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

“In the planning and designing of new communities, urban projects and urban renewal, the planners both private and public, need to give explicit consideration to the kind of world that is being created for the children who will be growing up in these settings. Particular attention should be given to the opportunities which the environment presents or precludes for involvement of children both older and younger than themselves. “-Urie Bronfenbrenner As rural urban migration increases the vacuum which exit between urban planning, governance and sustainable development continues to widen. Jamaica, over the last decade has experienced crucial economic and social transformation. However, many in the society view development through the lenses of construction of new infrastructure, including highways, hotels and housing schemes.   Accompanying this process of transformation has been rapid urbanization in which more than half of the population now lives in urban centres.   Jamaica’s...

“Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.”- Pope Francis Secularism has been on the rise since time immemorial. It seems there is no escape from the twin pillars of commercialization and globalization which together have done much to usher in and maintain a focus which is far removed from God and His church. Alarmingly, even among some quarters of the church a seemingly silent thread of secularism exits. While Ash Wednesday is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, the practice of sprinkling oneself with ashes has Biblical references. Among the Bible verses are   1 Kings 21:27,   “It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.”  Ash Wednesday is significant for the church in many ways. However, perhaps the most pronounced importance of this now Christian festivity, is the beginning of the Lent, a period of forty days of fasting, abs...

“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going”- Rita Mae Brown We are duty bound to educate the current generation as best as possible given our limited resources.   The issue of whether patois or Jamaican Creole should be given equal status as Standard English in our education system continues to be discussed in and outside of the halls of academia.   Like any good debate there are two intriguing sides, in fact, the arguments presented on either side of the discourse has immense significance which undoubtedly will impact policies surrounding the teaching and learning journey. The people of the Caribbean speak a number of languages. Creole languages in the Caribbean have developed over the centuries depending on the influence of the original language spoken in a specific geographical area. The extent to which one chooses to switch from Jamaican Creole to Standard English is often dependent on the occasion.   For...

It is estimated that about 5- 10 percent of men will experience prostatitis during their lifetime.   Masculinity is often packaged in a tough and coarse wrapper. Unfortunately, this perception of manhood also serves as a barrier for preventing men from seeking medical care. It is disturbing that a significant number of men do not have a personal physician. Sadly, many of us men only seek medical attention at the point where pain becomes unbearable. An area of concern for most men is that of their prostate health, however, a considerable number of men refuse from seeking medical attention as it relates to this aspect of their health. The refusal of some men to seek medical intervention regarding prostate health is rooted in a culture of homophobia in which men are scared away by the thought of having a doctor insert his or her finger to check their prostate.  Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. According to MedicineNet.com, prostatitis can result from an infec...