March 7th, 2017 

Trinidad carnival embodies the essence ofour culture. Globalization has made a huge impact as each year aspects of carnival become more and more commercialized. 'Old Mas', the most traditional form of carnival wasa core aspect of the festival that we now know as the greatest show on earth. However, it is no longer the focal point of the two day parade Instead, costumes, sultriness, and glamour are now dominating the streets as well as the media. Carnival costumes have evolved from large exquisite unique pieces, to tinier, still exquisite but less unique pieces as the focus has shifted from originality to marketability. I spoke to my friend, a second time Mas player who conveyed her experience of mas. As costumes increase in demand each year, the focus shifts to less on the actual costumes, to the experience that the media promotes. This experience, is two days of glitz, glamour and exclusivity along with access to a 'glamourous' costume, band, drinks, professional photography, and priceless Trinidad 'vibes'. As too much effort is being placed on the 'image' of carnival and not on the significance, cultural erasure can occur as this phenomena is observed amongst the younger generations, while the older ones seek to preserve tradition. If not addressed, younger generations will continue to misconstrue the idea of carnival till it is seen as only an 'attraction' and not as a festival with historical value and meaning. 

April 12th, 2017 

 In the Caribbean, the integration of the use of green energy is being observed in Trinidad. Green energy means a sustainable method of energy that can have a range of positive long term effects so future generations can benefit from it. The use of fossil fuels comes with harmful effects such as air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions. However, benefits to using green energy sources like wind, solar power, geothermal, biomass and even hydrokinetic energy can range from their abundance, inexhaustibility, affordabilityand they are all tremendous resources for generating clean and sustainable electricity. I read an article titled Renewable Energy Electricity Generation in Trinidad and Tobago found on the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries website which addressed the Ministry's plans to establish a legislative framework for the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. This endeavour can have long term positive impacts on Trinidad's energy sector as well as our resources. A large part of Trinidad's identity comes from our reputation for a vast supply of oil and gas, however green energy remains the only sustainable sources of energy. This means that employing the use of green energy can help us not only preserve our legacy, but ensure available resources to sustain the future generations to come. 

  

  

April 15th, 2017 

Globalization has had a huge impact on the way we consume goods and services where we prefer 'branded' items to non branded items. I interviewed a young man to find out his perspective on brands and how it affects his life. His responses did not shock me, as most individuals belonging to the teenage to young adult population are heavily influenced by brands. He talked about his preference for brands in clothes and sneakers, and mentioned monikers like Nike, Adidas and Puma. This preference for brands was not only limited to apparel, as he stated that he also had a preference for certain brands when it came to technology, household items and even food. This showed me that the meaning of brands to people was not limited to the quality and use of the actual product, but also about the image associated with using said brands, as we associate the use of certain brands with a certain quality of life and lifestyle. This is harmful to our diverse Caribbean culture for reasons more than one. There is a loss of appreciation for local brands because we see them as inferior to first world brands, despite the time, effort and quality put into them. Also, this can lead to a loss of national identity, as we will not promote our culture and brands if we do not appreciate them, as well as a lack of uniqueness and originality if we continue to conform to what is trending, all contributing to the deterioration of our Caribbean identity.  

  

   

April 17th, 2017 

Food culture in Trinidad has over the years drastically changed. While we are known for tasty local cuisine such as Pelau, Crab and Dumpling, Pholourie, Roti, Bake and Shark and many more, fast food culture has largely consumed our eating habits. Due to an Globalization, we now have such an accommodating economic climate that Trinidad is home to over fifty (50) global fast food franchises, and the number is rapidly growing.  Trinidad wasranked number six (6) in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2013 list of obese countries. The health risks associated with obesity such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure and overall reduced life span is a cause for concern as thirty per cent of Trinidad and Tobago’s adult population had a BMI over 30, according to the UN-based organisation's survey using 2008 statistics. Not only does fast food affect our health, it affects our culture and economy. Local establishments have been receiving the shorter end of the stick as we now prefer the 'first world' commercialized brands, despite the adverse health risks and the higher prices. Establishments like Rituals, cannot compete with bigger franchises like the newly introduced Starbucks, who's finances and reputation gives them the advantage to push these smaller local establishments out of business. Also, cultural depletion is set to take place as kids now prefer to eat the food brands they see on television, as opposed to local cuisine. Franchises like KFC, have found themselves deeply embedded into Trinidadian culture, as I have even heard my peers refer to it as 'the National dish of T&T'. I visited the Starbucks franchise in Movie Towne, POS and was amazed to see the large amount of people who seemed to frequent, as opposed to the small amount of people that frequent our local coffee shop, Rituals. 

 

This Caribbean Civilization course has had an impact on my overall outlook on Caribbean society by reinforcing previous knowledge on the Caribbean diaspora, as well as introducing new aspects for me to examine. Concepts such as Civilization, Caribbean Identify, Caribbean Gender & Sexuality and Caribbean Cultural Expression specifically stood out to me as I was able to gain new information and be able to apply it to my specific context and social world. The contents of the course while extensive, was well administered via in depth online lectures, thought-provoking class room discussions, and well detailed information provided in our lecture notes. The online lectures allowed me a chance to ask questions about concepts that were unclear to me, which really helped to gain a deeper understanding of some of the topics and concepts, as the lecturer was able to put them into relatable and specific contexts to make it easier for us students to understand. One unique concept that stood out to me as a result of an explanation by Dr. Campbell was the understanding that the differences in civilization and the understanding of civilization was shaped by an individuals expectations of what a society should possess, and not necessarily the functionality of that society and that ultimately shaped the way civilization and its understanding has progressed. I believe that the assessments in the Caribbean Civilization course tested us widely on the information passed on to us, however I do think that for future reference, the course assessments should be smaller in terms of quality(marks) and larger in terms of quantity (amount of assessments). Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this course, and I see it as a valuable addition to my academic knowledge as well as a great contribution to my understanding of other fields of study as the information learnt here in not just restricted to the study of Caribbean Civilization.