Anthropology of Jamaica and the Caribbean.
The Jamaican language, Patwa (patois), is the source of numerous intriguing debates. The gamut of people’s impressions of Patwa runs from absolute ridicule and dismissal to euphoric celebration. However, when we understand that languages carry culture, culture carries identity, and identity carries existence, we can better appreciate the multilayered sophistication of Patwa in the Jamaican […]
Jamaica has been called the most homophobic place on earth. Jamaica’s Dancehall culture has been accused of producing “murder music” and advocacy aimed at harming gays. In actuality, though, Jamaica and Dancehall have also produced some of the most complex, layered, and quietly subversive expressions of gender and sexuality in the African diaspora. Both sides […]
Jamaica is one of the most visited, most commodified, and most misunderstood markets in the world. Every year, brands, investors, and operators engage the Caribbean — and Jamaica in particular — with strategies built on surface-level assumptions rather than substantive cultural knowledge. The result is missed opportunities, brand missteps, community friction, and significant commercial underperformance. […]