primary" school level, this is a side effect of the colonial nature of the Caribbean, as in many cases the information perpetuated by the white man is still followed up to this day despite information contradicting it, re-affirming the presentations title of the dangers of a single story. 
 
 This got me thinking about the Caribbean and the perception foreigners had of us. After some searching I found that the Caribbean was simply reduced to vacationing spots and characterized as third world countries with struggling infrastructure and governments. While these aspects may hold some truth, they do not take into account the rich cultural history of the Caribbean people nor their struggles and achievements. 
 
 Ngozi in her speech pondered on whether consumption of media which gave different perspectives on the experiences of people would alleviate the problems of a single story, what she relates to as a "balance of stories" as said by the mentioned Nigerian author Chinua Achibe.
 

]]> 2017-12-01 07:21:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212157884 Racism in plantation society tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212165464 This topic to me is important because it has a deep root in Caribbean society as racism is deeply etched into the history of the Caribbean people. Racism is simply "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior" although the sociological definition puts an emphasis on the power of those who perform acts of racism.

I would imagine based on the information presented in the course that the heinous actions performed against the African people by their white counterparts were in many ways a representation of racism. The inhumane conditions the African's were subjected to is in my opinion a clear representation of this racism, the deplorable conditions on the slave ships sailing along the middle passage, the unceremonious executions of those who developed diseases in these conditions and the virtual working of the African people into the ground during slavery.

 The article "Fixed Melancholy" gives insight into the situation of suicide of both Africans and Europeans on a plantation in Jamaica, what this also does is give an insight into how slaves were kept in their situations. The denotation of African slaves as property under chattel slavery shows just how little the white populace regarded the Africans as human, these laws were quote "a dodgy affair with white partisan leanings" showing just how deeply ingrained racism was to this society as it seamlessly seeped into the the laws. In my opinion this gave slave owners a sense of nonchalance in 
carrying out their heinous acts. Despite this racism, European societies such as England refuse to admit the wrongness of their actions. Whether this means that they are still racist is up to speculation.

My artifact 

Of all the images in my lectures, the illustration of the deplorable conditions that slaves had to face even before arriving in the Caribbean, shows just how inhuman whites saw the African people as.


]]> 2017-12-01 08:06:05 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212165464 tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179949 2017-12-01 09:13:05 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179949 tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179950 2017-12-01 09:13:05 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179950 tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179959 2017-12-01 09:13:07 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179959 tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179972 2017-12-01 09:13:11 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179972 tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179989 2017-12-01 09:13:13 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212179989 Caricom Movement tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212180549 Caricom is the culmination of the Caribbean's similar history. Caricom or Caribbean Community itself, is an organisation of Caribbean states whose main goal is to foster growth of and cooperation between Caribbean countries. Caricom is the third iteration of this idea, preceded by CARIFTA and the West Indies Federation and is the longest lasting and successful of the three. ]]> 2017-12-01 09:15:53 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212180549 My Experience tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212193375 When looking back at my time doing Caribbean Civilization I ponder just how much I have learned. When I first began this course I had little knowledge of the subject matter nor did I have any particular care for it as it held no relevance to my degree. From the beginning I was proven wrong as despite its lack of relevance to my studies, the topics brought forth helped me gain a better understanding of my surroundings  and the rich history of the Caribbean people.

Despite the online nature of the lectures, they were informative and entertaining, from the interjection of songs to illustrate points to the lengthy discussions that occurred on the subject matter of a single slide, the interactivity of the lectures helped to foster interest in the course and the information relayed helped to improve my understanding. The tutorial sessions helped to supplement the information gained in the lectures and their face to face nature allowed for a better understanding of the learning objectives as the discussions conducted between fellow students allowed for a wider range of perspectives on the Caribbean to be observed and helped to broaden my own perspective in the long run.

All in all, this course has taught me about the rich history of the Caribbean people from the plight of the native people to the trials and tribulations faced by the African slaves and even the groups following them, however enlightening me on how they fought and survived their treatment, banding together to create the beautiful Caribbean culture that I know today.

]]> 2017-12-01 10:01:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212193375 tariqdefour https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212453242 Caricom is made up of 15 member states all illustrated on the above map, and focuses on developing these nations, especially smaller and less developed ones or those marred by disaster and neglect such as Haiti whose historical mistreatment by France has left them in disarray. One of the main goals of Caricom however is to allow for free movement of nationals between its member states, what this free movement entails is a right to seek employment in these member states without the need of a work permit.

Free movement between Caricom countries is beneficial to the nature as it helps to foster better understanding between its nations. It allows for an effective improvement of the sports sector due to sports personalities having an easier time moving between its states, evidence of this improvement can be seen in team such as the West Indies which is a culmination of the Caribbeans ability.

Despite the major advantages of this movement, there come some drawbacks to this initiative. For starters, it is disadvantageous for the development of smaller nations, as in many cases skilled graduates will simply migrate to states with better infrastructure to gain jobs, leaving the countries practically drained of skilled nationals, this is known as brain drain. Conversely, a flood of skilled personnel into a single larger country will force the job market to become more competitive, this may be perceived as members of these nations as their jobs being stolen.

When looking at free movement between Caricom states as a whole, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, meaning that it is a successful initiative though there is still room to grow. ]]> 2017-12-01 21:29:19 UTC https://padlet.com/tariqdefour/gx2bwy6ip94m/wish/212453242