CAPE Caribbean Studies key terms

The gradual blending of African, European, Asian and Indigenous peoples, languages and customs in the Caribbean, producing new mixed cultural forms rather than simple imitation of any single source culture.

The mixing of elements from different cultures into new combined practices, such as Caribbean music blending African rhythms with European instruments and lyrics in multiple languages.

Practices, beliefs, words or foods carried from an ancestral homeland and kept alive in the Caribbean despite slavery, indenture and migration, for example African-derived religious traditions or Indian cooking.

A social model created by sugar estates, marked by sharp hierarchy, small white elite, large enslaved African majority and rigid racial ranking, whose legacies shape Caribbean class and colour relations today.

The layering of a society into unequal groups ranked by wealth, occupation, education, colour or status, with different access to power and resources.

A Caribbean pattern in which lighter skin has historically been associated with higher status and opportunity, so race, shade and class overlap and influence social ranking.

Movement of individuals or families up or down the social ladder, often through education, migration, entrepreneurship or marriage.

A contract labour system, mainly after emancipation, that brought Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and other workers to Caribbean plantations for fixed terms, creating new ethnic communities.

The legal ending of slavery in British Caribbean colonies in 1834, followed by an apprenticeship period, which reshaped labour, land ownership and family life.

Communities of Caribbean-born people and their descendants living abroad who keep ties to the region through remittances, culture and family networks.

Money sent by migrants to relatives in the Caribbean, a major source of household income and foreign exchange for many islands.

A sense of identity based on shared ancestry, language, religion or culture, used to distinguish groups such as Afro-Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean or Indigenous peoples.

The process of Caribbean states cooperating through shared institutions and agreements to pursue common economic and political goals.

The Caribbean Community, established in 1973, which promotes economic integration, coordinated foreign policy and functional cooperation among member states.

A framework allowing goods, services, capital and skilled labour to move freely among member states, with coordinated economic policies, commonly called the CSME.

The right of certain categories of skilled CARICOM nationals to work in other member states without a work permit, a key element of the single market.

A record of all money entering and leaving a country through trade, services, investment and transfers, showing whether foreign earnings cover foreign payments.

The ratio between the prices a country receives for its exports and the prices it pays for imports; a fall means exports buy fewer imports.

Reducing dependence on one or two sectors such as tourism or oil by developing new industries, so the economy is less exposed to price shocks and natural disasters.

Development that meets present needs without destroying the natural and social resources future generations will depend on.

Adjustments made to reduce harm from climate impacts, such as building sea defences, changing crop varieties or improving water storage.

The degree to which a country or community is likely to be harmed by hazards such as hurricanes or sea-level rise, depending on exposure, sensitivity and capacity to cope.

The emigration of highly trained professionals such as nurses, teachers and engineers, which reduces local skills and represents a loss of investment in education.

A set of loan conditions, typically requiring spending cuts, privatisation and trade liberalisation, imposed by international lenders on governments facing balance-of-payments crises.

Economic activity that is not registered, taxed or regulated, such as street vending and casual labour, which employs a large share of Caribbean workers.

The share of the labour force that is actively seeking work but does not have a job, often high among Caribbean youth and women.

A clear, focused and answerable question that guides an investigation, narrow enough to be studied within the available time and resources.

A testable statement predicting a relationship between variables, which the investigation gathers evidence to support or reject.

The measurable factors in a study: the independent variable is changed or compared, the dependent variable is measured, and controlled variables are held constant.

The overall plan of an investigation, explaining the design, sampling, data collection instruments and analysis procedures used to answer the research question.

The process of selecting a subset of a population for study, using techniques such as random, stratified or purposive sampling, so findings can represent the whole.

Using more than one method, source or researcher to check findings, which strengthens confidence in the conclusions of an investigation.

The extent to which an instrument or study measures what it claims to measure and the conclusions are justified by the evidence collected.

The consistency of a measurement or study, meaning repeated trials or similar samples would produce similar results under the same conditions.

Principles governing investigations, including informed consent, confidentiality, voluntary participation and avoidance of harm to participants.

Primary sources are original data gathered first-hand, such as interviews or surveys; secondary sources are existing materials such as reports, statistics and articles interpreted by others.

Organising and interpreting collected information using tables, graphs, averages, percentages or thematic coding so that patterns relevant to the research question emerge.