Legacies of slavery in Jamaica
Slavery, by definition is the forced ownership of one human over another together with forced bondage, with one’s service being the rights of another. This has been part of human history for thousands of years and even though slavery has been abolished, it is still present in one form or other in some countries. The legacy of slavery is not to be measured simply by the millions slaughtered by slave hunters in Africa, thrown overboard on the Middle Passage, or beaten to death in Jamaica, but in the destruction of important lines of human development, in the triumph of the parasite over the producer (Maxwell n.d). The legacy of slavery is probably one of the hardest issues in world history upon which to find agreement …show more content…
For more than three hundred years slavery was operated in Jamaica and had knitted into the fabric of the Jamaican society. Even with the fact that slavery had been officially abolished for decades, the social memory still lives in the lives of Jamaican today. The social legacy of slavery still negatively impact a vast majority of Jamaicans (Espeut 2006). Due to the fact that colour was linked to wealth and status, many Jamaicans internalize that light-skin is better than dark-skin, and that straight hair is better that kinky hair. As a result, many seek to make themselves appear as light-skinned as possible. Additionally many women seek alliances with lighter-skinned men to improve the skin colour of their children, and perhaps if possible their own social …show more content…
The roots of the Jamaican family structure are embedded in the historical experience of slavery. Households and marriage with both parents were simple characteristics of the European planters while slaves cohabitated and were often taken away and separated from their spouse and children. The Jamaican family structure reflects the legacy of both the planters and slaves (Miller 2000). It is evident today the upper and middle class Jamaicans strive to emulate a family setting that is similar to the European standards and aspire to create families that embody these values. Formal marriages occur more often among middle and upper class families or among those who can afford a
Slavery, by definition is the forced ownership of one human over another together with forced bondage, with one’s service being the rights of another. This has been part of human history for thousands of years and even though slavery has been abolished, it is still present in one form or other in some countries. The legacy of slavery is not to be measured simply by the millions slaughtered by slave hunters in Africa, thrown overboard on the Middle Passage, or beaten to death in Jamaica, but in the destruction of important lines of human development, in the triumph of the parasite over the producer (Maxwell n.d). The legacy of slavery is probably one of the hardest issues in world history upon which to find agreement …show more content…
For more than three hundred years slavery was operated in Jamaica and had knitted into the fabric of the Jamaican society. Even with the fact that slavery had been officially abolished for decades, the social memory still lives in the lives of Jamaican today. The social legacy of slavery still negatively impact a vast majority of Jamaicans (Espeut 2006). Due to the fact that colour was linked to wealth and status, many Jamaicans internalize that light-skin is better than dark-skin, and that straight hair is better that kinky hair. As a result, many seek to make themselves appear as light-skinned as possible. Additionally many women seek alliances with lighter-skinned men to improve the skin colour of their children, and perhaps if possible their own social …show more content…
The roots of the Jamaican family structure are embedded in the historical experience of slavery. Households and marriage with both parents were simple characteristics of the European planters while slaves cohabitated and were often taken away and separated from their spouse and children. The Jamaican family structure reflects the legacy of both the planters and slaves (Miller 2000). It is evident today the upper and middle class Jamaicans strive to emulate a family setting that is similar to the European standards and aspire to create families that embody these values. Formal marriages occur more often among middle and upper class families or among those who can afford a