The culture and customs of colorful Jamaica receive needed attention in this volume, which is written by insiders. Jamaica is known widely for its beautiful beaches and the reggae music scene. Culture and Customs of Jamaica richly surveys the fuller wealth of the Caribbean nation: its people, history, religion, education, language, social customs, media and cinema, literature, music, and performing and visual arts. Unique to this volume are presentations on Jamaican Creole and the education system, which have never before been found in a book aimed at a general audience. Students and other interested readers will find this volume indispensable for the detailed insight on the makings of modern Jamaica.
Written by Jamaicans the island receives needed attention in this work. The history of Jamaica is well covered, from pre-Colombian times through slavery, to the impact of social activist Marcus Garvey, and the relatively new state of independence. Rastfarianism to Revivalism are covered as Jamaica’s multitude of religious denominations is outlined. Various topics such as geography, demography, climate, cuisine, and the visual and performing arts are detailed. Accompanied by a chronology, this magical country comes to life in this wide-ranging volume. Anyone with an interest in Jamaica and its culture and customs will be indebted to the authors for their timely presentation. Students and general readers will find this volume indispensable.

“The most felicitous writing of the three [books on Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica reviewed in Greenwood Press’s Culture and Customs series] is in the Jamaica book… the strength lies in the very thorough chapters on literature, music, performing and visual arts. The chapter on language, where the authors compare ‘standard’ Jamaican English with ‘Jamaican creole’ is absolutely one of the best brief analyses of this complex topic in print.” – Anthony P. Maingot, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Florida International University in Caribbean Studies Vol 31, No 1 (January – June 2003).