Research Paper
Bahama Culture
At the end of October 2018, my family and I took a week-long cruise to the beautiful island of the Bahamas. It was the trip of a lifetime. The crystal-clear water, white sandy beaches, and amazing green landscapes are truly a thing of beauty. The scenery takes you to another part of the world only seen in pictures. Prior to taking part in the weeklong journey, I wanted to partake in some research of our destination to get a better understanding of their culture and to get an idea of what to expect during the trip. Just so happens my COMS 1100 Culture class was requiring me to write a research paper about another part of the world’s culture. Perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
The Bahamas is officially known as Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The capital of the Bahamas is Nassau. Nassau is located on the island of New Providence. The Bahamas is a country located within the Lucayan Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean just of the eastern coast of Florida. It consists of more than seven hundred islands, cays, and inlets. The land area covers 5,382 square miles (Wikipedia, 4). The island chain was the site of Christopher Columbus’s first landfall on his expedition to the new world in 1492. Columbus named the island he found San Salvador. The Spanish never settled the Bahamas, and the region later became a haven for pirates. The British claimed the islands in 1629 and started their first community in 1968 on Eleuthera.
The climate of the Bahamas is a tropical savannah climate. It’s low latitude and elevation along with the warm tropical gulf stream give the Bahamas a warm winterless climate all year round. Typically, the temperature all year ranges in the eighty-degree area. To this day there has never been a frost or freeze report in the Bahamas. The country’s biggest threat comes from tropical storms and hurricanes. Hurricane season ranges from June to November. The overall climate has made the Bahamas a tourist haven. Every year thousands of people flock to the vicinity to get a glimpse of the tranquility, peace, and relaxation it offers. It really is the perfect vacation spot.
Language
The island has a population of about 392,718 people of diverse origins and characteristics. Prior to traveling, I was delighted to find out that the official language of the Bahamas is English. The vast majority of the population speaks the English language. Other common languages include: Bahamian English and Haitian Creole. British colonization in the 18th century brought with it their language and cultures. Thus, being the reason for English being the national language. English is used in communication, publications of government and official records, media productions, education, and all commercial and business transactions. Bahamian English is a vernacular language used that comes from the mixture of local native tongue, and dialect along with British English. The language is an important cultural aspect that displays a distinct and uniqueness in the vocabulary and dialect of the language. Haitian Creole is another language that is common. In the 19th century Haitian immigrants moved to the Bahamas. Almost twenty-five percent of the population here speaks Haitian Creole. The language was developed through relations between French Masters and African slaves during the 17th and 18th century during the Atlantic slave trade. Some of the other influences on the language comes from: Spanish, Portuguese, and West Africa. The Bahamas attract individuals from all over the world with a variety of languages. If you have the basic knowledge of the English language, it is quite possible to successfully communicate since most islanders understand the language. During my visit, my personal experience was that the people on the island all spoke English fluently accompanied with a slight British accent, and everyone spoke clear, concise, and proper.
Religion
The religion in the Bahama culture is quite like the religious preferences in the United States of America. The dominant religion on the islands is Christianity. There are multiple common denominations. Baptist, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian are a few of the more popular denominations. Baptist is the most popular of all the denominations consisting of thirty-two percent of the present population. Like almost everywhere else in the world, there are individuals that are even atheists. An interesting fact for the islands is since 1976 more than sixty percent of the children born in the Bahamas are born out of wedlock. According to the Christian Bible, sex before marriage is forbidden.
Holidays
Like the United States, the Bahamas celebrates New Years, Easter, and Christmas holidays. Labor Day and Independence Day are also celebrated. However, they are observed on different days during the year. Labor Day happens on the first Friday in June and started in 1962. The holiday acknowledges the efforts made by natives to gain equal rights and the included rights for fair wages, equal opportunity, and the right to form unions. In 1973 the Bahamas gained independence from Great Britain. On July 10 since that year the island has celebrated that day as a national holiday. A few other national holidays include: Majority Rule day, Emancipation Day, National Heroes Day, and Boxing Day.
Emancipation Day: Celebration of freedom of slaves from tyrannous rule of the white British empire. Observed the first Monday of August.
Majority Rule Day: Become a holiday in 2014. It is recognized on January 10th for gaining majority rule for the first time on January 10, 1967. It symbolizes the promise for equality and fair pay for all Bahamians.
Boxing Day: A national holiday celebrated the day after Christmas of the 26th of December. I was a holiday recognized for slaves. Slaves were given boxes left over from their master’s gifts. The boxes were typically intricate in style and made of fine woods.
National Heroes Day: The honoring of Bahamian National Heroes happens on the 2nd Monday in October. The celebration started in 2013.
Economy
The economy of the Bahamas is a predominately market economy that is dependent on
international services and tourism. The bulk of the population is in Nassau and Freeport. These areas are devoted to tourism with the traditional pattern of small farming and fishing. Tourism accounts for more than one-third of the Gross National Product and almost forty percent of the entire workforce. The government is the largest employer. The annual per capita income is approximately $10,000, and the unemployment rate is fifteen to twenty percent (Albury, 4). Agriculture and fishing only accounts for a very small portion of the G.N.P. Nearly all the country’s food is imported from the United States. The islands do however cultivate a variety of fruits. Tomatoes, pineapple, banana, mango, and grapefruit are some of he more popular fruits grown in the Bahamas. The fishing industry primarily consists of lobster, grouper, and conch.
There is limited mineral industries that produce salt and cement located on the islands. Imported petroleum and liquid natural gas generate all the electricity. The manufacturing industries produce liquors (rum), cement, pharmaceuticals, canned fruits, and processed lobster. In the Bahamas there is no military either, the island chain relies on the protection of the United Kingdom.
Their most important trade partner is the United States. However, Finland, France, and Dominican also actively trade with the Bahamas. Hundreds of banks and trust companies are attracted to the Bahamas because there is no income or corporate taxes and the guaranteed secrecy of financial transactions. Public expenditures are constrained by the government’s dependence on taxes from tourism and external trade. The Central Bank of Bahamas was established in 1974. The national currency is the Bahamian dollar and U.S. currency is accepted on the island chain.
Most of the territory has paved roads. Small boats transfer passengers, freight, and mail from Nassau to the outlining islands. The islands posses’ multiple airports to help connect the islands and transport tourists easily.
Healthcare
The Bahamas has several hospitals that are staffed by highly trained professionals in the medical field. Overall the standard of healthcare on the island is excellent. The larger islands contain bigger hospitals. Doctors Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital are the two larger and most popular facilities. These hospitals offer private care for both inpatients and outpatients. On the other hand, smaller islands consist of walk-in clinics that are only open a few days as in relation to the larger public hospitals. Medical insurance is available from variety of providers. A private healthcare plan is considered a must for anyone living on the island. These plans require the patients to pay for any services rendered up front, then they must file a claim with their provider to be reimbursed for funds paid (Focus,6).
Social Classes
The residents of the Bahamas symbolize the unity of the scattered islands by using the term “family islands.” The national flag is the most common image familiar with the term. Their flag was introduced to the world in 1973. It consists of a black triangle on the left side along with a yellow horizontal strip bordered by two blue stripes. The blue stripes symbolize the blue sea waters. The yellow stripe symbolizes the sunny climate, and the black triangle refers to the broad African heritage. The Bahama’s social class hierarchy consists of an upper class, middle class, lower class, and an underclass (McCartney, 2004).
Upper class: This class consists of the wealthy business owners, professionals, government officials, and corporate managers. The bulk of this class reside in exclusive neighborhoods in Nassau.
Middle class: The class contains small business owners, few professionals, civil servants, and lower cooperate managers. Most of this class also live in Nassau in respectable communities.
Lower class: Unfortunately, this is the largest class in the region. It consists of farmers, fisherman, laborers, and trades people. These individuals are perceived as poor but respectable.
Under class: Few members of this class are educated or do not have a high school diploma. The people consist of the chronically unemployed and Haitian refugees. As one would expect, they live in the least desirable metropolitan areas.
Politics
Government officials are elected in the Bahamas. Voting is a universal right for citizens age eighteen and older. The political community is a constitutional and parliamentary democracy. The island is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. There are two major political parties. They are the Free National Movement (FNM) and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). As a former British settlement, its legal and political traditions mimic those of the United Kingdom. Their constitution protects people’s freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is recognized as the head of state. However, a prime minister holds executive power as the head of the government.
Legislative rule primarily resides with an elected House of Assembly and an Appointed Senate. Most individuals elected to these positions have been middle-aged African men with degrees and careers in law or business. These elected officials need not reside within their district but normally visit frequently.
Presiding law is based on English Common Law and Statue. These laws and statues are enforced by the Royal Bahamas Police force and federal constables. Prosecution of individuals is carried out by the Attorney General’s Office. Crimes of assault, robbery, and homicide occur routinely. The Bahamas are a staging area for shipments of illegal drugs being transported to the United States. Although illegal, the area routinely turns a blind eye. This trade practice is commonly tolerated and accepted. It provides monetary income and viewed as beneficial to the region.
After visiting and researching the Bahamas, I have realized the culture is quite like the United States. Besides most of the population being African American and most of all the commercial aspects revolving around tourism, the culture is not very different. The most noticeable difference is the island is more laid back. Everyone was very helpful and eager to assist. You always have the feeling of being a customer. I was pleasantly surprised with how easily everything flowed from the shopping and sight seeing to overall transportation. It is very evident how the residents focus on vacationers to help generate their economy. Comparing lifestyles, the United States is much more fast paced. Everyone is in such a hurry to get someplace. Individuals in America seem a lot less friendly and willing to give assistance. One other huge difference…the remarkable beauty the country has to offer. The scenery is so remarkably beautiful. With the scenery and the overall treatment of tourists visiting, it is no wonder that the Bahamas are a vacationing “hotspot.”