Gender is a very interesting topic. People have been, are and will continue to debate, analyze and speak on the topic of gender. There is much to be said on this topic and many different opinions on the roles of male and female as well as the definition of male and female. Gender roles are very traditional in Jamaica many of the older Jamaicans think that men should go out and work and be the breadwinners of the house, while women should be at home at all times to nurture and grow the children at home and clean the home.
This is not a bad philosophy, but some people may take it to an extreme and even if the women is earning more than the man, they decide to have the woman stay home and the man continue working. This extremity is not logical as the woman is able to better support the family from a financial standpoint. Examples like this give us insight about the traditional values of Jamaica. Each family should work out what is best for them and we can observe from the rising generation that they are taking all angles into account and being more open minded with who stays home and takes care of the house and children and who goes out and earns money of the family. This new mindset has created more positive situations for many families as they are not held back by old mindsets and able to gain more financial freedom for their families. This is assisting in fighting poverty and making people more independent and giving children better homes to learn, grow and thrive. As time goes on we will be able to see the lasting effects of this change in mindset.
Where I am from (Jamaica), Christianity is the religious background. And we know the teachings of Christianity, men and women are separate and should play separate roles but should balance out each other. It is also taught that a man should be a man as he is born one, and a woman should be a woman as she was born as such. And anything outside of that is a sin and should be punished. There is no room for understanding what could have led up to anything besides homosexuality, only that it is wrong and that is a firm foundation for Jamaicans especially the men.
Majority of Jamaica’s population is homophobic, whether it is mild, extreme or somewhere in between. Homophobia is almost all of Jamaica, it is definitely all of the elderly population coming down to those who are parents of teens/ young adults of my generation. Many do not seek to understand why a person may become homosexual. Their opposition to homosexuality is rigid and closed minded. To prove this musical artists frequently sing about their major dislike for homosexuals and homosexuality. Derogatory words and phrases that use slang words for homosexuals are used as insults between persons that are engaging in verbal conflict.
This behavior is so ingrained into Jamaican culture that it will take many years for the elderly generation to pass away and this mindset to be eradicated in Jamaica. Looking on the positive side as the years progress and the elderly generation die out, the upcoming generation will be more open minded and understanding and accepting of homosexuals and more tolerable and comfortable to better help them to overcome the desires.
At the current moment there is a current rift between homosexuals and non-homosexuals
This divide often causes mental/ emotional issues within families, friendships and communities. Luckily violence towards homosexuals have been decreasing and the youth have become more understanding and accepting.
Comments