The Confounding Island

Name: The Confounding Island
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SKU: 9780674292246
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Jamaica and the Postcolonial Predicament

By Orlando Patterson

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Summary

The Confounding Island sees Orlando Patterson return to his birthplace, Jamaica, to unravel the island’s paradoxes. Despite having the highest density of churches, Jamaica faces severe violence; it produces world-class athletes and musicians but struggles with poverty and economic stagnation. Patterson delves into the complexities behind Jamaica’s postcolonial democracy, exploring its challenges in achieving broad economic growth and addressing persistent social issues. The book positions Jamaica as a lens through which to examine global themes of development, poverty, politics, and culture.
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The Confounding Island

$44⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

The Confounding Island is ideal for readers interested in politics, economic development, postcolonial studies, and Caribbean culture, as well as those looking to understand the complexities of globalisation through the example of Jamaica.

Orlando Patterson returns to Jamaica, his birthplace, to reckon with its history and culture. Locals claim to be some of the world’s happiest people, and their successes in music and athletics are legendary. Yet the country remains violent and poor. In Jamaica the dilemmas of globalization and postcolonial politics are thrown into stark relief.

Description

New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Winner of a PROSE Award

"Fascinating. Eye-opening. Illuminating. Patterson carefully explores the complexity of the structural machinery behind Jamaica's dazzling successes and dismal failures."
- Carrie Gibson, New York Times Book Review

"In the ruins of postcolonial Jamaica, Patterson unearths a vibrant popular culture, centred in particular on dancehall music, that can provide new resources to address the postcolonial predicament."
- Adom Getachew, The Nation

"Masterful. A memorable, nuanced, and insightful social analysis of the island and its place in global history. Highly recommended."
- Daron Acemoglu, coauthor of Why Nations Fail

There are few places more puzzling than Jamaica. Jamaicans claim their home has more churches per square mile than any other country, yet it is one of the most murderous nations in the world. Its reggae superstars and celebrity sprinters outshine musicians and athletes in countries many times its size. Jamaica's economy is anemic and many of its people impoverished, yet they are, according to international surveys, some of the happiest on earth. In The Confounding Island, Orlando Patterson returns to the place of his birth to reckon with its contradictions.

Patterson investigates the failures of Jamaica's postcolonial democracy, exploring why the country has been unable to achieve broad economic growth and why its free elections and stable government have been unable to address violence and poverty. If we look closely at the Jamaican example, we see the central dilemmas of globalization, economic development, poverty reduction, and postcolonial politics thrown into stark relief.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

New York Times Book Review hails the book as "fascinating" and "eye-opening," praising Patterson’s nuanced exploration of Jamaica’s structural challenges, balanced with admiration for its resilient spirit. The Nation highlights the vibrant popular culture in postcolonial Jamaica, especially dancehall music, as a potential inspiration for addressing political and social issues. Economist Tyler Cowen commends the book for thoughtfully answering real questions about Jamaica. The work is recognised for its masterful and insightful social analysis.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674292246

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Illustration: 14 illus., 8 tables

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 432

Collections

American & Canadian History Education & Reference Finance & Economics Finance & Investment History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Orlando Patterson Politics & Current Affairs

About the Author

Orlando Patterson is John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University; the author of Freedom in the Making of Western Culture, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and Slavery and Social Death (Harvard); and the editor of The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth (Harvard), for which he was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement. His work has been honored by the American Sociological Association and the American Political Science Association, among others, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as Special Advisor for Social Policy and Development to Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica.

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