AUCC 150 -- The Caribbean Mosaic

The Caribbean -- images of palm-fringed beaches, sounds of reggae, aroma of exotic foods -- brings a vision of fun to vacationers wanting to escape from the cold, gray northeast. The Caribbean, as the name suggests, is a region with many commonalities. Yet underneath these commonalities lies the mosaic of peoples and cultures which form the Caribbean. In this course we hope to get beyond the tourist images and the superficial news coverage of US involvement in the Caribbean as we look closely at the diversity which forms the Caribbean and explore some of the reasons which explain the Caribbean today.

However poor it is economically, and however similar the area appears to the traveler in terms of climate, soil type, and agricultural production (sugar, fruits), the Caribbean is wonderfully rich and diverse in its culture. Four European colonial powers (Spain, England, France and the Netherlands), after killing off most of the native Amerindian population, brought African slaves and Indian, Chinese, and Malay indentured servants to the area. Jews and Arabs (Lebanese, Syrians) have added to the diversity of the population. All these populations brought their distinctive cultures with them; all have made significant contributions to shaping the contemporary Carribean. Thus, the course name, the Caribbean Mosaic -- an intricate pattern of colors, shades, and nuances.

We will be looking at many aspects of Caribbean culture, such as geography, history, family life, religion, music, are, and literature. We will work together on two group projects, one of which is a staged reading of a play. The other group project will give students a chance to explore in greater depth aspects of the course which are of special interest to them. Our guest speakers may include experts on voodoo, a poet, and an artist.

We hope you will want to sail with us to the Caribbean and we look forward to welcoming you aboard.

AUCC 150 -- The Caribbean Mosaic
The Caribbean -- images of palm-fringed beaches, sounds of reggae, aroma of exotic foods -- brings a vision of fun to vacationers wanting to escape from the cold, gray northeast. The Caribbean, as the name suggests, is a region with many commonalities. Yet underneath these commonalities lies the mosaic of peoples and cultures which form the Caribbean. In this course we hope to get beyond the tourist images and the superficial news coverage of US involvement in the Caribbean as we look closely at the diversity which forms the Caribbean and explore some of the reasons which explain the Caribbean today. However poor it is economically, and however similar the area appears to the traveler in terms of climate, soil type, and agricultural production (sugar, fruits), the Caribbean is wonderfully rich and diverse in its culture. Four European colonial powers (Spain, England, France and the Netherlands), after killing off most of the native Amerindian population, brought African slaves and Indian, Chinese, and Malay indentured servants to the area. Jews and Arabs (Lebanese, Syrians) have added to the diversity of the population. All these populations brought their distinctive cultures with them; all have made significant contributions to shaping the contemporary Carribean. Thus, the course name, the Caribbean Mosaic -- an intricate pattern of colors, shades, and nuances. We will be looking at many aspects of Caribbean culture, such as geography, history, family life, religion, music, are, and literature. We will work together on two group projects, one of which is a staged reading of a play. The other group project will give students a chance to explore in greater depth aspects of the course which are of special interest to them. Our guest speakers may include experts on voodoo, a poet, and an artist. We hope you will want to sail with us to the Caribbean and we look forward to welcoming you aboard.