Caribbean Studies Intensive Review

Module 1: CARIBBEAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE

I. Characteristics of Society and Culture
1a. Define the term society.
b. Explain the difference between social institutions and social organizations.
c. Explain what is meant by a role and state its significance to the proper functioning of a society.
Culture
2a. State TWO different definitions of the term culture.
(4marks)
b. What is the difference between material culture and non-material culture?
Explain the following terms.
i. beliefs:
ii. norms:
iii.__________________________________________________________________________________
(3 marks)
c. Identify THREE norms of behaviour specific to the Caribbean and the cultural value associated with each.
d. Identify one positive and one negative consequence of cultural values within a society.
e. Citing one example from within the Caribbean for each, explain what is meant by the following:
i. cultural erasure:
ii. cultural retention:
iii. cultural renewal:
f. Define socialization and explain its importance within a society.
g. Explain the significance of each of the following to the functioning of society:
i. primary socialization:

ii. secondary socialization:

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II. Characteristics of Caribbean Society and Culture

1. Briefly explain the process that led to the cultural diversity that characterises the Caribbean.
2. Indicating the general time period in which each occurred, identify the FIVE modes of migration which have
shaped settlement patterns in the Caribbean.
i. Early man:
ii. European invaders:
iii. Forced migration of West Indians:
iv. Inter-island migration:
v. Outward migration:

3. Explain the basic workings of the following systems of production:

a. Encomienda
b. Repartimiento
c. Identify TWO similarities and TWO differences between White Indentureship and African Slavery in the
Caribbean.
Two similarities between White Indentureship and Africian Slavery in the Caribbean are:
Two differences between White Indentureship and African Slavery in the Caribbean are:
d. Explain Two forms of resistance employed by the African population in the Caribbean during the period of
slavery.
Two forms of resistance by the African population in the Caribbean during the period of slavery are:
e. Why was marronage a successful strategy in an island such as Jamaica?
f. Explain the following terms:
i. plantation society
ii. plantation economy (4 marks)
g. List any FOUR features of Caribbean society that have emerged as a result of the plantation system.
Four feature of Caribbean society that have emerged as a result of the platation system are: (4marks)
4a. Describe the social stratification system that resulted from the plantation system in the Caribbean.
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(3 marks)
b. Name three Caribbean territories where this social stratification was evident.
I
Barbados_________________________________ii___________________________iii______________________
________
(3marks)
c. What accounted for this in 4b?
(2 marks)
d. Briefly explain FOUR ways in which the cultural diversity resulting from the plantation society in the Caribbean
expresses itself, using concrete examples from within the region for each.
(8 marks)
III. Impact of Geographical Phenomena
1a. What is human ecology?
b. Explain the difference between environmental hazards and environmental disasters.
The difference between environmental hazards and environmental disasters is environmental hazards are the
risks of damage to the environment. However, environmental disasters are disasters to the natural environment
due to human activity.
2a. Name four potentially dangerous volcanoes present in the Caribbean and the respective territory to which
each belongs.
I Soufriere- St. Vincent
ii La Soufriere- Guadeloupe
iii Mt. Pele- Martinique
iv Soufriere Hills- Montserrat
(4 marks)
b. Why do citizens who share the common experience of living in the Caribbean have varying responses to
hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes?
(3 marks)
3a. Explain TWO ways in which landforms in the Caribbean have influenced systems of production. Cite one
territory as an example for each.
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(6 marks)
b.How does the human ecology of aboriginal society differ from that of the official island governments in the
Caribbean? Refer to at least one Caribbean territory in explaining your answer.
(6 marks)
4a. List THREE ways in which coral reefs are important to the Caribbean.
Three ways in which coral reefs are important to the Caribbean are:
b. Describe THREE threats faced by coral reefs in the region.
Three threats faced by coral reefs in the region are:
c. With reference to the treatment of coral reefs in the Caribbean, explain how governments can be seen as
responsible for the degradation of the natural environment within the Caribbean.
(5 marks)
d. Why do some Caribbean territories seldom experience hurricanes while others are frequently hit?
IV. Impact of Societal Institutions on Caribbean People
1. Explain one way in which the following Caribbean social institutions have been shaped by colonialism:
a. Education

(2 marks)

b. Justice
(2 marks)
2a. Write notes on how the family forms in the Caribbean have emerged from our historical context.
b. Account for the religious tolerance that is a common part of contemporary Caribbean life.

3a. List the main consequences of the non-nuclear family structure.

b. List the main consequences of postcolonial education.