The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Education: Jamaica: The Next 50 Years!

The construction of Jamaican masculinity is rooted in the male's ability to inflict pain on the female. Sex is oftentimes viewed as a selfish experience for the male with the ultimately object to achieve his orgasm. As a result the female must be subjected to this sadomasochism encounter. Of course if penile fracture occurs during this 'soldering' of flesh then this is secondary. No man wants his woman to talk about how 'soft' he is during the sex act. This lends itself to many men turning to aphrodisiac, for example, the roots tonic wines, with names such as "black stallion"  to ensure their sexual prowess in an effort to 'sort out' their female properly. The popular culture reinforces this warped notion of masculinity and will be with us for a long time to come. The sociocultural nature of the Jamaican society encourages the male to view sex almost as an act of war on the vagina. In many instances the fractures of the penis freque...

For many males worldwide the words prostate cancer drives an abundance of fear into their hearts and minds that only a man could understand. However, the sad reality is as a man grows older this increases his chances of developing prostate problems. According to the World Cancer Research Fund International more than 1.1 million cases of prostate cancer were recorded in 2012. The same source added that prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. Black men for some reason, tend to have a very high rate of prostate cancer, along with a higher death rate. The medical fraternity tells us that Jamaica has a very high rate and aggressive form of prostate cancer among the male population. Like many other illnesses, early detection is critical to one’s survival. However, the cost of treatment for prostate cancer can be quite daunting, especially for the average male without health insurance. This fact was recently highlighted by a male reader to one of our local news...

Male underachievement continues to thrive mainly in part because of the toxic notions about masculinity which permeate entire communities, not only in Jamaica but on the global scale. Disturbingly, this is reinforced by a popular music culture that often celebrates law-breaking. Boys who display school smarts are often ridiculed as effeminate by peers and even adults in areas where academic excellence by males is typically devalued. It's almost as if manhood and masculinity have been hijacked by a thug culture far removed from education.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.     After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.   The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.   “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you,      and they will lift you up in their hands,      so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.   “All this I will give you,”...

Psalm 121:7-8   The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. –Marcus Garvey. Over the years a lot have been said and written about Jamaica’s cultural identity. Jamaica’s motto “Out of Many One People”, aptly describes the melting pot development of the Jamaican society. The composition of the Jamaican society is predominantly made up people of African descent. However, there are also white Jamaicans, Indo-Jamaicans, Chinese Jamaicans, as well as, Jamaicans of lighter skin tone who have intermixed with other ethnic groups to produce a culturally rich and diverse people.    Jamaica like other Caribbean islands has a common heritage. This common heritage has been interwoven by the experiences of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, exploitation, colonialization and emancipation from slavery.   Our proximity to North America, mainly the United States of America has played a significant role in impacting Jamaica’s cultural identity. In...