Introduction
The issue of the Caribbean identity has been explored by a few people, most of whom try to define what the Caribbean identity entails. The University of West Indies was established to address the higher education needs of the 17 English-speaking Caribbean countries and territories. However, the institution has the vision to be an excellent global university rooted in the Caribbean. Therefore, it can be argued that the university embraces globalization while at the same time attempting to retain the Caribbean identity. Therefore, the main question is whether such an objective can be accomplished. The focus of this article will be to address this question, which means exploring the possibility and pathways to fulfilling the University of West Indies’ vision. The issue of the Caribbean identity is explored before the threats of globalization and approaches pathways can be outlined.
The Caribbean Identity
To fully answer the question posed above, it is important to first determine what the university means by the phrase “Caribbean identity.” In other words, it means asking the same question posed by Nelson (2021) on what is meant by “Caribbean.” The essence of this approach is that there are many ways to define the Caribbean, including its past, boundaries, modern trading and economic blocks, or even the shared postcolonial democratic experiences of the African, European, and Asian descendants currently occupying the islands. According to Tezer (2020), the most obvious way to define the Caribbean identity is by examining how the local people have defined and redefined themselves in time and space and focusing on the delimitation of the boundaries and demarcation of the area. Economics and politics can also be used, which means that the university is best suited to clarifying which of these elements comprise the Caribbean identity.
However, it can be argued that the best way to define the Caribbean identity is through the shared roots and struggles with colonization and slavery. The postcolonial Caribbean has also faced multiple struggles, which should also be part of the identity. Therefore, culture, history, tradition, and religion should be the basic constructs of identity as explained by Wang and Filippi (2020). In the case of West Indies University, the shared traditions and values of the anglophone islands, especially during the colonial and postcolonial periods, are interesting dimensions of defining the Caribbean identity. According to Tezer (2020), there exists a regional commonality emanating from similar social, historical influences. Examples include the European agricultural capitalism based on the plantation system, African slaves, and sugarcane; insular social structures; massive migration of foreign populations; and the general lack of ideology behind national identity. With these examples, elements of cultural and social identity can emerge to form the basis of the university’s efforts to preserve the local identity.
The Threat of Globalization
The interplay between globalization and the preservation of socio-cultural identity is a subject that has attracted the attention of scholars in the relevant fields. To answer the question of whether the University of West Indies can maintain the Caribbean identity and in its pursuit of globalization, the effects of globalization on identity need to be highlighted. Some scholars believe that globalizing an institution may require a rethinking of cultural identities (Aristova, 2016). In other words, cultural identities tend to change through the globalization process as observed through the changes in cultural and linguistic behaviors of people. To apply this scenario to the University of West Indies, pursuing globalization could mean changing several aspects of its culture to accommodate new foreign cultural aspects. While this is the basic idea put forward by Aristova (2016) in exploring why rethinking identity is a must for globalization, it can be argued that not all aspects of identity need to change. History, for example, cannot change, which means that the Caribbean could still be seen as the islands of sugar plantations and African slavery. Therefore, globalization may threaten certain constructs of identity, but some could persist.
The Caribbean integration can be a starting point for any globalization efforts, despite facts showing that previous attempts to this goal have failed. The initial efforts included the formation of the West Indies Federation in 1958, but the resulting failure led to the governments seeking new approaches (Frederick et al., 2019). Such issues as economic, social, and cultural integration could result in a unified view of the islands and their people. The University of West Indies could already perceive itself as a global institution because it does not serve a nation. On the contrary, the institution is regional, which means that it serves the educational needs of all the anglophone countries in the Caribbean. Globalization efforts do not simply imply implementing new policy frameworks and infrastructure that deviate from the norm. However, it could mean pursuing a global outreach while maintaining the current vision and dedication to identified clientele. Emigration from the Caribbean has resulted in many people from the region residing in different countries across the world. With globalization efforts, it can be argued that the university targets these individuals to offer them educational services.
Approaches
The answer to the question of whether the University of West Indies can pursue globalization and maintain the Caribbean identity is that there is a possibility. However, it is important to emphasize that the possibility is determined by the approaches to globalization and the efforts implemented to retain the Caribbean identity. Currently, the university undertakes several initiatives that can be perceived as cementing the Caribbean identity. Examples include uniting the identity and history of the Caribbean diaspora. This event is facilitated through the cooperation of the university and the black churches. One such event was a symposium that was scheduled for November 12, 2020, involving three of the leading black churches in the UK (Staff Writer, 2020). The churches were the Church of God of prophesy, the New Testament Assembly, and the New Testament Church of God. Therefore, it can be argued that the university has sought a path to globalization that involved identifying itself with other institutions supporting the Caribbean people.
Additionally, the university has also engaged in other functions and events that are also seen as efforts to embed the Caribbean identity into its mission. For example, an online literary festival dubbed LiTT Con 2020 involved engaging diverse authors in exploring the theme of self-identity (Jacob, 2020). Such an initiative could help the institution compile the most basic and common ideas behind the Caribbean identity. It could also serve as an opportunity for the Caribbean people to use literature to define and express their identity, which could then be manifested on the university’s global platform. Writings of prominent authors tend to last for long, and most are often used as the basis of defining a people’s identity. Therefore, literary festivals on given topics are a perfect way to get people to express themselves where their views could reflect those of the society. For example, it has been highlighted above that the question of what the Caribbean identity is has been asked without a single universal answer. Therefore, the written works by the authors on the subject can offer the university an opportunity to answer this question.
Lastly, the use of museums of history is an effective approach because it helps safeguard the artifacts that define the identity of the region. Such efforts are already being undertaken by the university, for instance, the partnership with the ILUCIDARE Consortium, Historical Society, and the Museum of Barbados to preserve heritage (“The UWI, museum partner with consortium to push heritage”, 2021). It can be argued that museums display such items as artifacts that symbolize important historical elements in humankind. In this case, such items as tools, pictures, paintings, and drawings representing the history of the Caribbean can be displayed to teach important lessons about the region’s identity. The university can use this opportunity in its global platform to educate the world about the Caribbean identity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the University of West Indies can facilitate the development of a Caribbean identity while pursuing a globalization agenda. The evidence to this position has been derived from the current efforts of the institution and the argument that some elements of identity cannot change even when globalization means rethinking identity. The museums, symposiums with churches, and literary festivals on the subject of identity are some of the approaches that can help the university with its vision and the globalization agenda.
References
Aristova, N. (2016). Rethinking cultural identities in the context of globalization: Lnguistic landscape of Kazan, Russia, as an emerging global city.Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 236, 153-160. Web.
Frederick, A., Jarvis, A., Lansiquot, A., Roland, A., & Tuitt, A. (2019). A 2020 plan-of-action for Caribbean integration and development: The relevance of Caribbean integration efforts in a world of globalization.Journal of Caribbean Studies: Caribbean Integration and Development, 1(1), 1-8. Web.
Jacob, D. (2020). UWI’s LiTT Con: Authors explore identity. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Web.
Nelson, M. (2021). What do you mean by “Caribbean” anyway? The Daily Observer. Web.
Staff Writer. (2020). Black churches and University of West Indies unite for event on history and identity of Caribbean diaspora. The Voice. Web.
Tezer, Z. (2020). Defining the Caribbean area and identity.Acta Hispanica, 2, 203-212. Web.
The UWI, museum partner with consortium to push heritage.(2021). Barbados Today. Web.
Wang, F., & Filippi, P. (2020). Self-sovereign identity in a globalized world: Credentials-based identity systems as a driver for economic inclusion.Frontiers in Blockchain, 1-22. Web.