The African Caribbean population are generally acknowledged for being a hard working and law abiding group of people, sociable, though with a strong moral code, with strict parental values and styles of upbringing for their children.
It is important to acknowledge that second and third generation now comprise more than half of Britain's population of African Caribbean origin. Many of this generation has little knowledge of the Caribbean Islands scene, apart from what has been gleaned from parents or the mass media. Social life amongst those of African Caribbean origin in Britain is not strongly organised around the idea of cultural distinctiveness, at least not to the extent found amongst the well defined communities of South Asian origin and many other minority ethnic groups.
There is a strong sense amongst members of the Rastafarian faith of exclusive cultural identity. In general, African Caribbean identity in Britain is built far more around social networks and racial identity, than of any marked sense of cultural difference.
The life style of the so-called second generation of African Caribbean is often seen (and stereotyped) as something distinctive. In fact, there are no distinctions in young people of African Caribbean origin. In most respects they are very similar in their life styles and their progression through the stage of youth into adulthood and settled family life. As with all young people, there are factors that create differences, such as social class and geographical area and it is these cross-cutting differences which often unite them across racial or cultural lines.
Consider:
- There continues to be a strong tendency towards female-headed and single parent households within the African Caribbean community, which reflects the most distinctive feature of African Caribbean family patterns.
- Mothers are generally treated with great respect by their children.
- The religious use of ganja could be a potential area of conflict. There are no exemptions at this stage.
Jamaican patoisis used for ease of communication by some young people, both for its ability to articulate shared experience and its privacy from unwelcome listeners, as well as an articulation of common and distinct identity.Rhythmic behaviour(Expressive body language, volume and tone) is a kind of behaviour that is sometimes experienced when dealing with some young black people, It is a kind of behaviour produced unconsciously by some people when in stressful situations, or, when anxious. It should not be assumed that this behaviour is an indication of guilt or as a threat.- Particular care should be taken as to how activities such as animation or fidgeting should be interpreted, as well as apparent disinterest or repeated looking away. Generally speaking, it should be presumed that to make any inferences from such behaviour about honesty or integrity, without taking into account other factors, would be unreliable.