Peter Espeut | Culture is not an independent variable

Last week on a ‘vox pop’ about the upcoming sexual harassment bill I heard a man complain: “Den how you goin’ fine you wife?” Clearly, for that brother (and for too many Jamaican men), courting a woman means “putting question” to her.

And for some, dancing is a rite prelude to congress.

This might help to explain why there are so many illegal parties during pandemic curfew hours: too many men and women are suffering withdrawal symptoms.

But I don’t believe that men who harass women on the street or at rub-a-dub sessions have marriage on their minds.

The fact is that sexual harassment has become embedded in Jamaican culture. The way some men hiss “Pssssst!” at women on the street, or publicly compliment their body parts, or declare what they would do if they had their way – and the way some women display their physical assets and gyrate in sexual simulation knowing they will attract attention – these are part of the Jamaican way of life. These behaviours by both genders are celebrated and intensified in our dancehall movements and music, which we have exported to the world.

And now they are to be declared illegal and punishable by heavy fines and other sanctions.

For many, transactional sex in its casual, domestic or commercial forms is an important coping strategy, both for buyers and sellers; and ritual displays of masculinity and femininity differ with social class and status, and define gender identity.

From media reports about the new act, the factor which will determine whether sexual rituals are a crime or not will be whether they are welcome or not, whether the person approached is ‘comfortable’ or not; moves, however crass by one approacher, may be welcome, while from another – however gentile – may not be; it’s all so subjective.

COMPEL BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

If this legislation is actually enforced – which would be unusual – it will change the ways in which boys and girls, men and women interact. It will compel social and behaviour change.

The passage of sexual harassment legislation is an important statement by our lawmakers that culture is not an independent variable, that culture must be subject to higher moral values and analysis. There are those who argue that culture is its own moral arbiter: if that is how people behave, then who is to say that it is wrong!

Others argue that all human behaviour can, and must, be evaluated by objective criteria; treatises on philosophical ethics, developed centuries before the birth of Christianity, are still influential today.

If Jamaican culture feminises education, and leads to the marginalisation of men, then it is to be abhorred.

If Jamaica’s ‘informer-fi-dead’ culture supports crime and violence, then we must challenge it and do away with it.

If our political culture encourages secrecy, corruption, cronyism, graft, influence peddling, and nepotism, then we must change it.

If our sexual culture leads to teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, increased demand for abortions, weak families, paternity fraud, and the exploitation of human bodies for selfish pleasure, then it is toxic and will lead to social disintegration; common sense and a commitment to the common good will demand that it be reformed.

ENCOURAGE HEALTHY RELATIONS

I interpret the sexual harassment bill currently before Parliament as an important step in this direction.

Not only must we eradicate sexual harassment from Jamaica, but we must also positively encourage healthy and mature relations between the genders. Boys and girls, men and women, must become comfortable in each other’s company, must be able to develop strong bonds of friendship and companionship, and then commitment.

It cannot be uplifting that we teach our young people that genitality is the immediate way to interact with the opposite sex. Our highly sexualised culture produces unbalanced personalities.

Adolescence is a time when hormones begin to flow, and if our education system and societal norms do not promote the development of habits of self-discipline, focus, and academic excellence, Jamaica will remain poor, underdeveloped, and undisciplined.

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and development scientist. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com