Ulysses

This week’s reading I found to be a very interesting study of social construction in Jamaican culture, gender and class (and more specifically between Informal commercial importers). Ulysses analyzes the “limits of local definitions of identities and how these affect individuals who exist inside between or outside the borders of instinctions”15.

            Chapter 1 focuses on the history of black woman in comparison to European white women. Thus perpetuating social hierarchies among races and creating class divisions. The idea of white purity with womanhood took away femininity from black women. “Color viewed as a manifestation of status and became a primary index of a person’s worth”35. Ulysses argues that being skin complexion emerged as a visible form of capital. In addition she further insist that appearance was also a visible marker of capital. Lastly she goes on to explore the stereotypes placed on ICIs being perceived as rude gals (bad women, rough, in your face, rumored to be prostitutes and lesbian and denied femininity).

            In the following Ulysses focuses on the transition from higgler to commercial importing, which she explains is caused by shortages and removal of merchandises from shelves to exportation of goods for foreign exchange.

Then next couple of chapters I found most interesting, as Ulysses shares her personal experiences living in Jamaica and her interactions with locals and ICI’s. as her focus within her program was to unpack local meanings of color, we see how skin complexion plays a major role in how locals in Jamaica view each other. Lower class people see light (white) as an important category to class, whereas middle/upper class don’t arguably see the same. One comparison to US is Jamaicans insistence on migration to the US as better life, similar to black migration from the south to the north for economic freedom and liberty.  She also states that she personally experienced “afrophobia”(black women being too black) of black women hairstyles. I can personally relate to this, because my natural hair texture isn’t deemed representable in profession settings and many have made me aware of this. And in conclusion for today’s reading, we see more about the work about ICIs and their (In)visibility in their country. Because of the stigma of ICIs many confront and “respond to socio economic and political structures differently” 136.