“When Bain Town Woman Catch A Fire, Even the Devil Run.”: The Bahamian Suffrage Movement as National and Cultural Development

Abstract

Social movements provide a vital lens for assessing visions of the public good. Social movement (SM) theory explains the motives and structures of movement activity. Emerging in the 1960s, theories that remain relevant to this day include resource mobilization theory, framing, and political opportunity. Despite the prominence of these theories, several critiques of SM theory have emerged. Newer theories such as cognitive liberation and collective identity extend the scope of SM analysis and also focus on internal aspects of movement activity. Latin America, as one of the new sites of analysis, has received much attention from a wide range of SM theories. Yet, the Caribbean, in particular, the Anglophone Caribbean has received little attention. This paper will place both original and newer theories within the context of the Anglophone Caribbean. Specifically, SM theory will be applied to the Bahamian women’s suffrage movement of 1948–1967. The paper will also explain the historical roots of Bahamian culture as a way to explain movement activity and development.