Community In Trinidad Research Articles

GIS-Enhanced Survey of Potential Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Artificial Oviposition Containers Distributed across Communities in Trinidad, West Indies.

Dengue and other arboviruses remain a global threat, and enhanced efforts to control the mosquitoes that transmit them are urgently needed. A survey of potential manmade Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) oviposition containers was performed in four communities near the end of the typical dry season in 2018 in Trinidad, West Indies. The purpose was to conduct individual premise surveys and use GIS mapping to visualize premises within communities that had Aedes-positive containers, as this information could be used for the prioritization of mosquito control efforts in potential high risk areas as the wet season progressed. Accessible premises were surveyed following standard inspection protocols used by the Insect Vector Control Division (IVCD), Ministry of Health (MOH). The results indicated that two of the four locations would be at high risk for arbovirus transmission going into the wet season. The GIS mapping of premises with Aedes-positive containers facilitated the identification of potential hot spots for arbovirus transmission risk within communities that should be prioritized for enhanced monitoring and vector control efforts, emphasizing the need to increase community participation in standard surveys by IVCD.

“After god is police”: lived experiences of rural police officers in Trinidad and Tobago

PurposeIn Trinidad and Tobago, there is significant reliance on the traditional and centralized police service to engage in crime response and suppression in urban and rural areas. In this regard, policing scholarship has largely focused on the impact of policing within urban areas, producing a gap in knowledge on what policing rural spaces entails. Despite this, there is some understanding that policing rural spaces can engender diverse challenges and calls for variability in policing strategies. The current study examines the lived experiences of police officers stationed in rural communities in Trinidad and Tobago.Design/methodology/approachUsing the descriptive phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven police officers stationed in rural communities throughout the country.FindingsInterviewees narrated the importance of community dynamics and community-specific needs in shaping their roles and functions when operating in and serving these communities. Three major themes were identified: (1) network activity in policing; (2) engagement in localistic and service-oriented approaches and (3) community-specific challenges.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that while there is an emphasis on traditional law enforcement responsibilities, in the rural context, police responsibilities and duties are constantly being redefined, reframed and broadened to meet the contextual community and geographic-specific diversities and demands.

The radicality and cultural significance of the sweats in Trinidad and Tobago

ABSTRACT The sweat, meaning to sweat, is a moniker attached to prearranged but unorganised and informal sport and physical activity within local communities in Trinidad and Tobago. Explained as a culturally significant phenomenon, the sweat is a space of community cohesion and radical questioning through its resident attendant ole talk where the critical deconstruction of social reality readily occurs. Using Paolo Freire’s pedagogical ideas of problem-posing dialogue, this ethnographic paper, explores three main areas. Those being, the sweats and ole talk; the radicality of the sweats displayed in individual agency against the structured restrictions of formal sports participation; and the sweats as a site for cross-cultural integration and interaction in an otherwise ethnically diverse country. Through the experiences of eight individuals associated to the sweats, Freirean ideas of love, radicality and hopefulness are prominent in the description of the sweats. To this end, this paper adds to the growing body of literature on informal sport participation as a site to negotiate and reconcile differences in local communities, as well as a site for social and sport-for-development.

Generating an understanding of police brutality in the small island state of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago (TT), like some other island states, experiences frequent incidents of police use of excessive force and police brutality which often involve individuals from low-income communities. The concepts of police use of excessive force and police brutality are often used synonymously. However, they can be distinguished by examining police brutality through an island studies lens. Hence this study aims to improve how police brutality can be understood and distinguished from police use of excessive force by applying an island studies theoretical framework. Additionally, because there is a dearth of academic literature on how colonialism has influenced police brutality in contemporary TT, and because little is known about how victims experience police brutality, the study also addresses those gaps. The current study bridges these gaps by conducting a phenomenological study to generate an understanding of the lived experiences of victims of police use of excessive force in low-income communities in Trinidad. Based on the analysis of the data collected from in-depth interviews with 18 research participants, six themes emerged. The findings were then analyzed through the lens of island studies and the implications of those findings were discussed. The study ends by making several recommendations.

Occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pets and their owners in rural and urban communities in Trinidad.

The occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pets and their owners has increased due to the misuse and abuse of antibiotics. This study compared the prevalence of MRSA and Staphylococcus aureus strains in pets and their owners in urban and rural communities in Trinidad. Questionnaires were administered to gather demographic and risk factor data for MRSA for human participants, and their pets. Nasal swabs were obtained from 100 pets (dogs and cats) and their human owners. For the isolation of MRSA, nasal swabs obtained were enriched and then plated on selective media. Staphylococcus aureus was identified using standard biochemical procedures. The resistance of S. aureus initially assessed detection of MRSA isolates to cefoxitin and confirmed by the PBP2a latex agglutination test. Antibiotic resistance was determined using the disc diffusion method. The prevalence of MRSA was 6.0% (3/50) and 2.0% (1/50) in household pet animals and their owners, respectively in urban communities, while in rural communities, the prevalence was 6.0% (3/50) and 12.0% (6/50) respectively. The prevalence of S. aureus in pet owners was higher in the rural community (44.0%) compared to urban (30.0%). However, in pet animals, S. aureus was more frequently isolated from urban communities (78.0%) than rural ones (66.0%). Amongst the S. aureus isolates, 81.7% were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents. This study has demonstrated that living in a rural community increased the odds of MRSA colonization.

Achieving Economic Success and Social Mobility: The Chinese Community in Trinidad, British Caribbean before 1949

This study discusses upward social mobility in the Chinese community in Port of Spain of Trinidad, a British colony in the Caribbean, in the first half of the twentieth century. It examines how the Chinese there attempted to be socially successful by showcasing or downplaying their Chinese heritage depending on the social and historical conditions.The upward social movement of the Chinese in Trinidad occurred considerably earlier than in other communities in the Americas. The Chinese accomplished this by using British colonial conditions as early as the 1910s through economic success in colonial commercialism, through the acquisition of highly skilled jobs thanks to their British education, and through creolization resulting from interracial marriages.The Sino-Japanese War of 1937 afforded another channel for Chinese upward social movement in Trinidad. The Chinese community in Port of Spain was at its peak of population growth and social development in the 1920–30s, and the layered community structure was developed through difference in language, generation, class, and political access to the British colonial or Chinese authorities. During the pre-war period, Chinese residents embedded in this community pluralism experienced a unique integration into Trinidadian upper-middle class society. The news pieces in the Chinese news section of the Trinidad Guardian highlight their Westernization, middle-class status, and their origins in China, which made them allies of the British. The documents studied in this article also demonstrate that the Chinese Nationalist Party (kmt) strove to strengthen its ties with Chinese residents of Trinidad in the early twentieth century.

Police perceptions of residents in a high-crime area in Trinidad and Tobago: Community framing and crime wars

This article examines police perceptions of residents of a marginalized community in Trinidad and Tobago. The discourses of 40 members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service are examined to determine how they define residents of the community and situate them within specific interactive contexts. Results show that the officers typically have extremely negative views of the community and its residents, which amplify their perceptions of policing as difficult and dangerous. The potential impact of these perceptions upon police practices, officer well-being and police–community relations are discussed. The study contributes to the emerging scholarly dialogue on policing in the global South and highlights the benefits of discourse analysis within country case studies to elucidate country-specific nuances in police–community relations.

Police legitimacy in Trinidad and Tobago: resident perceptions in a high-crime community

ABSTRACT Violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago has increased over the last two decades, yet the police have been largely unsuccessful in reducing violence. Between 1999 and 2016, the murder rate increased by 475%. Despite the fact that the murder rate has increased, approximately 76 homicides are cleared each year, resulting in a low-homicide clearance rate. Using 40 semi-structured interviews with community members from a high-crime, low-income community in Trinidad and Tobago, this study examines residents’ experiences with police officers, and respondents’ willingness to work with the police to clear criminal cases. The results indicate that due to a lack of institutional trust, citizens are unwilling to trust and work collaboratively with most police officers. Policy implications from this research will be discussed.

The Ritual Art of the Ganesh Utsav in Trinidad

The Ganesh festival, or utsav, is relatively new to Trinidad’s landscape as a public performance of Hinduism. Although it has been a very important celebration for over a century within select diasporic Hindu communities in Trinidad, particularly in the southern part of the island where it is said to have begun, the practice has become more widespread since the early 1990s. Many of the villages make their own mūrtis (idols or images). Focusing on the festival’s interpretation within the Caribbean context, this article highlights preliminary findings gathered from fieldwork on the ritual art of mūrti-making and the function of the image within the Hindu festival in Trinidad.

Sociodemographic, psychosocial and physical health correlates of common mental disorder symptoms among mothers in Trinidad and Tobago: Examining ethnic variations

Historical and cultural experiences have shaped the life experiences of cultural communities in Trinidad and Tobago. Using a cultural focus, the goal of this investigation was to examine ethnic variations both in the prevalence of common mental disorder (CMD) symptoms as well as in the associations between sociodemographic, psychosocial, physical health correlates and CMDs among mothers in Trinidad and Tobago. Participants included 1002 mothers (359 African-, 353 Indo- and 290 Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian). Mean comparisons indicated similarities in the levels of depression, somatisation and anxiety across ethnic groups. The associations between physical ill health, experiences of pain and depression and between physical ill health and somatisation were stronger for Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian than Indo-Trinidadian mothers. The relationship between early experiences of domestic violence and depression was stronger for Indo-Trinidadian than Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian mothers. The associations between early experiences of domestic violence and depression and between experiences of pain and somatisation were stronger for African Trinidadian than Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian mothers. Thus beyond the direct effects, mothers belonging to specific ethnic groups indicated greater or lesser vulnerabilities to CMDs depending on their exposure to specific correlates. Results have applicability for the development of culturally sensitive interventions for mothers experiencing CMDs.

Water usage in rainwater harvesting households in Trinidad

Rainwater harvesting (RWH), which was previously undertaken more out of necessity than any commitment to autonomy, is now being heralded as a sustainable alternative for domestic water supply and flood control, and in disaster relief. In Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region, RWH is included in water security and sustainability strategies. Despite the plethora of domestic RWH projects, estimates of water consumption in RWH-dependent households are unavailable, and project designers are left to assume values that are based on conventional water-supply systems. In the present study the per capita consumption (PCC) of domestic water in three RWH-dependent communities was quantified. For this purpose, households’ perceived and actual water consumption was investigated in three rural communities in Trinidad. It was found that perceived and actual consumption are 105–164 l per person per day (lpd) and 95–240 lpd, respectively. Householders’ perception of how much water is consumed was generally significantly different from the measured amount. While the sample of measured PCC was small, the results provide more realistic values for the design of RWH systems, which are being promoted in the region.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of coastal communities in Trinidad and Tobago about tsunamis

Tsunamis are natural hazards that have affected the Caribbean in the past and are projected to do so in the future. In order to mitigate the devastating impacts of tsunamis, awareness and preparedness is critical amongst local populations. This study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practices of coastal residents in one Caribbean country (Trinidad and Tobago) about tsunamis. Fifty residents were interviewed in each of three coastal communities in Trinidad and four coastal communities in Tobago. Interviewees generally lacked basic tsunami awareness (<20 % were fully aware of a basic definition of a tsunami, only 57 % indicated that natural signs in the environment could be used to foretell a tsunami’s arrival, and 92 % were unaware of past tsunamis in the Caribbean). Interviewees possessed an attitude that was consistent with the popular saying/perception that ‘God is a Trini’ as (1) 46 % indicated that there was no or very little likelihood that Trinidad and Tobago would be hit by a tsunami in the next 10 years and (2) 57 % indicated that if a tsunami were to occur God will be the entity most likely to prevent the loss of life. There was a lack of tsunami preparedness by individuals as 93 % of the interviewees did not have an emergency plan for a tsunami. Overall, 85 % of the interviewees indicated that public education programmes about tsunamis had never been conducted in their community. Baseline data from this study will be useful in (1) evaluating the effectiveness of current tsunami awareness and preparedness efforts and (2) informing the implementation of new programmes which target existing knowledge gaps. Furthermore, it is envisioned that this study will also provide the necessary foundation for future KAP studies about tsunamis in other Caribbean islands.

‘Hotspot policing’: a comparative analysis of sanctioned acts of policing versus media representations of policing in a stigmatized community in Trinidad

The ‘Partial State of Emergency’ implemented in Trinidad and Tobago in August 2011, as well as media broadcasts on the crime situation, has brought to the forefront the high degree of interface between police officers and civilians within the identified ‘hotspot communities’. The assumed realities of these individuals were communicated in such a manner which led to the stereotyping of citizens as marginalized victims and police officers as ‘disrespectful bullies’. The media broadcasts reflected the act of policing as unitary, as opposed to encompassing a wide range of roles for interaction with civilians. These broadcasts revealed a high degree of violent physical displays by police officers, which were perceived as irrational, and in some instances inhumane. Despite community policing initiatives, there seem to be continued instances of problematic relations between police officers and civilians from ‘hotspot communities’. The research examined the sanctioned responses of police officer governing interaction with civilians from one of these communities. It highlighted the extent to which these endorsed reactions are contextually portrayed in media footage. The study described the determinants governing police use of force as evidenced in the media with the aim of providing a direction for redress during interaction.

Diffracted Diasporas: Trinidad's East Indians, Religio-Nationalism, and India's Independence

In August 1947, the euphoria generated by the creation of newly independent India and Pakistan was celebrated by peoples far removed from the Subcontinent, including among the descendants of Indian indentured laborers in the British island colony of Trinidad. Trinidad’s East Indians reveled in the newfound freedom of their now-divided, overseas, ethnic compatriots. The masses of East Indians felt a surge of pride in the overthrow of colonial rule, evidenced by their attendance at parades, talks, and celebrations. In the months and weeks leading up to independence, East Indians debated the merits and disadvantages of partition. Some advocated firmly the idea of a unified ethnic “Indian” community in Trinidad, whereas others constructed clear boundaries between proponents of Pakistan versus India, thus fortifying tenuous and contingent divisions between Trinidad’s Hindus and Muslims. This essay demonstrates that the culmination of Indian independence and partition exacerbated the diverging identities of Hindu and Muslim Trinidadians. I argue that Indian independence and the creation of Pakistan had global ramifications for the meaning of “Indian-ness” in the British colonies including Trinidad and elsewhere. East Indians’ appeal to nationalism interrogates the construction of national and cultural identity spatially and temporally distant from the source, ultimately affirming the salience of a religio-national identity. Furthermore, the networks of communication established between Indians in places such as Trinidad, England, and the United States produced “diffracted” diasporic identities that were mediated through these interactions.

Defining power margins: a classification of power within the discourses of police and civilian in a crime ‘hotspot community’ in Northern Trinidad

The article is part of a continuing research project on power manifestations in the discourses of police officers and civilians from a specific marginalized community in Trinidad and Tobago. The larger research draws on multidisciplinary knowledge frameworks to assist in the description and explanation of communicative negotiations at the community level. This paper looks specifically at describing power within the context of police and civilian interaction at the community level. It explores existing philosophies, definitions and frameworks with the aim of providing a definition relevant to the context of police and civilian interaction within a specific context – suburban, low-income, labelled, high-crime communities in a developing country. Data for the study were collected from interviews and recorded footage of police/civilian interaction within one of the ‘hotpot communities’ in Trinidad and Tobago. The study resulted in the identification of seven categories to account for manifestations of power in the discourses of police and civilians from crime ‘hotspots’ during interaction.

Willingness to pay for improved water services in Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago is not a water-scarce country by accepted definitions, yet it is struggling to meet set objectives of satisfying public demand for potable water. Consequently, in many communities, households have developed some coping mechanisms. Previous willingness to pay (WTP) studies have shown that households were not averse to paying more for improved water supply services. This study used the contingent valuation method to estimate the level of WTP in four different socio-economic communities in Trinidad. It was found that, while households' perceptions of the importance of water services when compared to other utilities is not homogeneous, there was a recognition of the need to pay more for water services. For payments through a fixed method or metered method, most households were prepared to pay substantially more than what they are now required to pay. Consequently, there are opportunities for the water and sewage authority to increase its revenue by implementing targeted programmes.

Multilevel and Cross-Level Effects of Neighborhood and Family Influences on Children’s Behavioral Outcomes in Trinidad and Tobago: The Intervening Role of Parental Control

The objective of this investigation was to examine the associations among neighborhood conditions, neighborhood collective efficacy, family economic disadvantage, parental control behaviors, and children's behavioral outcomes using multilevel and cross-level analyses. The proposed conceptual model incorporated propositions advanced by social disorganization theory, the structural-process model, as well as the Family Stress Model. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,337 families with children between 3 and 6 years (668 boys) drawn from 45 communities in Trinidad and Tobago. Neighborhood level indicators were assessed using census as well as parent reports whereas individual level constructs were assessed using parent reports. Findings indicated support for the Family Stress Model in that harsh punishment and parental monitoring functioned as mediators of the relationship between family economic disadvantage and behavioral difficulties (parental monitoring for prosocial behaviors). Findings from the multilevel analyses indicated that the relationship between neighborhood infrastructure deprivation and children's behavioral difficulties and prosocial behaviors was mediated through neighborhood collective efficacy and parental harsh punishment. Cross-level interactions indicated that neighborhood collective efficacy buffered the relationship between parental discipline, monitoring, harsh discipline and behavioral difficulties. Given the importance of communities and families in influencing children's behavioral outcomes, due consideration must be given to utilizing multilevel and cross-level perspectives both in research as well as in the development of intervention programs. Policies and programs designed to improve neighborhoods conditions, promote neighborhood collective efficacy, and advance the socioeconomic opportunities for families can help enhance the well-being of children.

Understanding livelihood vulnerability to climate change: Applying the livelihood vulnerability index in Trinidad and Tobago

This paper develops and tests the application of a Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) for agricultural and natural resource-dependent communities in developing countries. The index is applied in a comparative study of two wetland communities in Trinidad and Tobago, a country that is expected to bear some of the most severe impacts of climate change. Our application of the LVI entailed a series of critical focus group discussions involving local community representatives, government officials and researchers. Researchers collected household data for eight types of assets, which were aggregated into composite LVIs and differential vulnerabilities of the two communities being compared. The results of the analysis suggest that one of the communities, “Nariva”, was more vulnerable than the other, “Caroni”, particularly in relation to socio-demographics, health and water security, natural disaster and climate variability. Caroni on the other hand was more vulnerable in relation to other LVI indicators with the exception of food security. On questions of gender, the study found that female-headed households were marginally more vulnerable than male-headed households. Overall, the study suggests that the livelihood vulnerability index can be broadly applied in comparable settings in small-island developing states and other developing countries. In so doing, it provides a reliable methodology that can be used to assess community vulnerability and design management plans in areas with limited resources and access to reliable data.

A preliminary list of ascidians for the island of Trinidad, West Indies

The twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago has a thriving yachting industry with numbers of leisure craft having increased 10-fold from 1980 to 2000. Being geographically outside of the hurricane belt, the islands offer a prime hurricane Caribbean shelter with excellent boating and repair facilities. The Chaguaramas coastline (on the north-west peninsula) has seven (7) anchorages. One of these (the Chaguaramas Bay) was the study site for a survey of hull foulers on recreational boats. In that survey, twenty-seven (27) recreational vessels were sampled for biofoulers, one group being the Tunicates (Ascidiacea). In Trinidad and Tobago little is known about these organisms. Of the eighteen species (18) collected, eight (8) were solitary species and ten (10) were colonial species. Their distribution (all species collected) is wide and they can be found throughout the western Atlantic, the eastern Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. This survey is a preliminary one in terms of the ascidian fauna of Trinidad and represents only one (1) sampled habitat (boat hulls). There has however been a previous survey of the Tobago fauna. For completeness, there should be a full survey of the ascidians along Trinidad's coastline including their various habitats (rocky shores, mangroves, seagrass beds, etc.). These new data could be used to determine those species which occur in natural communities in Trinidad as compared with this survey (fouling community). In this paper these preliminary results are however used for comparison with the Tobago fauna.

ENTRE-JORNADAS: COOLIES E NEGROS NAS PLANTATIONS DE TRINIDAD

This study is on the relationship between Indian and African Descendant Community in Trinidad during the nineteenth century. These two populations coexisted under the tense atmosphere involving all kinds of stereotypes, dispersion policies and interest wars from local gazettes playing in defense of each involved group. Thus arises the following question: how was it possible for the two groups to work together, that is, in the same space of plantation, without serious conflicts? A probable response to this question is found on perception of existence of cultural negotiation spaces, built up by circumstance of “liminal stage”, into the “journeys”, in which people from different cultures can temporally seeing each other without social status. Key words: Immigration, journeys, indians, african descendants, Trinidad.