Thomas’ ethnography about the formation and perceptions of citizenship in transnational Jamaica is fascinating. The structure of this ethnography differs from the other works we’ve read in this class because it examines black bodies and citizenship from a structural perspective. Thomas discusses the historical contexts that lead to people perceiving transnational Jamaica as a violent country. She also grounds her discussion of the consequences of this perception in history.
I also found it interesting that she started off her book by saying that she has tried not to write about violence. My question when I read the introduction was if she didn’t want to write about violence because she was afraid of stigmatizing the Black community by associating all Black people with violent crime. Chapter 2 backs up my interpretation of Thomas’ hesitance to talk about violence in her analysis of news coverage of a Jamaican posses’ crime activity. I think Thomas did an effective job of adding nuance to her writing about violence and crime in Jamaica so that the reader understands violence and crime is a structural problem. To interpret it as solely a cultural trait positions Jamaican Black people as culturally deviant, which further otherizes them and contributes to scientific racism.
I saw parallels in Thomas’ discussion of perceiving violence as a cultural trait to the rise in anti-Asian hate during COVID-19. People associating Asian people with the COVID-19 virus motivated them to overt violence and hatred. The perpetrators of anti-Asian hate see COVID as a cultural trait because of origin in China. By doing this, they reduce the Asian and Asian American community to a monolith and ignore the structural factors that lead to a community’s greater susceptibility to COVID. The racialization of violence is a rampant problem across minority groups.
My question is how does Thomas achieve a balance between ethnography and an analysis of structural problems? Because ethnography usually samples a small portion of a population, how can she ensure that her findings are applicable to a structural analysis of social embodied citizenship in Jamaica?
Hi Angela, I love this excellent breakdown! My question after reading your perspective is do you believe inequality is a product of culturalist view not being taken seriously? I feel like whenever I’m in a scenario I am being discriminated against , I’m confused as to whether they want a dopamine rush from the heinous comment they made or if they are coping with the possible anger they have towards a certain topic or issue. Often times, I feel like individuals live on a first person basis, and take no mind towards considering the impact their comment made on an individual, and if they would appreciate a similar comment back about a downfall they have experienced. Again thanks for this awesome write up!