Jamaican Professor Sheds Light on the Reality of Jamaica

Although the world may think Jamaica is a Caribbean paradise, it is actually a developing nation struggling with serious social problems, Professor Rex Nettleford of the University of the West Indies said yesterday in a lecture sponsored by the Harvard/Radcliffe Caribbean Club.

Nettleford said British colonial domination of Jamaica led to cultural domination as well. Jamaicans had to adopt European ways in order to gain acceptance in their own country.

This attitude remains today as Jamaica, with "all the trappings of power" and prestige of an independent state, continues to look to the industrialized western powers for solutions to its problems, Nettleford said. Jamaicans need to look to their own culture in solving their country's troubles, he added.

The nearly two million Jamaicans outside Jamaica tend to reinforce the myth of their country's idyllic condition, Nettleford said.

Nettleford's speech centered on topics from his new book "Caribbean Cultural Identity: The Case of Jamaica."