Abstracts A-C
Listed In alphabetical order by name of Author. To view abstract, click on the + sign next to the name of presenter.
cruz-Abreu, Sebastián and Alexandra N. Mihailovic Court, (Univ. of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus):
“The new wave of urban music in Puerto Rico: counter culture, youth identities and influences from the Anglophone Caribbean and beyond.”
“The new wave of urban music in Puerto Rico: counter culture, youth identities and influences from the Anglophone Caribbean and beyond.”
This study focuses on the emergence of a new wave of urban music in Puerto Rico that reflects the ever changing cultural expressions and social conditions of its captive audience. New wave Puerto Rican artists have had a major influence in the Spanish speaking world, but in this study we will focus on how the Anglophone Caribbean and the United States have influenced urban music in Puerto Rico. Through an analysis of the discourse found in a selected number of songs as well as in interviews of new wave artists, we will demonstrate how the rejection of traditional western values present in contemporary music genres in Anglophone Caribbean islands such a Jamaica and Trinidad have impacted youth identities in Puerto Rico. We will also examine how current musical themes emerging from the social economic conditions of African American society have resonated with audiences in both the Anglophone and Spanish Caribbean and have influenced the evolution of musicians in the region. Our analysis of content, values, culture and colonialism in both the Anglophone and Spanish Caribbean will shed light on how societal change affects our identities through the use of language in music.
Andrews, Mark. (Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY):
“Collapsible Writing and the Moving Earth: Seismic Poetics in the Haitian Frame.”
“Collapsible Writing and the Moving Earth: Seismic Poetics in the Haitian Frame.”
The Haiti earthquake that obliterated much of Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010 has the unwelcome distinction of being the worst Caribbean disaster on record, with loss of life rising to levels previously unimaginable. In the days following the temblor, as relief efforts gathered impetus, artists and writers set to work to chronicle the events and scrutinize their underlying causes. Surprisingly, perhaps, expressions of hope quickly flowered among the ruins and trauma-laden descriptions of grievous injury and chaotic disruption. Especially noteworthy in this regard was the assertion by Haitian author, educator, and resident of the capital Yanick Lahens, a mere five days after the event, that the experience was not without beneficial consequences for the island. Citing the celebrated 20th-century French poet René Char, she penned an editorial entitled "Haïti ou la santé du malheur" (“Haiti or Health in Misfortune”), an antinomic formulation quickly picked up by Haiti’s Le Nouvelliste and France’s Libération. The piece offered an Albert Camus-inspired critique of humanitarian aid from the international community, and a plea for the emergence of a new Haitian State reconciled with its people. Lahens rekindled this initiative in her 2010 hybrid narrative Failles (Fault Lines). My paper proposes to identify a seismic poetics at work in Lahens’ contemplative testimonial, considered in the light of its critical and theoretical reception and of its immediate literary context, that of contemporary narratives produced by authors Edwidge Danticat and Dany Laferrière. Selected works from across the Caribbean that memorialize the apocalyptic passage of earthquakes will also be referenced, including Edward Kamau Brathwaite’s Haiti Earthquake Poem, and Derek Walcott’s The Star-Apple Kingdom.
Aponte Andujar, José J. (Univ. of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus):
“Arqueología Filosófica Promoviendo La Homofobia En Países Afro-Atlánticos Y Angloparlantes.”
“Arqueología Filosófica Promoviendo La Homofobia En Países Afro-Atlánticos Y Angloparlantes.”
El estudio intenta trazar la línea arqueología de la episteme europea que promueve la homofobia. Combina varios filósofos desde sus discursos dominantes para luego conectarlo con el discurso Falocratico actual. Específicamente se concentra en las islas del Caribe Oriental, como ejemplo; Montserrat, Puerto Rico y Barbados. Cada una de estas islas son o fueron colonias inglesas y cargan con los discursos de sus conquistadores, por tanto, mi argumento es evidenciado con sucesos de homofobia en estas partes del Caribe. La meta a alcanzar en la investigación es conectar la filosofía occidental con la homofobia, construido a través de una mirada filosófica alterna, que da paso a conectar dicha fobia con la trata y el tráfico humano. Se concentra en la línea que ha dejado Juan Calvino para luego ir al presente y conectarlo con la descendencia calvinista actual, específicamente el Grupo religioso IHOP. Intenta finalmente defender la vida de la comunidad LGBTTQI y proponer una teoría alterna, libre de discursos dominantes.
Armange, Roseline. (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, Sorbonne):
“Skeptics, Reparationists, and the Undetermined: Post-emancipation Politics in Martinique.”
“Skeptics, Reparationists, and the Undetermined: Post-emancipation Politics in Martinique.”
Until its abolition in 1848, transatlantic slavery constituted a fundamental role in France's colonization of Martinique. This study assesses the views regarding the possible national policies related to the slavery of people whose families have, in the past, been directly affected by slavery in Martinique (an overseas French department). Policies regarding slaves and their descendants have operated in favor of slave owners (and their descendants), claiming that the advent of freedom was honorable and sufficient compensation. Despite
instances of cultural amnesia in France, slave descendants continue to advocate for recognition of slavery in the nation’s history and they continue to question the possibility of reparations in public politics. Three qualitatively different personal positions were culled from this study’s participating slave descendants: Skeptics, Reparationists, and Undetermined. In addition to studying the factors that differentiate these groups, this study determines that a policy concerning reparations is acceptable if it includes the public recognition of historic prejudice and if it is accompanied by a policy for material compensation. Furthermore, the results indicate that policies which foster amnesia and an exaltation of a colonial past are perceived as unacceptable. In this study, reparations are considered more acceptable to slave descendants in policies where their socio-economic integration is directly addressed. As in Martinique, the subject of reparations is gaining traction in popular, political and academic arenas internationally. When addressing the question of reparations, what factors should be examined to understand the perceptions held by the descendants of slaves?
instances of cultural amnesia in France, slave descendants continue to advocate for recognition of slavery in the nation’s history and they continue to question the possibility of reparations in public politics. Three qualitatively different personal positions were culled from this study’s participating slave descendants: Skeptics, Reparationists, and Undetermined. In addition to studying the factors that differentiate these groups, this study determines that a policy concerning reparations is acceptable if it includes the public recognition of historic prejudice and if it is accompanied by a policy for material compensation. Furthermore, the results indicate that policies which foster amnesia and an exaltation of a colonial past are perceived as unacceptable. In this study, reparations are considered more acceptable to slave descendants in policies where their socio-economic integration is directly addressed. As in Martinique, the subject of reparations is gaining traction in popular, political and academic arenas internationally. When addressing the question of reparations, what factors should be examined to understand the perceptions held by the descendants of slaves?
Bakker, Sjoerd. (Univ. of Curaçao, Curaçao):
“Caveat consumptor!”
“Caveat consumptor!”
Through the so-called principle of concordance, Curaçao civil law is tightly connected and aligned with the civil law of the Netherlands. As a consequence, open norms, such as the duty of care and the requirements of good faith, are being applied in the “Dutch Caribbean” in largely the same manner as in the Netherlands. Through these open norms, the Dutch Supreme Court has in recent years developed the legal concept of the special duty of care (bijzondere zorgplicht). This special duty of care is being applied in contract law as well as the law of torts as a means to further equality and to strike a balance in legal relations between (primarily) professional parties and consumers. On the basis of three Supreme Court cases with a Caribbean flavor, Sjoerd Bakker (University of Curaçao) will critically reflect on this trend and raise the question whether the emphasis on the special duty of care might have an undermining effect on the autonomy of consumers and their ability to cope independently.
Belaise, Max. (Université des Antilles, Martinique):
“Obsession de la guérison dans le pentecôtisme créole De l’impossibilité d’être sujet.”
“Obsession de la guérison dans le pentecôtisme créole De l’impossibilité d’être sujet.”
Assurément le pentecôtisme est l’une des confessions religieuses la plus répandue au monde. Selon certains chercheurs, il repose sur une simple trilogie : Dieu bénit, Dieu guérit, Dieu sauve. Cependant, dans le contexte créole des îles françaises (Guadeloupe et Martinique), l’analyse révèle une obsession de besoin de guérison des fidèles. La guérison est le fond de commerce des différentes dénominations pour attirer de potentiels clients. De nombreux flyers distribués, de nombreuses affiches placardées dans les villes témoignent des miracles qui s’opèrent.
Comment expliquer ce phénomène qui se répand dans toutes les communautés pentecôtistes autochtones et non-autochtones de ces îles ? En effet, peu importe les origines des leaders – autochtones, de la Caraïbe anglophone ou francophone (Dominique, Sainte-Lucie, Haïti), de l’Afrique –, les églises implantées dans ces territoires procèdent de la même obsession et ce qu’elles soient autochtones ou « ethniques » (haïtiennes, dominiquaises). Peut-on y lire les séquelles du passé esclavagiste et surtout les conséquences d’une politique assimilationniste de la puissance politique tutélaire ? Dès lors comment devenir sujet dans de tels contextes de fuite de la réalité ?
Nos enquêtes portent sur l’île de la Martinique où nous avons pu visiter presque toutes les communautés de cette religion thérapeutique. Nous avons pu nous entretenir avec des leaders et des fidèles.
Une même observation : des fidèles qui sont convaincus de la puissance thaumaturgique de leaders qui vont jusqu’à leur préconiser de se dispenser de visites médicales.
Comment expliquer ce phénomène qui se répand dans toutes les communautés pentecôtistes autochtones et non-autochtones de ces îles ? En effet, peu importe les origines des leaders – autochtones, de la Caraïbe anglophone ou francophone (Dominique, Sainte-Lucie, Haïti), de l’Afrique –, les églises implantées dans ces territoires procèdent de la même obsession et ce qu’elles soient autochtones ou « ethniques » (haïtiennes, dominiquaises). Peut-on y lire les séquelles du passé esclavagiste et surtout les conséquences d’une politique assimilationniste de la puissance politique tutélaire ? Dès lors comment devenir sujet dans de tels contextes de fuite de la réalité ?
Nos enquêtes portent sur l’île de la Martinique où nous avons pu visiter presque toutes les communautés de cette religion thérapeutique. Nous avons pu nous entretenir avec des leaders et des fidèles.
Une même observation : des fidèles qui sont convaincus de la puissance thaumaturgique de leaders qui vont jusqu’à leur préconiser de se dispenser de visites médicales.
Browne, Caroline A. (Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands):
“A Question of Perspective in the Interpretation of Pre-Columbian History.”
“A Question of Perspective in the Interpretation of Pre-Columbian History.”
Not in attendance.
My presentation: A Question of Perspective in the Interpretation of Pre-Columbian History, came about from my own personal involvement and research on Virgin Islands History. From the age of about 13, my mother saw my interest and signed me up with the Virgin Islands Historical Society. This connection allowed me to participate as a student in various archeological digs around the island of St. Thomas as well as participating in the recovery of items from a sunken galleon in our waters.
As time went on and I participated in more archeology studies, digs and recoveries, along with the book by Dr. Ivan van Sertima “They Came Before Columbus, The African Presence in America” made me question everything I had learned before. Being consumed by history untold, the more I researched, it was clear to me that our knowledge of the people who occupied this space was one-dimensional. How much of the history told to us was true and how much is based on published “Romantic Histories”? This refined information is usually what is passed on to our children by “experts” in the field. I am reminded of my Archeology professor’s answer when I asked about Africans in the Virgin Islands before Columbus. She said quite smugly to our class, “The only way Africans came to the New World was when Columbus brought them as slaves.”
My presentation: A Question of Perspective in the Interpretation of Pre-Columbian History, came about from my own personal involvement and research on Virgin Islands History. From the age of about 13, my mother saw my interest and signed me up with the Virgin Islands Historical Society. This connection allowed me to participate as a student in various archeological digs around the island of St. Thomas as well as participating in the recovery of items from a sunken galleon in our waters.
As time went on and I participated in more archeology studies, digs and recoveries, along with the book by Dr. Ivan van Sertima “They Came Before Columbus, The African Presence in America” made me question everything I had learned before. Being consumed by history untold, the more I researched, it was clear to me that our knowledge of the people who occupied this space was one-dimensional. How much of the history told to us was true and how much is based on published “Romantic Histories”? This refined information is usually what is passed on to our children by “experts” in the field. I am reminded of my Archeology professor’s answer when I asked about Africans in the Virgin Islands before Columbus. She said quite smugly to our class, “The only way Africans came to the New World was when Columbus brought them as slaves.”
Cole, Essah. (Univ. of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus).
“Spirituality of the Sea: Myths and Religion of the African Diaspora.”
“Spirituality of the Sea: Myths and Religion of the African Diaspora.”
Akyeame Kwame states in his article, Afrikans in the Creation of Mami Wata that Mami Wata is a goddess of the African diaspora who is often characterized by her inhuman beauty and capricious nature. She is known to have strong associations with fortune, healing, sex, and water. Mami Wata as she exists today represents a widespread incorporation of many different African water gods. Enslaved West Africans brought their water-spirit beliefs with them to the New World, and traders in the 20th century carried similar beliefs with them beyond African and Caribbean borders. In my research, I intend to look at representations of myths and spirituality in Maryse Conde’s “Who Slashed Celanire’s Throat”. In so dealing with the multiplicity of imaginative representations of the goddess of the sea known as; Mami Wata in West Africa, Maman de l'Eau or Maman Dlo in Guadeloupe, Lamanté or Maman Dlo in Martinique. I will be examining literary representations, in the Caribbean and West Africa; to find the origin and developments of Mami Wata from folklore, popular culture, and oral traditions. Ultimately, I intend to interpret how Condé’s main character Celanire, embodies the goddess through myths.
Cortés, Gilda Pastor. (Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe):
“La Pintura Como Plataforma De Afirmación Nacional En El Caribe Menor.”
“La Pintura Como Plataforma De Afirmación Nacional En El Caribe Menor.”
Cancellation. Not in attendance.
Constant, Isabelle. (UWI, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados):
“Une désécriture du mythe de Robinson Crusoë par Chamoiseau.”
“Une désécriture du mythe de Robinson Crusoë par Chamoiseau.”
Quelle autorité le texte de Defoe a-t- il sur celui de Chamoiseau qui pourtant s’en inspire largement? Après que Confiant ait tué le père du peuple antillais Aimé Césaire dans Aimé Césaire une traversée paradoxale du siècle, Chamoiseau s’attaque au mythe de la construction de la civilisation occidentale, à Robinson Crusoë. Chamoiseau réussit-il à faire vaciller, à subvertir suffisamment ce texte, manuel de base de la civilisation américaine, bible de notions telles que le capitalisme, le sens de la propriété privée, le colonialisme, le puritanisme? S’il y parvient, c’est grâce à un tour de force. Il escamote toute trace de volonté colonisatrice, entrepreneuriale, il désosse le texte de Defoe de sa morale protestante. Chamoiseau a réussi à abstraire de son texte toute idée de gouvernance de l’île et nous présente le résultat d’une telle voie : la possibilité d’un homme heureux.
Crawford, CliNTon (City University of New York):
Media and the Performing Arts: A Contemporary Approach
Media and the Performing Arts: A Contemporary Approach