The case of Jamaica is an example of how modern capitalism works. According to the world-systems theory, the world functions as a unit, where individual countries are not as important. Therefore, the countries are categorized by their economic and political development level. Countries in Western Europe and Australia, and North American countries belong to the group of core countries. They are characterized by a strong central government and rely on a complex taxation system that supports it. Due to industrialization, their economies are diversified, independent of external factors.
On the contrary, periphery countries in most of Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe tend to have relatively weaker governments. Their economies rely on the type of economic activity, mostly resource extraction, which makes them dependent on the world market trends. Socially, periphery countries have higher rates of poverty and lower rates of education. Core countries, as well as transnational corporations, are highly influential in this category. This is the case for Jamaica, where economic development is hindered by debt and foreign influence that exploits the country’s resources.
In addition, modern capitalism deepens its roots in Jamaican society due to cultural imperialism. It can be well understood how some products or commodities have attained a position of dominance in a foreign culture through coercive imposition. An example is what people are used to today, where they have embraced fast foods and beverages such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Coca-Cola. This cannot be considered a country’s way of living, but in most aspects, people can see an American way of living through these brands. In most cases, people have associated imperialism with military rule. However, cultural imperialism is different, and as noted above, it involves countries being subjected to consuming some products based on the way they have been presented to them. Therefore, authentic Jamaican development is also hindered, creating an environment for the slow assimilation of its population.