What makes a trinidadian

There is a small Defense Force and Coast Guard. These forces cooperate with the United States and other countries in drug interdiction. A number of programs exist with specific areas of interest. Servol is a Catholic organization based in Laventille, a slum area, that teaches job skills to youth. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is also active. Fraternal and civic organizations are very popular among the middle classes.

Trade unions are very organized and influential. Division of Labor by Gender. Women have made many gains in the last three decades: they now join men as lawyers, judges, politicians, civil servants, journalists, and even calypsonians.

However, despite generally better educational levels, women earn less than men, especially in private industry. Men dominate as artisans, mechanics, and oilfield riggers. Many occupations are dominated by women, such as domestic service, sales, and some light manufacturing. Many women are microenterprise owners. Sexual harassment has been a societal issue since the s. The Relative Status of Women and Men.

Power differentials remain salient in different contexts. Afro-Trinidadian women enjoy some autonomy and power within domestic domains and are often heads of households. Women are said to dominate in "playin' mas'," participating in Carnival, where they demonstrate an assertive sexuality.

Women are marginalized from leadership positions in the established churches, Hinduism, and Islam, but are influential in the Afro-Christian sects. Women run the sou-sou informal rotating credit associations. An active women's movement has put domestic violence, rape, and workplace sexual harassment on the public agenda. Marriage practices differ according to ethnicity and class, although for both blacks and Indians kinship is bilateral in structure.

For the middle and upper classes, formal marriage with religious sanction is the norm. Legal recognition for Hindu and Muslim marriages came very late in the colonial period.

In the past, East Indian women were betrothed in arranged marriages at young ages. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Many Afro-Trinidadians entered into noncoresidential relationships, then common-law marriages, and then, later in life, formal marriage. There is evidence that this is changing, with the age of marriage for Indian women increasing along with their propensity to enter non-coresidential relationships, and the importance of arranged marriages greatly diminished.

The prevalence of noncoresidential relationships is increasing for the upper classes as well. Many Indo-Trinidadians see creolization as tantamount to miscegenation. Given the persistence of colonial stereotypes of Blacks, there has generally been strong Indian resistance to intermarriage with Blacks. Domestic Unit. As with marriage patterns, the domestic unit has historically varied with class and ethnicity. Upper class families are often multi-generational.

Many working-class Afro-Trinidadian households are female-headed, and multi-generational. In the past, a married Indian couple lived with the husband's extended family; however, neolocal residence is increasingly seen as the preferred form. Among East Indians and upper class others, inheritance was patrilineal. This has become more egalitarian in terms of gender. Among Afro-Trinidadians, inheritance patterns have not necessarily favored males.

There are often disputes over the inheritance of land. Kin Groups. Fictive kinship and godparenthood are important institutions. Most families have migrant kin abroad, some who play significant roles with visits and remittances. Infant Care. Middle class parents read North American child care books and often are knowledgeable of the latest trends. Still, there are some commonalities. For all groups, older siblings, kin, and neighbors often play significant roles.

Infants are not confined to separate spaces or playpens and often sleep in the same bed as the caretaker. Infants are carried in arms from place to place. Strollers or prams are not used. Car seats for safety are becoming popular. Many toddlers are sent to pre-schools and nurseries by age two. Corporal punishment in public for toddlers is common. Child Rearing and Education. Values inculcated vary by ethnicity, class, and the sex of the child. In general, caretakers, be they parents, grandparents, or other kin or fictive kin, are quick to discipline children.

Children are expected to show that they are "broughtupsy" having decorum, but not to the point of being "social" pretentious. A "harden" disobedient child or a wajang rowdy, uncouth youth involved in commesse scandal, acrimony is an embarrassment to the family. Boys are expected to be aggressive and, as they get older, sexually aware, but respectful to adults.

Ideally, girls do not have free reign. Most girls are encouraged to emphasize physical beauty. Higher Education. The society places a high value on higher education and many parents and kin make great sacrifices to enable students to reach their educational goals.

In the past, training for white-collar professions was favored and emphasized, and titles and diplomas were fetishized. Many citizens with higher education were trained abroad and they often emigrate permanently. While class and ethnic differences matter, as do contexts, sociability and gregariousness are generally highly valued.

Business settings require more subdued behavior, but it is not considered good form to talk about one's work endlessly at cocktail parties. Middle-class men receive status for offering their comrades imported Scotch whiskey. In general, punctuality is not expected. On city streets it is common for men to verbally harass women and women generally lose status if they reply.

In country districts, it is expected that one salutes passers by with a "good morning" or "good aftimiernoon. Women are often heads of households. Religious Beliefs. The country is noted for its religiosity and religious diversity. In , the majority religion was Roman Catholic, encompassing 29 percent of the population. The majority of Indians are Hindu, but many are Christians, resulting from Canadian Presbyterian missions in the nineteenth century.

Evangelical Christian sects from North America are growing rapidly. American Muslim groups claim adherents. There are followers of Sai Baba and Rastafarians. Afro-Christian forms of worship are prevalent, such as the Orisha religion and the Spiritual Baptists, and worship in these is not exclusive of membership in established churches.

There are folk beliefs in jumbies ghosts, spirits. Religious Practitioners. There is a hierarchy in established churches, with a Catholic archbishop and an Anglican bishop at the head of those communities.

Ritual and Holy Places. On Holy Thursday night, thousands of Hindus pay homage to a carved wood statue of the Madonna at the Catholic church at Siparia.

Weeks later, Catholics parade the same statue through the streets. In the past, Chinese came to honor the statue when it passed on the street. The Caroni River, where Hindu cremations are held, is an important ritual and holy place.

Death and the Afterlife. Funerals and all-night wakes, called "sit-ups," are important social occasions. Obituaries are read on the radio. Cremation at the Caroni River is practiced for Hindu Trinidadians. There is a national health service, but private medicine serves a large share of the population.

Both are based on the Western bio-medical model. There are traditional healers, some related to Afro-Christian forms of worship. Many ordinary citizens use herbal teas and bush medicine for everyday ailments. The pre-Lenten Carnival is the biggest secular celebration. Support for the Arts. The government supports Carnival, the Best Village competition which includes dance, music, and drama , the National Youth Orchestra, the biennial Music Festival, and the National Museum.

An impressive literary tradition exists among writers who have mainly made their names and reputations abroad, including C. Calypso must count as oral literature. Graphic Arts. Trinidad's best known artist is perhaps the painter Michel Jean Cazabon — Some of the better-known artists of the past few decades are Dermot Louison, M. A recent appreciation of untrained artists has resulted in the establishment of the Museum of Popular and Folk Art. Performance Arts.

Carnival is Trinidad's most noteworthy performance art, attracting tourists, emigrated Trinidadians, and scholars from abroad. Masquerade designer Peter Minshall is one of the best known internationally. He was artistic director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics in Barcelona, the Olympics in Atlanta, and the World Cup opening ceremony in the United States.

Live calypso and steelband performances occur in the Carnival season Christmas through Lent. In , teaching in the arts, natural, and social sciences began. In Tobago the government-run Hospitality and Tourism Institute offers tourism training. Some locallybased social scientists are very visible as pollsters, newspaper columnists, and television analysts.

Braithwaite, Lloyd. Social Stratification in Trinidad , []. Brereton, Bridget. A History of Modern Trinidad — , Harewood, Jack, and Ralph Henry. Hill, Errol. LaGuerre, John G. Mendes, John. Cote ce Cote la: Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary , Miller, Daniel. Oxaal, Ivar. Reddock, Rhoda E.

Rohlehr, Gordon. Calypso and Society in Pre-Independence Trinidad , Ryan, Selwyn, ed. Stuempfle, Stephen. Vertovec, Steven. Wood, Donald. Toggle navigation. Culture Name Depending upon which island in this twin—island state is being discussed, the culture name is "Trinidadian" or "Tobagonian. Alternative Names. Orientation Identification. History and Ethnic Relations Emergence of the Nation. Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space In cities, glass and steel high rise office buildings mingle with colonial houses with gingerbread fret-work.

Food and Economy Food in Daily Life. Social Stratification Classes and Castes. Stir in chickpeas, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil.

Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until chickpeas are very tender, approximately 20 minutes. Set aside. Repeat with remaining dough. In deep frying pan over moderately high heat, heat oil. Fry dough circles, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned, about 40 seconds per side.

Drain on paper towels or on wire rack set over baking sheet. Place 2 tablespoons filling on 1 piece fried dough. Add pepper sauce, kuchela, and cucumber. Top with another piece fried dough. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Serve as snack or appetizer. How would you rate Doubles? Leave a Review. We are big fans of traditional Indian curry, and then I read Ramin Ganeshram's article and was so intrigued by this recipe.

My daughter, husband and I made it for Valentine's Day lunch, and we will definitely be doing this again. A few observations - my bara took well over an hour to double while rising more like 2 hours ; added peeled and cubed white potatoes to the delicious channa to make it more substantial, and we topped it with hot sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime, which brought it to the next level.

Highly recommend this dish! This is how the doubles dough called bara is made nowadays, but in the old days it would have been a mixture of flour, split pea flour and urad dhal flour instead of just flour. I am talking my Mum's and Grandmother's time. The result would be a more "crisp" bara. These doubles were excellent! Doubles are one of my favorite Trini foods. I would say the texture and thickness of the bara.

It must have a certain chew to it and the right color, which comes from the addition of turmeric. The chickpeas must be tender and flavorful, not too dry. The condiments should leave you yearning for another doubles or four. Alrighty then? One doubles is filling and satisfying but one evening after school, I vividly recollect eating ten doubles. That is not a typo. To justify that avarice, I have since convinced myself that they were probably very small doubles. One year I returned to Trinidad to search for that doubles man, who by the way was situated in Couva market, just down the street from Holy Faith Convent where I attended, only to learn that he no longer sells doubles.

That was one of the saddest, most forlorn moments of my existence. I have begged folks to put me in touch with their favorite doubles vendor so that I can extract their recipe from them, but the opportunity never came. Equipped with all the positive thoughts I can muster I created the first sample. The texture was there, but the color and taste hinted that I added too much turmeric. I took a nap and returned to the kitchen for a repeat performance. My husband, after tasting it, raised his eyebrows and smiled.

He is a man of few words. The making of the channa proved to be more challenging than the bara. The chickpeas if you really examine it, does not have a lot of color and taste on its own, it is enhanced by the bara and flavorful condiments. I tested it one weekend and then another time one night after work. I realized that it required a lot of boiling in order to have that tender, melt in your mouth texture that makes a great chickpea filling.

I found that baking soda does the trick! Some claim that the chickpeas are simply boiled with the herbs and turmeric and others suggest that chunkaying is the best way to go. Chunkaying is the process of first cooking the spices in the oil to bring out the flavor, then adding the chickpeas and other seasonings. Enjoy and Happy Cooking, Ria. Channa is also known as chickpeas, garbanzo beans or ceci beans. Aloo on the other hand is what we Trinidadians refer to potato.

Hence the term channa and aloo. In this dish, channa and aloo are simmered in a fragrant Boiled mango chutney is a popular sweet and spicy condiment in Trinidad. It's one of the main condiments enjoyed in doubles, aloo pies or drizzled on fluffy balls of pholourie.

In my recipe, green mango is cut into 1 inch Your Email required. Search About Contact. Search this Website. Take a portion of bara, stretch it thin and carefully place it in the hot oil.

Fry for seconds on each side. Continue until all of the bara is fried. Mash some of the chickpeas to give the channa a sauce-like texture. Add a generous scoop of channa to a piece of bara and then "double up" with another piece of bara on top.

Recipe adapted from Simple Trini Cooking. Coffee Tea Perfect for when you're Too Sober See All Drinks.