The Jamaican Concept of Class

The Question of Class? What is Class? Is it based on wealth or behavior? I think many people are confused with the concept of class within the context of Jamaica’s Unique Reality. The British concept of class and the Jamaican concept of class are totally different. The British concept of class is based on inherited status and wealth that is handed down from generation to generation and is ingrained within the British gentry/nobility based society.

Emerging from over 300 years of Slavery, Colonization and Subjugation, the Jamaican concept had no generational inherited wealth and status and as such Jamaica had to redefine the concept of class. Not that we did not try to implement the British concept but having no Lords and Ladies just made us look pretentious and stupid. As such we had to redefine the concept of class to fit into Jamaica’s Unique Reality.

Within Jamaica’s Unique Reality, what does it mean to break down the Social Barriers? I will first tell you what breaking down the Social Barriers is not. Breaking Down the Social Barriers does not mean we disregard all standards, accepting every and any sort of dysfunctional, counterproductive behavior, mannerism and lifestyle. One must know when and where to draw the line. It is not elitist to have standards, morals and values and to stand up for them. To adhere to what you consider as socially acceptable and reject what you consider as a dysfunctional and counterproductive lifestyle.

So, What is Breaking Down the Social Barriers?
Breaking down the social barriers is about creating a more Egalitarian Society. It is about providing equal access to progressive life changing resources regardless of one’s wealth and social standing within society. The poor person should have equal access to things like education, healthcare and other resources required for progressive mobility and development, as anyone else within society. The children of the Rich and Poor should be equally educated and healthy and should not be judged by their parents wealth or lack of wealth but by their developed abilities.

The Concept of Class
With everyone having equal or near equal access to progressive life changing resources, we can now Define The Concept of Class within the framework of Jamaica’s Unique Reality. This is where the saying “You can lead a horse to water but you cannot force him to drink it” comes into play. If we provide individuals with equal access to progressive life changing resources but some individuals decides to join a sub cultural that demeans and devalue the progressive life changing resources and turn their backs on it. Preferring instead not to make anything of their life, not to be all they could be and become a burden to society. Then by my definition that individual is low class or not having any class. Having class is your ability to be progressive and upwardly mobile, to take advantage if every opportunity to better yourselves. I find in Jamaica, there are lots of people who blame society for their lot in life after not taking personal responsibility for the decisions they make.

In an attempt to control the narratives and normalize their bad behavior, supporters of these bad behaviors are the first to use the E-word, pull the Elitist Card. Support my dutty-rub-up ways or else I will call you an Elitist. No amount of name calling would ever get me to support ways and behavior I consider counterproductive and anti-social.

Nobody holds black people back, like peer pressuring black people. One of the biggest problem with black people is that they do not like to be objectively criticized and judged by other black people. Having morals, standards and values and any attempt to stand up and defend those morals, standards and values is considered by some black people to be anti-black, mental slavery, trying to be white or to be elitist. As if having morals and standards is reserved for white people.

There is a large section of Black people who considers education and any attempt at upward mobility outside standard route of hip-hop, dutty-dancehall, dysfunctional criminality and drugs, as trying to act white and not acting black. Bad behaving people, do not want anyone to judge their bad behavior, so they will use anything they can find to try and control the narratives.

Nothing will change until the forces of good beat back the forces of evil. Nothing will change within the black community until we can turn around to other black people and reject their negative, counterproductive bad behaving ways. Nothing will change until we demand good morals, standard and values and rejecting bad ones. NO, it is not white or elitist to have good morals, standards and values. That is just some shit ignorant people say in order to stop progressive people criticizing them. 

Majoring In The Minor?
In the past week or two I have been accused of being an Elitist, trying to be white and Majoring in the Minor. Accused of taking minor things and inappropriately treating it as a major thing. The fact is, what is one person’s minor can be another person’s major, especially when that person sees a relationship and a direct connection and progression between the Minor and the Major.

The Jamaican society did not turn murderous overnight, corruption did not just happen. This type of behavior was part of a negative socialization process that started long ago and passed down from generation to generation. With every generation getting colder, harsher, more callous and more murderous than the previous generation. Our Standards, Morals and Values have been dropping for a long time now, creating the Jamaica we see before us, stewed to batshit crazy perfection.

Whenever a person tries to enforce order, discipline, morality, values and standards within our Society, we hear that they are controlling Elitist who are Majoring in the Minor and hate poor people. It is very hard to save idiots from themselves. 

The fact is, if society had spent more time Majoring in the Minors, then maybe these Major negative, disgusting, antisocial behavior we see happening these days with such frequency would not have happened as much. If we had invested in our people’s behavior, instill in our people the concept of Morals and Values then chances are, our people would commit less anti-social acts and have more respect for themselves, society and the people around them. Right now it seems, most respect Nothing and wears their ignorance like a badge of honor. With every problem having a primal, violent solution.

The reason why Jamaica is such an indiscipline place, is because as a society, we not only turn a blind eye to bad behavior but also encouraged bad behavior. Jamaicans are entertained by bad disgusting behavior. 

In Jamaica Freedom and Democracy means Freedom without Responsibility, Freedom without Discipline and Freedom without consequence. We created and encouraged an environment where our people have no respect for themselves, no respect for people round them and no respect for the law of the land. One of the main reasons why people say Jamaica nice, is because in Jamaica, one has the freedom to do whatever one wants to do, no matter how disgusting. What comes with all that Freedom and indiscipline, is the Crime and Corruption and the reputation of being one of the most murderous country on planet earth. **The Minors are now the Majors**, the chickens has come home to roost.

It is this disregard for what we consider to be Minors, which is driving our Majors, allowing these minors to develop into some wicked murderous majors. Jamaica's murder rate nearly eight times the global average. The global murder average is six per 100,000; for the Caribbean region, it is 16 per 100,000 - and Jamaica is at 46.2 per 100,000.

If Jamaica is a failed state then it is because the people of Jamaica, those living in and out of Jamaica are failures. No one else can fix Jamaica but Jamaicans. No one else can define Jamaica’s future and her place on this planet but Jamaicans.

Building a better Jamaica is the responsibility of each and every Jamaican regardless of your geographic location. It is a challenge we all must rise to and all of us must answer the call. That is the behavior of Nation Builders.

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In Jamaica we identify bad dysfunctional behavior and non-progressive behavior or any behavior that becomes burdensome to society as Low Class! It is not elitist to look down on and question bad anti-social behavior