Culture and Customs of Haiti

by Dash, J. Michael

• ISBN13: 9780313304989
• ISBN10: 031330498X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-10-30
• Publisher: Greenwood Pub Group

Summary

Haiti is the only country that is considered Latin American but has a language and culture that are predominantly French and a population that is primarily of African descent. It is also the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and a country of extremes. Culture and Customs of Haiti fleshes out the evolution of this diverse society through discussions of the Haitian people, history, religion, social customs, media, literature and language, and performing and visual arts. This much-needed resource gives students and other readers a balanced picture of a Caribbean nation known in the United States mainly for its "boat people," the Duvalier dictatorships, and "voodoo." Culture and Customs of Haiti begins with an overview of the mountainous island that seemed forbidding to European colonizers. Historical periods, including French colonization, U.S. occupation in the early 20th century, Independence and the Duvaliers' reigns, until today, are reviewed and provide the framework for the volume. A chapter on the people and society details the pride of the black state that managed the only successful slave revolution in history. The extremes of society from the elite to the peasantry and slum dwellers are depicted, along with Haitians in diaspora. Religion in Haiti, with the strong amalgamation of Roman Catholicism and vaudou, a West African import, is then explained. A "Social Customs" chapter notes the joy that is found in such an economically depressed culture. The media and literature and language chapters necessarily unfold in the context of Haiti's political history. A section on writing in Creole is especially intriguing. Finally, chapters on the performing arts and visual arts evoke the energy and color of the people in such forms as vaudou jazz and dance, contemporary rara rock, and the folkloric influence on Haitian painting. A chronology and glossary supplement the text.

Author Biography

J. MICHAEL DASH is a Professor of French at New York University, and is a specialist of Haitian culture and literature.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	ix
Preface	xi
Chronology	xv
Context	1	(28)
The People and Society	29	(22)
Religion	51	(24)
Social Customs	75	(6)
Mass Media and Cinema	81	(14)
Literature and Language	95	(24)
The Performing Arts	119	(16)
The Visual Arts and Architecture	135	(18)
Bibliography	153	(4)
Index	157