Letter of the Day | No such thing as empty symbolism

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As it pertains to the present debate of Jamaica becoming a republic, I would like to add my two cents worth by wearing the hat of a social scientist.

The power of symbols in any society cannot and should not be underestimated by any means. From a socio-psychological perspective it is through symbols that we as humans communicate meaning and concepts and ideas to each other. Symbols in fact can exert a commanding influence on people’s lives, both at an individual level (psychologically) and at the level of the wider society (sociologically). Used effectively, in fact symbols can exert immense influence on the wider society, let alone the individual.

Without powerful symbols such as the national flag and the Jamaican Coat of Arms, it would be harder to build a common national identity, a national collective consciousness of sort, and thus establish some kind of glue to keep the society together. The only way to do this, I am contending here, is through the use of symbols. Alternatively, symbols can be used to indicate differences and in contrasting one group from another. For example, in the Jamaican case where the colour green is associated with being loyal to, or a member of the Jamaica Labour Party and the colour orange is associated with being loyal to, or a member of the People’s National Party, it is the symbolisation represented by the colours alone which communicates significant identity orientation such as political party affiliation. In other countries, it is unlikely that wearing these colours would have as great a significance as they would in Jamaica.

It is through the colonial symbols that remain in Jamaica, i.e., the names of streets, many of the statues that remain throughout the island, the governor general even, and so on, that the distinct colonial presence and essence of England remains. Ultimately, symbolism is not empty, it is a shaper of human behaviour.

In this regard, I contend that the occurrence of Jamaica becoming a republic accompanied by the requisite replacement of symbols could create a groundswell and impact on the psyche of the nation that may be surprising, and that should by no means be underestimated.

MICHAEL BARNETT

Senior Lecturer

Sociological Theory and

Critical Race Theory

University of the West Indies,

Mona