Free Essay

Bahamian Social Issues

In: Social Issues

Submitted By student242
Words 1378
Pages 6
Social and Economic development of The Bahamas

The economy in The bahamas suffered drasticaly until certain recent events which impacted The bahamas economy greatly. Jobs were hard to find, poverty was on the increase and many were left hungry. Some of the events in bahamian history that impacted the bahamian social and economic development were the civil war,the blockade running, the prohibiton, wrecking, exporting of goods{fruit,vegetables,sponges,sisal,tobacco,shells},and the plaiting of palmetto and silver top trees for exports. Very often bahamians used situations in America to increase their income as in the blockade-running during the civil war and also the prohibition. The first week of the civil war president lincoln declarded a blockade of Civil war which Great Britain's textile industry depended on, southern cotton (clothing,and yarn), so it favoured the Confederacy. Lincoln knew that it was vital for the south to receive war matierals such as guns and ammunition, medicine and clothing via its ports. He figured that if southern ports were blockaded, the entire economy and war effort there would collapse, and northern states would win the war. British ships could not reach southern ports because the Union was blockading them. To gain access to this import, blockade runners in sleek, fast boats would travel the 560 miles from Charleston to Nassau with loads of cotton. Here, they would meet up with British vessels and trade their cotton for the goods that the British ships carried. Returning to Charleston, the blockade runners would sell their shipments at a huge profit. According to the making of the bahamas book "Many Southern planters thought that The Bahamas was ideally positioned to help them get their goods across the Atlantic to Europe. The Southern ports were less than 650 miles from our islands. The Bahamas could also be used as a roundabout route to import weapons, medicines and any other goods that the Southern states needed but could not produce themselves. The Bahamas was also British and neutral so the North could not interfere with their export trade."
Nassau was an ideal place for goods to be stored and then shipped either to the South or to Europe. The first of the blockade-runners arrived in Nassau on 5 December 1861, with about 140 bales of cotton bound for Europe.Before blockade-running, The Bahamas Treasury was almost 50,000 pounds in debt and most of Nassau’s 4000 inhabitants lived a life of semi-poverty. Suddenly all this changed and Nassau became a thriving commercial centre.
Moreover, prohibition period which was the nationwide ban of production, sale and importation of alcohol, was a blessing, and gift for The Bahamas.The proximity of The Bahamas to the eastern U.S. coast made the cays perfect places from which to illegally import alcohol into the U.S., a high risk, high profit business called bootlegging. Bootlegging simply means to make, disribute, or sell alcoholic beverages illegally. Bootlegging became a prime industry in The Bahamas from 1920-1933 in the same tradition as privateering, wrecking, and blockade running and Nassau again reigned supreme as the base of operations during the Prohibition years. Fast boats and airplanes were all used to smuggle and import alcohol leagally to the united states. After the American civil war and the economy dropped again The Bahamas looked to bootlegging and the prohibition period as a means of survival.
Also, as desperate times called for desperate measures in times of hardship the bahamas also looked to wrecking for social and economic development. The wrecking industry was an industry that when a boat would wreck onto shore people would steal goods from the boats and take off with them. Many ships crashed into the many reefs surrounding the bahamas. According to the making of the bahamas history book :"The early 19th century saw wrecking at a high point when salvaged goods became the largest export of the islands. Between 1855 and 1864 over $120,000 worth of goods was salvaged. In 1858 over 300 vessels were registered as taking part in the industry."
So popular had wrecking become that the government passed a law to regulate it. All ships and men had to be registered (and apparently even unborn babies were some¬times registered). The first person to arrive at the wreck was to supervise operations as the "wreck master". How much each person gained from the wreck was also laid down. "
All kinds of people took part in wrecking. In one instance at Harbour Island, when a wreck was announced the minister demanded that everyone remain in their pews until he could disrobe so that they would all have an equal chance of getting to the wreck. On another occasion a clergyman who spied from his pulpit a vessel in trouble began a period of silent prayer. By the time everyone had opened their eyes; he was out of the church and headed for the rocks! Some bahamians helped survivors from a wreck but on the other hand some went out of their way to cause a wreck, and would not help the people on board the ship save their lives. It was not until the building of lighthouses on some of the islands which caused the wrecking industry to fail. This made many bahamians furious because their means of profit had ended.
As a result of the decline in the wrecking industry, the blockade running and the prohibiton period the bahamas had to start exporting goods suchs as fruits, vegetables,sponges, sisal and tobacco. The sponging industry was introduced to the bahamas by Gustave Renouard. Sponges were obtined from Great Bahama Bank, a shoal west of Andros, also obtained near Long Island, Abaco and Exuma. 600 large vessels made up the sponging fleet, each having five dinghies and about ten crewmen. At the sponging area two men would get in a dinghy, one with a glass bucket (or water glass) looking for a good bed. The sponges would be hooked up and taken back to the boat to dry so that all the animal matter would die. Back in port, they would be put in a shallow water enclosure to be soaked before being beaten and scraped to remove decayed matter and sand or rock. Taken then to Nassau, to the Sponge Exchange, the sponges were tendered (or auctioned) to merchants, who were mainly Greek. In the merchants' warehouses they were given final cleaning, chipping and dyeing before being sorted and pressed into burlap-covered bales. They were then ready for exporting. But in 1938 the sponge beds died because a fungus realsed to the sponges.
Fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, pinapples and citrus were exported goods.
Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits had been introduced at an early date into the Bahamas. They were found to grow well in the frost-free climate, especially in pot-holes where there were unusually large amounts of rich black soil. During the 1890s when an unusually cold winter hit Florida, Bahamian citrus exports increased greatly. But in the early 1900s mass-production in Florida and an American tax on all imported citrus led to a sharp decline in Bahamian exports. Tobacco and tomatoes were declined in the industry because the tomatoes rotted quickly and the tobacco wasnt as rich as the tobacoo in Cuba. Only the pineapple exports were a sucess because they grew in an abundance in Abaco, Eleuthera, and Cat island because of the very rich red soil. As a result of the mass abundance of pineapples a canning company opened and exported canned pinapples in a rich sryup. Sisal is a plant containing a long, strong fibre which is used for rope-making. The plant was introduced into the Bahamas in 1845, but was not produced in large quantities until the 1880s. It grew very rapidly in thin soil and seemed therefore ideal for growth in the Bahamas. The government realized that a great deal of uncultivated land could be used and offered Crown Lands to enterprising farmers at a cheap price. Many investors also came to the Bahamas from other countries. One such person was Neville Chamberlain who later became Prime Minister of Great Britain. He took charge of the Andros Fibre Company.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Creating Shared Value - Db vs Citi

...CREATING SHARED VALUE BUSINESS POLICY ASSIGNMENT - 2 Executive Summary Creating Shared Value - Reinventing Capitalism By Michael Porter & Mark Kramer According to Michael Porter and Mark Kramer, "Creating Shared Value" can be defined as Policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. The concept of shared value which focuses on the connections between societal and economic progress has the power to unleash the next wave of global growth. Shared value involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. The purpose of the corporation must be redefined as creating shared value, not just profit per se. This will drive the next wave of innovation and productivity growth in the global economy. Moving Beyond Trade‐Offs Solving social problems has been ceded to governments and to NGOs. Corporate responsibilities programs a reaction to external pressure have emerged largely to improve firms’ reputations and are treated as a necessary expense. Fair trade aims to increase the proportion of revenue that goes to poor farmers by paying them higher prices for the same crops. Though this may be a noble sentiment, fair trade is mostly about redistribution rather than expanding the overall amount of value created. The Roots of Shared Value A business needs a successful community...

Words: 2467 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Social Problems in Society

...Social Problems in Societies Caroline Muthoni Kagane Kenyatta University Social Problems in Societies. A social problem is an issue that has an impact on members of society. It either affects members directly or indirectly. These are problems that a community agrees to be acceptable or unacceptable. Things like abortion, poverty, drug abuse and domestic violence can be listed as examples of social problems (Linda, ‎David , & ‎Caroline , 2012). Drug abuse is excessive, irrational and self-damaging use of a substance resulting to continuous craving, psychological damage, illusion or death. Drug abuse is a societal problem mainly affecting the youth both in school and out. Most youths engage in drug abuse out of peer pressure from friends who recruit each other into cults. The use of drugs in societies is high where the level of literacy is low. Nana (2006) notes that learned youths who are struggling to find good job after they are through with their education, get frustrated and engage themselves in use of drugs. This is one of the major problems in many societies where people cannot find job that match their level of education hence find comfort in use of drugs. Easy availability of drugs in today’s society makes it effortless for many people to get access to drug resulting to even small children using drugs. There are so many outlets where people can get drugs at a cheaper price hence so many people engaging themselves in drug abuse (Bosco & ‎Moses...

Words: 667 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Social Issue

...A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society's perception of people's personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions and what may be "normal" behaviour in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues. Some issues have both social and economic aspects, such asimmigration. There are also issues that don't fall into either category, such as wars. Thomas Paine, in Rights of Man and Common Sense, addresses man's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves". The failure to do so causes the birth of a social issue. Personal issues versus social issues[edit] Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships.[1] On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread society.[1] For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent[2] in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a social issue. The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective, however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired is likely to generate social issues. Caste system[edit] Caste system in India resulted in most oppressed Untouchables on earth for the past 3000 years . UK recently banned caste system[1] and US is...

Words: 789 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Social Problems

...Social Problems Holly Regan HSM/240 January 17, 2014 Terra Harris Social Problems Some words may have alternate meanings, become more defined or even more complex within the context of human services. The definition of problem within the context of human services has a few specific meanings such as any specific thing, matter, person, or situation that is difficult to deal with, solve or overcome and a source of perplexity, distress or vexation. According to our text it states an example of the defined word and its proper use, which can and will vary according to the circumstances of the problem. An example could be by identifying drug abuse by noting the use, intentional exposure to, or ingestion of any illegal chemical substances used in a nonmedical way, (Chambers and Wedel, 2005). This also can be defined in another way people are more prone to hearing and can identify better with, addiction; the problem would be better known as addiction instead of using. The definition of policy within the context of human services is a program of actions adopted by the individual, government agency or organization or is based on the specific set of principles, a specific course of action or a selected method chosen from alternatives as a guide to determine present and future decisions along with a plan which embraces the general goals of acceptable policies and procedures. The example of proper use of policy involving a drug addict leads most often to a situation needing...

Words: 747 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Social Entrepreneurship

...concept of Social Entrepreneurship and the work that a social entrepreneur does. The Report is a guide to learn Social Entrepreneurship through Handson experience. The Report covers my experience in starting a Social Enterprise, difficulties I encountered during the time and how to make a Social Enterprise a Viable option. This report covers everything from rise of this term Social Entrepreneur, to work done by Social Entrepreneurs, to the Entrepreneurial theories and approaches they follow or must follow. This report also describes several Social Ventures and the people behind those ventures who have brought about a positive social change. Social Entrepreneurship is a relatively new phenomenon and the excitement it has created throughout the world because of the impact it has had is tremendous. This report thus describes what learning social entrepreneurship through hands-on experience is. The Report also lists the various people I contacted for Sponsorship and the manner in which they supported the project. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 03 ABSTRACT 04 1. SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP 06 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1.2 OBJECTIVES 1.3 METHODOLOGY 1.4 DATA COLLECTION 1.5 CHAPTER SCHEME 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 11 3. HISTORY 17 4. MODERN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP 22 5. SOME OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES 27 6. THEORIES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP 33 7. CONCLUSION 38 8. BIBILIOGRAPHY 39 6 CHAPTER-1 SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP 1.1 INTRODUCTION: Social entrepreneurship...

Words: 8926 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Research on Social Issues

...A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society's perception of people's personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions and what may be "normal" behaviour in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues. Some issues have both social and economic aspects, such asimmigration. There are also issues that don't fall into either category, such as wars. Thomas Paine, in Rights of Man and Common Sense, addresses man's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves". The failure to do so causes the birth of a social issue. Personal issues versus social issues[edit] Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships.[1] On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread society.[1] For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent[2] in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a social issue. The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective, however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired is likely to generate social issues. Caste system[edit] Caste system in India resulted in most oppressed Untouchables on earth for the past 3000 years . UK recently banned caste system[1] and US is...

Words: 789 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Effects of Environmental Factors-Nike

...similar to “Allah” written in Arabic. Nike recalled thousands of shoes, covered the logos with patches and the shoes made their way to the outlets. Although Nike has apologized to the Islamic community for any unintentional offense to their sensibilities, and has taken measures to raise their internal understanding of Islamic issues, in the end that logo cost Nike millions plus a playground built to ease tensions. We apparently see that some cultural issues may affect companies negatively. In this case, Nike didn’t even consider this consequence while putting those shoes on the market, but they paid dearly for. On the other hand, Nike, in 2000s, started to seek the best investment with the highest returns. They traced the symptoms of poverty back to their roots, and it led them to an unexpected solution and a catalyst for change: adolescent girls. They believe that when a girl in the developing world realizes her potential, she isn’t the only one who escapes poverty—she brings her family, community, and country with her. That’s why Nike has exclusively focused on adolescent girls and they started to support this “The Girl Effect”. “This isn’t a social issue. It’s smart economics.”,they say. This is the example of how...

Words: 334 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Social Issues

...Male vs Female : Social Issues Nowadays, social issues in our country become widely and it’s out of our control. The globalization makes our world become smaller and all the information could be easily to get by computers or which means emerge as internet. Social problems become more serious because bad things from other countries enter to ours. There are also has a good cultures however it also have bad things cultures that can influence to ours especially among teenagers. Most young generations cannot identify and also can’t analyze what are the different between good and bad things. They’re thinking speculation is far away from what adults do. The bad things that affect them could be eliminate the moral values for young generation. However, it’s not just among teenagers which means opposite sex such as male and female but almost many stage of people have this kind problem of social issues. To begin with, social issues are considered to affect the people of the society either directly or indirectly. The main things is, some people thought that it is from male carriage this kind of issues. For an example, a gay among of teenagers. Gay is the relationship within the same sex that involves man with man relation. When talking about same-sex relation, what comes in people’s mind is abnormal relationship. The first factor that caused this problem is biological influence. Therefore, natural biological is one of the reason why they get involve in gay. However, everyone knows that...

Words: 786 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Shared Value Creation Review

...Creation; Revolution or Rhetoric? Abstract The concept of Creating Shared Value(CSV), was made popular in a Harvard Business Review(2011)by M. Porter and R Kramer defines as, policies and operational practices that enhance the competitiveness of the company while transforming social problems which is related to the corporation into business opportunities and simultaneously yield greater profitability(Porter, Kramer,2011). As it sounds, it is a seductive promiseand has so far received obscene attention in the business markets and among business educators. Both authors seeks to regain trust in “business and society who has pitted against each other so long” …”Learning how to create shared value is our best chance to legitimize business”(Porter, Kramer, 2011) is how companies were viewed as prospering at the expense of the community. With both aims of evaluating and analysing the concept of creating shared value, in this paper, we suggest how CSV can help businesses harness its full potential by simply creating economic value while simultaneously creating value for society. Focusing on making the right kind profits, companies should look beyond just merely maximum profits but also integrates social benefits at the same time; starting a positive cycle which reconnects business with society. In CSV, it represents a new approach for businesses moving beyond CSR approaches in the past. However promising this bold new approach is, it has also created polarized critics questioning...

Words: 2295 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Hoarding and Squalor

...In this essay, I [avoid personal pronouns in academic writing] would like to put on the Agenda the issue of ‘Hoarding and Squalor’ so as to bring awareness on the impact of this condition on the individual, families and the wider community. I analyse the issue of ‘Hoarding and Squalor’ by using existing evidence anecdotal evidence through studies on the impact and consequences this issue at micro and macro level. Further I will demonstrate the associated current social policies around this problem by incorporating a combination of techniques with the aim of advocating for better supports and systems. My overall aim is to bring about a change, in particular around three goals. These goals are inclusive of Social Policy review, multi-agency approach and trans-disciplinary delivery, funding request from the State Government in particular Families and Communities Services (FACs) and Mental Health in order to work with families in a person [spelling error] cent[e]red, strength based manner to ensure sustainable results. I incorporate Jansson’s steps of, diagnosing the context to identify contextual constraints and opportunities, softening the context to make it more amenable to a specific policy initiative and lastly activating change to get a decision maker or legislator to put an issue on the agenda of the other decision makers in the agency, community or legislative setting. (Jansson, 2003, pp. 148-165). Diagnosing Context What is Hoarding and Squalor In May 2013, for...

Words: 3657 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Social Problems in Societies

...Social Problems in Societies Institution Affiliation Name of Student Instructor’s Name Social Problems in Societies. Social problems are generally the issues that negatively affect a person, groups of people in a way that makes them feel not being part of a particular society (Williams & James 2010). These issues often cause a direct or an indirect effect to a society. The factors or issues revolve around the socio-economic or socio-political factors, some of which poses a great effect to a society to an extent of destroying it completely. In an efforts to minimize these issues, several still pop up each and every day (Ellis-Christensen, T. 2011, April 20). Social Problems in the society has led to many other unrelated problems which has in turn affect the well-being of different people in the society. Corruption is one of the major problem that affects peoples’ well-being in the society. This has resulted into a lot of other problems which lowers the self-esteem (Georgina, 2012). An example is in the place of securing jobs where the qualified ones misses the opportunity while the unqualified find their way into that slot by bribing the concerned panel for the job. Immorality and adultery is also another key problem that requires attention. Most family break ups and divorces have been brought about by these two issues. Immorality in the society has led to cases of rape which to some extent also involve young girls who later drop out of school. This ultimately...

Words: 731 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Kjhk

...and should be cited as follows: Simmons, A.M. (2012). Class on fire: Using the Hunger Games trilogy to encourage social action. The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 56(1), 22-34. Abstract This article explores ways to utilize students’ interest in fantasy literature to support critical literacy. Focusing on Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games series (2008, 2009, 2010), the author addresses how elements of the trilogy relate to violent acts in our world, helping student understand that violence and brutality toward children is not fiction, but very real, and that they can play a role in its abolishment, just like Katniss, through social action projects. Issues such as hunger, forced labor, child soldiers, and the sex trade that appear in both the fictional series and our world are discussed, encouraging students to assess their world and advocate for change. Examples of social action projects that utilize multiple literacies are suggested as a way to inspire students take action in the community and to stand up to injustice and brutality in hopes of creating a better world and a better human race. Using popular literature to pique student interest, this article explores how to incorporate the books in the Hunger Games series into the ELA classroom to support literacy and critical goals. Class on Fire: Using the Hunger Games Trilogy to Encourage Social Action Introduction The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, comprising The Hunger Games (2008), Catching...

Words: 8057 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Partnership Working

...to encourage capacity. RECOVERY is a user led service so many volunteers are survivors that have recovered from Mental Health problems. RECOVERY also campaigns against compulsion. They believe they are a lot of therapies that can help person with mental health problems such as art, jewellery making, creative writing, poetry, music and coping skills without forcing patients on medication instead they have a right of choice RECOVERY encourage people to talk about their experiences with mental health, we teach centering therapy and creative therapy, we blog, we learn and we try to remove the stigma. We go into the community and hospitals to act as advocates for and support people suffering from wellbeing issues. . RICAPP project reaches out into the community. It provides social inclusion and support with trained RECOVERY Support Workers for those in need. RICAPP’s (RECOVERY Independent Community Advocacy Personalisation Project) aim is to empower people to have capacity to choose the best outcomes for their Mental Health recovery RICAPP’s objectives are to visit survivors at their residence to enable their views and needs to be listened to and acted upon. RICAPP is limited to self-referral so allowing clients to be responsible for their own choice of action. RICAPP’s scope includes Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. RICAPP Advocates...

Words: 2057 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Marketing

...individual must have the following: 1. Knowledge of the environmental, economic, and social issues related to sustainability (understanding); 2. A value system and self-concept to support and under gird the actions of a change agent (motivation); and 3. Change agent abilities (skills). Change Agent Abilities: The following is a listing of change agent abilities compiled from numerous sources. For ease of use, these sources have all been acknowledged at the end of this document. Change agents are: • Resilient • Optimistic • Tenacious • Committed • Passionate • Patient • Emotionally intelligent • Assertive • Persuasive • Empathetic • Authentic • Ethical • Self-Aware • Competent • Curious They can: • Communicate ideas clearly, concisely, and precisely both orally and in writing • Listen to others and incorporate their ideas and perspectives • Accommodate individual differences (cultural, socioeconomic, global, etc.) in your decisions and actions and be able to negotiate across these differences. • Engage in self-assessment, self-reflection, and analysis • Reflect on what is happening to make meaning, gain perspective and understanding • Engage in civil discourse and debate • Mediate and resolve conflicts • Analyze power, structures of inequality, and social systems that govern individual and communal life • Recognize the global implications...

Words: 885 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Importance Of Social Work

...Rothman, Carson, and Madoc-Jones (2011), suggest many controversies occur between social work theories and the practitioner's interpretation of those theories are a subject of great concern in the field of social work. The importance of this research is not just academic, but important to society as a whole. Findings such as those of by Rothman, Carson, and Madoc-Jones, (2011), regarding the interpretation of social problems, demonstrate how quickly and inaccurately social workers can employ erroneous judgment based on the automatic activation of their views or beliefs. As society is forever increasing in its intermixing of individuals from different social and ethnic groups, social workers must further increase their understanding of inter-group...

Words: 962 - Pages: 4