Discuss the Relationship Between Modernity and Tradition in French-Caribbean Creole Culture?
Discuss the relationship between Modernity and Tradition in French-Caribbean Creole culture
In order to address the question, we should first fully understand the terms modernity and Creole culture and then analyse how the two intertwine, and then decipher to what extent there is a relationship. The definition of Modernity used in this essay will be that modernity is’ the quality of being current or of the present’. Whereas for Creole culture we have more difficulty, Creole culture can be the people, the language; however as the essay is dealing with their tradition we will use their search for an identity as the basis for their culture. ‘Caribbean identity came not only from the heritage of ex-slaves, but was equally influenced by indigenous Caribbeans, European colonialists, East Indian and Chinese coolies (indentured servants)’ (Ormerod, Beverley, 1998). Therefore it was the joint search for a cultural history that led to their identity, and as they were all uprooted from their original homes they were unable to share in a single culture, so they shared in the joint search. This became the basis for their Creole culture.
Within this essay one will see how there has always been a relationship between modernity and tradition, and that it is more prominent now than it ever has been. Immediately through their cultural identity one could conclude that French-Carribbean Creole culture was created by the modernity of its time. One could argue that the Creole culture was only recently created through their uprooting and search for an identiy. There was a demand for slaves and these Africans became the answer. Therefore one could argue that modernity created Creole culture and that there is a very strong link and relationship between the two. However it is a lot more complex than this and within this essay I will attempt to show this relationship, firstly by looking back and showing that it was originally there in their homelands of Africa. I will then show the
In order to address the question, we should first fully understand the terms modernity and Creole culture and then analyse how the two intertwine, and then decipher to what extent there is a relationship. The definition of Modernity used in this essay will be that modernity is’ the quality of being current or of the present’. Whereas for Creole culture we have more difficulty, Creole culture can be the people, the language; however as the essay is dealing with their tradition we will use their search for an identity as the basis for their culture. ‘Caribbean identity came not only from the heritage of ex-slaves, but was equally influenced by indigenous Caribbeans, European colonialists, East Indian and Chinese coolies (indentured servants)’ (Ormerod, Beverley, 1998). Therefore it was the joint search for a cultural history that led to their identity, and as they were all uprooted from their original homes they were unable to share in a single culture, so they shared in the joint search. This became the basis for their Creole culture.
Within this essay one will see how there has always been a relationship between modernity and tradition, and that it is more prominent now than it ever has been. Immediately through their cultural identity one could conclude that French-Carribbean Creole culture was created by the modernity of its time. One could argue that the Creole culture was only recently created through their uprooting and search for an identiy. There was a demand for slaves and these Africans became the answer. Therefore one could argue that modernity created Creole culture and that there is a very strong link and relationship between the two. However it is a lot more complex than this and within this essay I will attempt to show this relationship, firstly by looking back and showing that it was originally there in their homelands of Africa. I will then show the