Expository Piece

Good Morning Madam. I am Roneque Bennett, a lower sixth form student of grade twelve (12)
sigma. The theme of my research is the Negative Influences of Dancehall on the Jamaican
Society. I had no difficulty in acquiring information on this topic as there were an ample number
of articles to choose from which dealt with the negative effects of dancehall music on students.

Music has been considered as a binding force and has tremendous power and effects on its
listeners. The Dancehall Genre was derived from the evolution of Reggae music. It promotes
dancing which posses high energy beats and pulsating rhythms. It is my duty to present the
harmful influences this genre has made on the Jamaican Society from two distinct sources.

The first source used was Esther Tysons article published in the Sunday Gleaner on April 6,
2008, entitled Slackness and More Slackness discussed most if not all the negative social
influences that dancehall has had on the Jamaican society. The lyrics of Dancehall music is said
to have affected the minds and subsequent behaviors of its listeners thus advancing Slackness.
This culture has induced radical fashion, body language and attitude. Dancehall has changed the
ethics of Jamaican people from being conservative and well mannered, keeping pride and dignity
to nuff slackness.

Tyson in her article first struck out at parents who indulged and took delight in the
same loose practices that dancehall embraces; namely attending dances with and allowing their
children to wine and grind their undeveloped hips to shoddy, slapdash music. These parents
cannot guide their children to lead moral, self-disciplined lives.

She further made mention of how women are presented merely as object of sex in these music
videos evidently by their dress code and the sex stimulating gyrations they perform. Children
live what they learn she quoted to emphasize the fact that they are nations future and children
need to be guided away from this adverse method of expression.

Esther Tyson also included some comments from teenagers as they declared the effect that
dancehall had on them. A young lady believed that dancehall music breaks the barriers, helped
her to break out of her shell. Another individual said it makes you feel all gangsterish and
cool; teaching you how to dress. One teenager admitted that the lyrics are influential, as children

Roneque Bennett-Communication Studies

who look up to these artistes and will do the things instructed. He even added that its not only
influential to him but to the wider society.

Ms. Tyson concluded that the culture of dancehall is helping to erode the moral fibre of this
society as slackness, badmanism, disrespect and general lawlessness is endorsed. The nations
youths are being taught the wrong things through the display of wrong, anti-social conduct of the
society. Clear signals need to be sent about the right and wrong things to do in public. The type
of Jamaica desired by the society needs to be produced and promoted in our dancehall music.

Yardflex.com, the ultimate Jamaican Entertainment Magazine published Dance Hall Music
and Jamaican Society on Wednesday April 2, 2008 written by Jodi-Kaye Watson
acknowledged dancehall music as a vital part of Jamaican society. It presented both the negative
and positive effects of the genre. The positive elements of dancehall music presented by Miss.
Watson include of the attraction of tourists to the island, the contribution to the National Income
through taxes, charity programmes and the development of a number of community centres and
other infrastructure by various artistes which is a part of their social responsibility along with
uplifting the citizens in the writing of some lyrics which may stress the importance of education
and encourage children to stay in school and to be strong regardless of the situation. Whilst there
is a positive side to how dancehall music impacts on the Jamaican society, there are also
negatives impacts.

Some artistes promote violence that can lead to a rise in criminal activities in the society. It is
made right and acceptable to harm or murder someone without showing any remorse. It is even
alleged that some artistes are criminals and are involved in these activities. Jodi-Kay Watson
conceded that artistes ignore the fact that they are role models and many persons look up to
them. In addition, the promiscuous behavior promoted by this dancehall culture is one of the
main reasons for the increasing number of teenage pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease
cases. Some dancehall lyrics promote immoral acts which include premarital and extramarital
sexual relations along with many unprotected one night stand intercourse. Miss Jodie Kay
proposed that if dancehall music was to speak out against this there could be a decrease in these
cases. She ended with factual opinion that our dancehall artistes are very gifted and posses an

Roneque Bennett-Communication Studies

enormous amount of power to influence their listeners. They need to unite and stand against
counter-productive vibes.

In assessing these two sources a number of factors are considered to determine how noteworthy
these perspectives are which were taken by the writers. My first source, Slackness and more
slackness written by Esther Tyson on Sunday April 6, 2008 was published in the Gleaner. This
newspaper may be considered reliable and valid. Firstly, the Gleaner has been providing Jamaica
and by extension the Caribbean with reliable information for over a century. It is a newspaper of
high repute which a trained journalistic staff and all articles published therein undergoes rigorous
editorial processing. Additionally Esther Tyson possesses both a bachelor as well as a master
degree in Education and as a former principal of Ardenne High School as well as a former vice
principal of St. Andrew High School for Girls would be eminently qualified to speak on issues
that impact the youths in Jamaica. The article itself was easily read and contained no jargons.
The article was not ambiguous in any way and no examples of fallacious reasoning. The article
however might be deemed to contain some instances of biases as it was obvious that Ms. Tyson
found nothing positive to say about the genre of dancehall which at times can promote

Roneque Bennett-Communication Studies