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

“The greatness of a country and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”- Mahatma Gandhi Jamaicans are for the most part lovers of dogs. In almost every home there is a dog. It is often said that dogs are man’s best friend. Notwithstanding, the society is still in shock at the brutal attack of the primary school teacher by four pit bulls. The incident took place in Coopers Hill, St. Andrew on Thursday, September 19, 2019 as the teacher was doing her routine evening walk in the community. In recent times there has been an increase in the number of pit bulls seen. This unregulated breeding of pit bulls is not only dangerous but also creates a public safety concern.   These fierce looking dogs have been figured in previous attacks yet it is evident that the legislation to safeguard the citizenry from being potentially mauled by these dogs requires updating. Under the Dog (Liability for Injuries By) Act of 1887, the owner of every dog shall be li...

“I think that promoting insecurity in the form of plastic surgery is infinitely more harmful than an artistic expression related to body modification.”- Lady Gaga It is so unfortunate that almost everyone at some point in their life has been teased or has had negative comments made about their body. Oftentimes these harmful comments come from the most unlikely sources; our friends, coworkers and family.   Body teasing or body shaming is usually a persistent form of bullying. The victim of such unwanted remarks is made aware from very early that they are different and that their body is imperfect by societal standards. Body shaming is the inappropriate, derogatory and insensitive comments about another person’s weight and or size. These unkind words, terms and comments are usually done to cause emotional pain and suffering. Body shaming can also reach into the realm of discrimination of those individuals who society deemed are social outfits because of their uniqueness. We often pl...

“Climate change does not respect border; it does not respect who you are, rich and poor, small and big. Therefore, this is what we call ‘global challenges’, which require global solidarity.”- Ban Ki-moon      It is unbelievable that some political leaders do not understand and or far-removed from the realities which globalization brings about in this fast paced world in which we live. Politicians are elected not only to serve a sub-set or special group interests. Politicians are elected to design and implement policies which will benefit and enlarge the lives of the people around them. Globalization is defined by Business Dictionary as the worldwide movement towards economic, financial, trade and communications integration. The same source says globalization implies the opening of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected and interdependent world, with free transfer of capital, goods and services across national frontiers. It bares t...

I am not a movie person. The last movie I watched was Black Panther.   On Wednesday, September 4, I travelled to Sovereign Center in Liguanea after work.   The movie time was 5:40 pm. and I arrived at about 5:15 pm. My doctor has repeatedly told me that I have three full time jobs, one each for my ageing parents and my paid job as a teacher. Angel Has Fallen is an action packed American suspense thriller. The movie is approximately 2 hours long. The plot surrounds the attempted assassination of the US President Trumbull who is played by well known African American actor Morgan Freeman. Like all Presidents of the United Sates Trumbull is protected by the Secret Service. In the fast moving movie Secret Service agent Mike Banning played by Gerard Butler is framed for plotting with the Russians to have the president killed. Despite having a good relationship with the President, agent Banning hid from his boss the fact that he was suffering from insomnia and migraine headaches. Ban...

“If your flirting strategy is indistinguishable from harassment, it's not everyone else that's the problem.”- John Scalzi Catcalling is a global problem. The issue has become a hot topic in recent weeks. However, I find it strange even disturbing that some women and men are unfamiliar with the term. On the other hand, in the Jamaican context very few of us refer to sexual harassment of women on the streets by men by that terminology. Historically, we have nurtured a culture in which men view women’s bodies with a sense of entitlement and this sense of claim has led us to where we are. Over the years catcalling has become associated with the construction of not only Jamaican masculinity but with masculinity in general. Men are wired differently from women. Men hunt with their eyes; therefore women will always be the focus of attention in a heterosexual context. In a society where homophobia is ever present boys are socialized from early to prove their heterosexuality. One way ...