This seminar explores the history, cultures, and contemporary societies of the Anglophone Caribbean from the arrival of Europeans to the present day. Following a broadly chronological approach, the course examines Indigenous societies, European rivalry, privateering and piracy, the rise of the plantation economy, slavery, emancipation, and the long legacies of colonialism. Students will also investigate labour migration, decolonisation, the West Indies Federation, and the diverse constitutional paths that have produced today’s independent states, Commonwealth realms, British Overseas Territories, and American territories.
Rather than studying each island in isolation, the seminar adopts a comparative perspective that highlights both shared historical experiences and the remarkable diversity of the region. Case studies from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Guyana, Belize, and the Eastern Caribbean illustrate how geography, empire, migration, and culture have shaped distinct national identities. Particular attention is paid to themes such as language and Creole, religion, music, carnival, sport, tourism, environmental challenges, regional cooperation, and the Caribbean diaspora.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a solid understanding of the historical foundations of the modern Caribbean and will be able to compare the political, cultural, and social development of English-speaking Caribbean societies within both a regional and a global context.
- Dozent/in: Jörg Weber