1st Edition
East Indians in a West Indian Town San Fernando, Trinidad, 1930-70
First published in 1986, East Indians in a West Indian Town explores the complex geographical, sociological and anthropological dimensions of Trinidad society before and after its political independence, by employing three sets of materials – census data, questionnaires and participant-observation records. Cartographic, humanistic and statistical approaches are combined in a historical perspective to deal with the significance of race, cultural distinctions and class in San Fernando. A major concern of the book is to examine the social complexity that lies behind geographical patterns, and to compare aggregate data with group behaviour. This book will be of interest to students of geography, sociology and anthropology.
Preface and acknowledgements List of tables List of plates 1. Introduction 2. East Indians in Trinidad: historical and theoretical perspectives 3. San Fernando: from slavery to independence 4. San Fernando: social and spatial structure in the late colonial period. 5. Segmentation, stratification, race and caste 6. Religions, cults and festivals 7. Household, kinship and marriage 8. Intersegmental association and political affiliation 9. Conclusion: pluralism in San Fernando and beyond Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Glossary Bibliography Index
Biography
Colin G. Clarke
