Id#: 620025341 Name: Maximillian Mctaggart Tutor: Clement Branche Course: Caribbean Society Continuity and change (sy26b)

Time: Tuesday 5-6pm Assignment: Tutorial presentation

Question: Discuss the dynamics of the Jamaican population as it relates to size, growth, structure, distribution and any other socially significant factors. Introduction Jamaica is an island located 18 15 N, 77 30 W was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Tanos Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy (C.I.A World Fact book 20110.

These and other factor which will be discussed must be taken into account when critically examining the dynamics of Jamaica with respect to size, growth, structure and distribution of the Jamaican populace. In addition to this aspects of the populace dynamics such as the impact of migration, and urbanization will also be examined in this essay. Furthermore the sociological significance of these aspects of the Jamaican populace will also be looked at in debt. Size of the Jamaican populace S.T.A.T.I.N (Statistical Institute of Jamaica) as of the end of 2010 had the Jamaican population at 2, 705 800 to the nearest 100 while the C.I.A World fact book had the populace at 2, 868 380 as of July 2011. The population was further divided into 1, 325 800 males and 1, 380 000 females. This represents a population density of roughly 660 per sq km. these figure are relevant in that they set the stage for later understanding the other population trends and dynamics that characterize the island. Furthermore continuing as quoted from the C.I.A World Fact book the islands population was further divided into the 0-14 years age group constituting 30.1% of the populace with a breakdown of (male 438, 888/female 424,383). The 15-64 years age group constituted 62.3% of the populace with (male 882,548/female 904,242). And the 65 years and over: 7.6% (male 97,717/female 120,602) (2011 EST.). Jamaica in sociological spheres is said to be at the intermediate stage of the demographic transition model as stated by the population and development in Jamaica with reference to M.D.G.S report issued by the planning institute of Jamaicas population unit on June 14, 2009. What this means is due to our relatively low growth rate of 0.733% (2011 est. C.I.A World fact Book) and relatively moderate death rate of 6.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est. C.I.A World Fact Book) to our birth rate of 19.2 births/1,000 population (2011 est. C.I.A World Fact Book), and our now declining natural increase rate and high migration rate we now fit this stage.

Hence, this means Jamaica is supposedly at a level to naturally stabilize and support our population but other factors such as the worldwide recession, bad governance and a whole other host of influences continue to perpetuate the problems facing the populace. Interestingly as well since 1998 and continuing today seven out of every ten unemployed workers in Jamaica were below the age of thirty, this translates to a youth of 30 percent in 2011as according to the World Bank website. Furthermore in an article in the Gleaner dated January 18th 2009 by Professor Neville Ying and Wayne Jones stated that in a special committee convened by the labour ministry and headed by Professor Neville Ying who was told to come up with creative ways to mitigate the impact of the ongoing hemorrhage of jobs as Jamaica's economic troubles worsen. Ying said his committee has been at work since December and that the strategies developed would feed into the social-partnership agreement talks. "What the committee is looking at, in particular, is the whole area of job losses and what strategies are being put in place to deal with that," he told Sunday Business. The Ministry of Labour reports that some 9,331 jobs were lost in 2008, nine times the cuts in 2007. What this is implying is that the dependent population of Jamaica is increasing not just due to the fact that the 65 plus age group continues to be the fastest growing age group in Jamaica. This represents a impending and significant feature which will be how Jamaica handles its dependent populace as more people lose their jobs and more people join the 65 plus dependent age group. The issue of Migration (is it Good or Bad?) The C.I.A World fact book quotes Jamaica as having a net migration rate of -5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 per population (2011 est.). To illustrate this by the estimated number of Jamaicans outside of Jamaica information from Thomas-Hope 2004 (updated to 2006). Compiled from data in the Economic and Social Survey, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Volumes for

years 1970-2008 Thomas-Hope 2004 (updated to 2006). Compiled from data in the Economic and Social Survey, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Volumes for years 1970-2008, states that in an estimated total of just under one million people (915, 371) have left Jamaica. The cries of brain drain and skilled labour depletion which characterize the island are hence in away justified and though not looking at this specifically consider the struggling infrastructure the country has.
King D, The evolution of structural adjustment and stabilization policy in Jamaica, march 2000 addresses the infrastructure issue. From the middle of the 1970s and

continuing through the 1980s, which was a peak period of migration, almost every element of the physical economic infrastructure failed to expand at a rate commensurate with the needs of a modern economy. The quantity and quality of the road network is poor. The major artery linking the two major cities of Kingston and Montego Bay consists of single lane in each direction (and at one point a single lane for both directions). The water supply was inadequate and unreliable. It so poor that, during the 1990s, even the capital city had water lock offs for most of the day at least half of the year, during most years. The telecommunications infrastructure saw vast improvement with a burst of investment following privatization to Cable & Wireless, but in 1995 mean waiting for a new landline was still as high as 4.1 years, reflecting that infrastructure suffered through structural adjustment. In terms of health to put in context in 1974, there was a doctor per 4,444 persons in the public service, but by 1995, this ratio had fallen to one per 6,043 hence showing the increasing social problems faced by Jamaica. Furthermore coupled with rates of 0.85 physicians/1,000 population (2003) and 1.7 hospital beds/1,000 population (2009), some have argued that the development of the Jamaican Diaspora is an attempt to balance out the population itself as these extra people would have put a strain on the economy. The urbanization issue

According to the C.I.A World fact book the population of Jamaica based in urban areas was 52% of the total population. Furthermore the growth rate of the urban populace of Jamaica was an estimated 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.). This speaks to the change in economic activity from primary to secondary tertiary, quaternary form of activities that the country now does. The influence of International Stimulus programs Also the impact of international lending organizations such as the I.M.F must be taken into consideration when trying to understand the dynamics of the population of Jamaica. It should be noted that the embrace of structural adjustment has been perpetuated due to more money per capita support being allocated to Jamaica by the I.M.F than to any other country in the world (Kaufman, 1985:185) and this has resulted in the rise in dependent populace as highlighted above due to the rigorous structural adjustment programs that these institutions impose upon countries like Jamaica. This has resulted in the shaping of many social policy and hence many trends that can be seen in the Jamaican populace. Conclusion In concluding the Jamaican populace is a fluid and dynamic one, requiring major significant time to study as understanding these main issues which were highlighted in the essay will help toward the development of the population that is distinctly Jamaican.

Reference page King D, March 2000, The evolution of structural adjustment and stabilization policy in Jamaica, The university of the West Indies press 2001 Thomas-Hope 2004 (updated to 2006). Compiled from data in the Economic and Social Survey, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Volumes for years 1970-2008 Thomas-Hope 2004 (updated to 2006). Compiled from data in the Economic and Social Survey, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Volumes for years 1970-2008