OUT OF MANY, ONE PEOPLE.

 Jamaicans have always been a set of very culturally diverse people with different beliefs, ideas and socially acceptable habits being governed by social status, geographic location and good old family values. Despite this divide, there was an island wide understanding and expectations of certain things; like getting dressed up on Sunday evenings, cooking soup on Saturday and sorrel at Christmas time. For many years Jamaicans still managed to maintain a sort of wide spread Jamaican culture. However the past few years have brought with it a shift in the Jamaican culture which has resulted in not just further diversification of our culture but created a clear cut divide in what is considered socially acceptable.

Somewhere in Jamaica people are blissfully unaware that a cultural paradigm exists in which people pay money to run 5Ks in large groups, many of which are motivated by the possibility of 100 likes on instagram for their picture at the finish line.

But this is because they are country people right?? Fair enough. But what of the many socially acceptable cultures in Kingston alone where mere street signs control what people view as cultural norms? How is it that some kingstonians are content with bleaching their skin and teenage boys taking Viagra; all the while looking forward to the next big event that will be held in the gully. While this is not only frowned upon it is also ridiculed by their neighbours who are working feverishly to make ‘The Real Housewives of New Kingston’ the next big thing.

The major contributor to our clearly divided social culture is the increase in telecommunications in Jamaica. Prior to 1999 the Jamaican telecommunications sector was dominated by Cable and wireless until the market was opened in 2000.This saw the introduction of other companies such as Digicel that have successfully operated in the island for 10 years. When discussing the effects of this liberation on our country we tend to talk about the positive changes without linking these changes to societal issues. It has changed the way Jamaicans communicate, do business and access information. By 2011,163,314 of the more than 8000,000 households in the country had internet access. 

This number has significantly increased over the years and internet access in 2014 is a basic necessity for many Jamaicans. It goes without question that this has caused drastic changes to the Jamaican culture. As those of us who spend hours searching the net for celebrity and world news, adapting the language of social media and watching TV shows  have accepted a more Americanized set of norms and values, whereas the people left behind in this technological era cannot understand why your 8 year old child needs an ipad. This influx of new information has changed the way our music sounds,the way we socialize with each other, the way we prepare our food and even the way we look. 

 The culture of convenience portrayed by the internet and cable TV has led to pre-kneaded dumplins and pre cooked rice and peas for some while others still wake up early on a Sunday to grater their coconut for their rice and peas. Our females have adopted new make-up techniques which I must admit are as equally as impressive as they are scary, while at the same time liberating our, ‘natural sisters’.

We have become so dependent on our mobile phones and other social sites for communication that physical social gatherings are becoming rarer every day. And the social gatherings that have managed to survive this have turned into people standing around on their cell phones tweeting about how much fun they are having tweeting from their current location. This is vastly different from when people not only used to know their neighbours but they used to interact more on a social level.

The economy has also lent a hand in increasing the rate and quantity of cultural changes experienced by the Jamaican people. The current economical status of the country has not only led to a further divide in the classes but has also almost eliminated the middle class, as the cost of living is increasing daily but the salaries and job opportunities aren't showing the same growth. This has affected the purchasing power of the Jamaican people meaning that, for the middle class large family gatherings during the holidays have to be reduced to immediate family members.

 The slide in the US dollar has led to many discussions among my peers about the cancellation of their annual  parent funded summer vacations to the United States. The lack of government funding in the education system has shifted the country back to focusing on farming and trade schools  instead of graduating and going to university as was the goal of many parents in 2005. With the current finical situation many parents are unable to adequately fund a college education. This will affect the diversification of culture as the culture brought to Kingston by people from all over the island will decrease as will the culture these people take back to their own communities.

Jamaica has witnessed many cultural changes from slavery to independence to modern society and we have much more in store as we have not reached our maximum potential in the telecommunications sector and our economy is constantly changing. In this time of changing culture is will do us well to remember that despite your finical status, how you were socialized and the extent of your internet exposure it is always socially acceptable to pin the flag of Jamaica to the trunk of your car during Olympics.