Page 15 - CAPE Caribbean Studies Study Guide Sample_Neat

Module 2 Issues in Caribbean development

the same privileges and living standards. Once basic needs of food, clothing and KEY TERMS
shelter are met, people are freer to become productive citizens.
Dumping: in international trade,
Socialist government control of businesses tends to mean lower pollution
where manufacturers export
levels. Since the economy is not engaging in free trade, local businesses are
products to a foreign market
protected from competition from multinational corporations. This protection
where they are sold cheaply and
leads to jobs being saved and so less unemployment.
eventually lead (through unfair
How socialism/Marxism hinders development competition) to the destruction
of local businesses.
The government may engage in more labour-intensive production as
Labour-intensive production:
opposed to mechanisation in an attempt to save the jobs of citizens. However,
this relates to the widespread
the resulting output may not be enough to meet the needs of citizens or
use of human and animal labour
export demands. If these are not met the country may lose credibility as a
in production and less use of
trading partner, and lose valuable revenue from the sale of the goods.
machines.
Also, in a socialist country the state manages the economy and may not allow
foreign companies or multinational corporations to invest. Citizens will
have no choice but to buy expensive local products, and this will erode their
disposable income. Some communist/socialist countries may not engage in ✓ Exam tip

much international trade, again limiting the choice of products available.
You are expected to assess how the
Popular movements political ideologies of capitalism and
Marxism/communism/socialism
Pressure groups bring a new dimension to the political landscape. They promote or hinder development
consist of people who have organised themselves into a body to lobby against by using examples from specific
perceived government maladministration.
territories.
One powerful group was The Black Power Movement (or Revolution) of 1970,
geared towards major social and political changes in Trinidad and Tobago.
It was strongly influenced by the US Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
✓ Exam tip

Many people in Trinidad and Tobago were poor and oppressed. They believed
that the government, the People’s National Movement, was inefficient. The
Movement was an attempt to bring about equality among the different races You must be able to identify the
in Trinidadian society, and called for all racial groups to go on strike. There political ideologies and subsequent
were massive strikes all over the country organised by the National Joint economic models of less and more
Action Committee (NJAC). The significance of the movement showed that developed Caribbean countries.
the nation was unified and that poorer classes had a voice to speak against Use examples to assess the level of
discrimination and oppression. development that is taking place in
each.
CASE STUDY
Coup d’état in Trinidad (1990)

On 27 July 1990, followers of a Muslim movement called the Jamaat
Al Muslimeen under the leadership of Imam Yasin Abu Bakr stormed
parliament armed with guns and held the cabinet hostage for a number of Key points
days. More than 50 persons were held hostage, including the then prime
minister, the Honourable A N R Robinson, who was shot in the leg. ■ Political ideologies in the
Caribbean are mainly capitalism
Bakr blamed the prime minister for the harsh economic conditions of the and communism/Marxism/
country during the late 1980s when the country had faced a recession. socialism.
During the coup d’état the Jamaat Al Muslimeen had control of the
■ Political ideologies can promote
country. There was widespread looting and arson and many lives were lost.
and hinder development.
This significantly hindered development since a state of emergency was
called and martial law was enforced. Firms’ production fell and investors ■ Popular movements and pressure
pulled out of the country. Approximately 24 people died and millions of groups in the region have rallied
dollars were lost. Bakr claimed his movement represented an uprising for socio-political changes.
against a ‘corrupt’ government.

61

852345_Module 2A.indd 61 04/06/2018 11:08