Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Anthropology

Supervisor

Beckett, Greg

Abstract

Attracted by the prospect of Chinese funding for infrastructure projects, Jamaica became the tenth Caribbean Island to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), amidst Western criticisms labeling it as a ‘debt trap’. This thesis provides an ethnographic account of how Jamaicans talk about and make sense of BRI projects in their daily lives and in relation to the larger political and economic processes (debt, sovereignty, imperialism) taking place in their ‘imagined community’. While some Jamaicans consider the BRI as an opportunity to develop public infrastructure, others remain skeptical, fearing that these initiatives may compromise national sovereignty. By utilizing frameworks such as dependency theory, I contextualize the BRI within the dynamics of debt-dependency between the periphery and the core and, reparations to emphasize the necessity of debt relief for post-colonial states like Jamaica to redress the exploitation of human and natural resources and the social and economic decline resulting from colonialism.

Summary for Lay Audience

During the last decade, China has formed economic ties with countries in the Caribbean region as a part of its broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (Ding et al 2021, 4). BRI is often referred to as the “21st century silk road” that connects Asia, Africa and Europe through overland trading routes and shipping lanes (Kuo & Kommenda 2018). However, in the context of the Caribbean and Latin America, BRI initiatives have primarily focused on infrastructure projects (McBride et al 2023). These agreements have been criticized by many as a form of ‘Debt trap diplomacy,’ characterized by untenable loans, where the debt incurred is then used as a bargaining chip to make concessions (Kuo et al. 2018, 5). For heavily indebted countries like Jamaica, the key benefit of the BRI is access to funds through alternative means other than traditional lenders. Historically, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have been the key lenders in Jamaica, and both organizations have used access to foreign loans to impose conditions on the national economy, pushing through major structural adjustment programs in Jamaica throughout the post-independence period (Jenkins 2021, 174). Frameworks such as dependency theory help contextualize the BRI and the dynamics of debt/dependency, however, it is also pertinent to center the investigation of these global processes in the places where they take shape. There has been very little research on the effects of these policies on the lives of ordinary Jamaicans. Thus, my research investigates how Jamaican citizens perceive and react to Chinese investment. While some Jamaicans see projects like the BRI as opportunities for much-needed infrastructure development and economic advancement, others remain skeptical, fearing that these initiatives may compromise national interests. This study underscores the importance of reparations for formerly colonized countries like Jamaica to address the economic and social impacts of colonialism.

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