Language of Dress

by Buckridge, Steeve O.

• ISBN13: 9789766401436
• ISBN10: 9766401438
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of West Indies Pr

Summary

African enslaved and freed women used their fashion and style of dress as a symbol of resistance to slavery and accommodation to white culture in pre- and post-emancipation society. African cultural features - folklore, music, language, religion and dress - were retained and nurtured in Jamaica because they guaranteed the survival of Africans and their descendants against European attempts at cultural annihilation. Steeve Buckridge illuminates the complexities of accommodation and resistance, showing that these complex responses are not opposites but are in fact melded into each other, as he reveals the dynamics of race, class and gender in Jamaican society and the role of women in British West Indian history. His work contributes to the ongoing interest in the history of women and in the history of resistance.

Author Biography

Steeve O. Buckridge is Assistant Professor of History, Department of History, Grand Valley State University.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	p. viii
Foreword	p. x
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgements	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
The Crossing	p. 16
Dress as Resistance	p. 67
Dress as Accommodation	p. 111
Conclusion	p. 174
Natural Substances and Plants Used in the Manufacture and Care of Clothing in Jamaica	p. 195
Selected Jamaican Proverbs and Sayings Associated with Dress	p. 197
Notes	p. 199
Glossary of Selected Terms	p. 233
Selected Bibliography	p. 240
Index	p. 260
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