CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCE EXAMINATION

CARIBBEAN STUDIES

Name of Center : Chase’s Academy

Center Code :

Name of Candidate : Daniel M. Scott

Registration Number :

Territory : Guyana

Year of exam : 2018

Teacher : Mr. Chase

Title of Project : The negative impacts of dancehall music on the

Behaviour of students between the ages of 14-19 in

Campbellville, Georgetown.

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Contents Pages

Acknowledgements 3

Introduction 4

Literature review 5

Data collection sources 7

Data collection instrument 8

Presentation of Data 13

Analysis of Data 18

Discussion of Findings 20

Conclusion 21

Limitations 22

Recommendations 23

Bibliography 24

Appendices 25

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is my great desire to thank those who made it possible for the completion of this assignment.

Members of my family have been a constant support and encouragement. I would also like to

Thank my Caribbean Studies teacher Mr. Chase, for giving a basic outline on what had

To be done.

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 INTRODUCTION

Problem statement: The negative impacts of dancehall music on the behaviour of students
between the ages of 14-19 in Campbellville, Georgetown.

The research will be guided by the following questions:

1. How much are youths exposed to dancehall music?”

2. To what extents are young people aged 14 - 19 impacted by dancehall music?
3. What perceptions do young people have of dancehall music?
4. What kind of values does dancehall music promote?
5. What strategies can be used to mitigate the negative impact of dancehall music?

This study attempts to shed some light on this issue by investigating the attitudes of young
people towards dancehall music and therefore serves to actually determine whether or not there
is some connection with this deviant behaviour and dancehall music. This problem interested the
researcher, mostly because of the daily observances of young people, and the way in which they
react to dancehall music, and also how frequently they listen to it. Another observation made is
that these very students continue to keep up with the new dancehall music that are released, but
however are not able to channel that energy into their academics. It is with these observances
that the researcher chose to investigate the effects of dancehall on student, ages 14-19. This study
will benefit parents, educators and other parties with a better understanding of the effects of
dancehall music on young people, and in so doing will assist them in making better judgments
when addressing these issues. It will also aid them in establishing programs and policies better
suited to the individual needs of our youths.

Definition of Technical Terms:

 Behaviour: the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others.
 Attitude: a settled way of thinking or feeling about something.
 Values: the accepted moral principles or standards of a person or group.
 Mass Media: A means of public communication reaching a large audience.
 Deviant Behaviour: Deviant behaviour refers to behaviour which does not adhere to
widely-accepted social or cultural norms.

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 LITERATURE REVIEW

The influence of dancehall music on our generation has, of recent times, been a frequent topic of
discussion by parents, teachers and many healthcare providers, especially due to patterned
increases in deviant behaviour. In an effort to better understand whether or not dancehall music
has in fact had an impact on this apparent change in behavior, the researcher explored a number
of different perspectives on the topic, and a number of sources were examined.

Research suggests that there is a “correlation between the „hardcore‟ dancehall genre and the
sexual and violent behaviours of adolescents”, Crawford (2010). This study suggested that the
lyrical content in dancehall music affects adolescents on a psychological level and can influence
their behaviours. It was determined that the mean age for sexual activity in boys and girls were
11.4 and 12.8 respectively. Similarly, in a study conducted by Dr. Craig Anderson of Iowa State
University, it was found that violent and aggressive thoughts brought about by listening to
violent music, could further translate to real world violence.

Numerous urban legends exist in Jamaica which speaks to the wholesale, public, destruction of
men perceived to be gay. Entire songs are also devoted to championing their extermination, such
as TOK‟s “Chi-Chi Man”, which advocates the use of fire to expunge all (male) homosexuals,
including those who condone and participate in these activities but, who may themselves not be
publicly defined as homosexuals Hope( 2006). The furor surrounding Dancehall artiste Buju
Banton‟s Boom By-By aptly captures the volatility of this phenomenon in Jamaican culture. The
homosexual male, as a gendered being becomes the embodied representation of „the other‟. His
alien identity is thus constructed in a space where the homosexual „being‟ is almost, by
necessity, a product quite apart from his sexuality. The divestment of the homosexual from
(homosexual) sex simultaneously renders him an outsider as a well as a source of ridicule and,
ultimately, violence. He is „nativised‟ by the master narrative of hegemonic Dancehall
masculinity and is, in turn, demonized and terrorized (Fanon, 1967).

In a Jamaican study done by Marcia Forbes (2009), she found that the teenage students, when
taking public transportation, were drawn to the taxis with very tinted windows that played
dancehall music. The study goes on to explain that that “the female students would sit in the laps
of the male students and gyrate their bodies to the music”, behaviour which is facilitated by both

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the bus conductor and the bus driver. It further goes on to describe how young people would go
out of their way to try and meet the standards of these dancehall artistes. She appeals to these
artistes to act more responsibly and be careful about the lyrics that they put in their music.

In contrary to these studies, a study done by Dr. Donna Hope Marquis (2009) one met with a
lot of criticism- found that there is little to no correlation between dancehall music and violence.
Control and case grouping were utilized in this study, and questionnaires were distributed to 300
young people aged from 15-24. It was found that dancehall music was the favourite genre, yet
55% of the control group and 42% of the case group believed that it promoted violent behaviour.
Despite this, they did not believe that it made them any more violent. In terms of early sexual
behaviour, Dr. Marquis says while there is a connection between dancehall music and such
behaviour, the influence of dancehall music is negligible when compared to influences such as
peer pressure and early exposure to pornography. Her sentiments were shared by Dylan Pow, the
organizer of the famed street dance, „Passa Passa.‟ He argues that dancehall music is no more
influential than other aspects of the mass media and other genres such as Hip Hop or Soca, and
therefore does not prohibit children from attending the event.

It is with these and more findings that the researcher has made his conclusion that dancehall
music does impact our society's behavior.

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 DATA COLLECTION SOURCES

The following research was compiled using a questionnaire consisting of 25 questions based on
the impacts of dancehall music on youths, carried out using the co-operation of 30 individuals;
the survey was conveyed on the 1st December, 2017; in the chosen study area Campbellville,
Georgetown, though majority of respondents attended New Campbellville Secondary. The
primary data collection was conducted through the use of a questionnaire. The selected persons
were given the question, after consenting to participate, and were then required to answer the
questions on the spot. These individuals were chosen based on the ages 14-17 years old. No other
bias or predetermined characteristic influenced the selection process.

The following represented research is done using a qualitative method/ approach; meaning, it is
used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. General
information needed to complete this task was found in various scholarly articles, extracts from
journals, newspapers and e articles. It provided insights into the problem or helps to develop
ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. The researcher chose this type of research
method to efficiently simplify the raw data collected from the survey, and present it in a simple
or short form for the convenience of the reader.

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 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

40 Austin Street,

Campbellville,

Georgetown,

1st December, 2017.

Dear Respondent,

This is a survey being carried out in Campbellville, Georgetown to determine the negative
impacts of dancehall music on the behaviour of students between the ages of 14-19 years old.
This study is being conducted as an Internal Assessment for a Caribbean Studies course. The
researcher is pursuing at present at Chase‟s Academy.

You are advised to answer the following questions thoroughly. Since your name isn‟t required,
your responses will remain anonymous and confidential. There aren‟t any wrong answers and
most questions will require you to place a tick in the box of your desired choice. Thank you for
your cooperation.

Yours Truly,

Daniel M. Scott

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 QUESTIONNAIRE

There aren’t any wrong answers and most questions will require you to place a tick in the box of
your desired choice. Thank you for your cooperation.

1. Sex:
Male Female

2. Ethnicity:
Portuguese African Chinese
Amerindian East Indian European
Mixed

3. Age Range:
14-15 16-17 18-19
4. What do you mostly look for in the music you listen to?
.......................................................................................................

5. Do you enjoy listening to dancehall music?

Yes No
6. On a scale of 1-5, how often do you listen to dancehall music? (5 being very often)

1 2 3 4 5

7. What best describes your mood whilst listening to dancehall music?

Uplifted Aggressive Relaxed
Excited Sexual
8. Do your friends also listen to dancehall music as well?
Most of them Very few of them
All of them none of them

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9. Why do you listen to dancehall music?
Personal like
Influence of peers
It inspires youths, uplifts them and teaches them about life
I don‟t listen to dancehall music
It has a nice beat/rhythm
10. Name a popular dancehall artiste you know of.
……………………………………………………………..
11. How is this popular dancehall artiste seen in today‟s society?
………………………………………………………………
12. Do you think aspects of dancehall culture are noticeable in students?
Yes No
13. What do you think is the message of most dancehall songs?
………………………………………………………………..
14. Do you think that the above message is positive?
Yes No Sometimes
15. Do you often go to parties or clubs?
Yes No
16. When you attend these parties or clubs, how do fellow teenagers react to dancehall music
being played?
…………………………………………………………………………………………….

17. Where do you hear dancehall music being played most often?
Public Transportation
Social Media
Public streets
Home
If other please state ………………………………

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18. What themes are expressed strongly in dancehall music?
Gender role definition
Social and Political injustice
Sex and sexuality
Violence
If other please state ………………………………………..
19. Has dancehall affect the way you look at authority figures?
Yes No

20. Has dancehall music affected the way you look at the opposite sex?
Yes No

21. If yes, how has it faceted the way you look at the opposite sex?
I have more respect for the opposite sex
I have less respect for the other sex
If other please state ……………………………………………

22. Which of the following problems in teens are related to the influence of dancehall music?
Increase in teenage pregnancy
Crime and violence
Increased drug use
Poor academic performance
If other please state ………………………………

23. Provided with an opportunity, what would you change about dancehall music?
Sexual content
Violent lyrics
Profane language
Nothing
24. So in general, do you believe that dancehall music has a negative impact in our youths?
Yes No

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25. What do you think can be done to alleviate the negative impacts that dancehall has on our
youths?
Parents should closely monitor and have more control over what children are exposed to
Community programs and school seminars to promote good values
Artistes should start promoting more positive values
I don‟t believe that it has any negative effects on youths

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 PRESENTATION OF DATA

The following is representative of the data collected as feedback from the administered research
tool- the questionnaire (see appendix)

Fig: 1

Going To Parties/Clubs
Do you often go to parties or clubs? Number of responses
Yes 23
No 7

Source: Questionnaire

Fig: 2

Reaction to Dancehall being played

25

20

15

Reaction to Dancehall being played

10

0
Daggering Sing along Gangsta behaviour

Source Questionnaire

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 Fig: 3

Reasons for listening to Dancehall music

3%
Personal like for it

23%
Influence of peers

It inspires youth and uplifts

47% 7%
them and teaches them
about life
It has a nice beat
20%

Source: Questionnaire

Fig: 4

Where Dancehall music is heard most

often by students

14% Public Streets

19%
Parties
Home
13%
School via peers
Television/Radio
19%
Social Media
12%
Public Transportation

10% 13%

Source: Questionnaire

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 Fig: 5

Mood whilst listening to Dancehall music

Excited

Sexual

Relaxed

Aggressive

Uplifted

0
5
10
15
20
Number of Respondents 25

Source: Questionnaire

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 Fig: 6

How the artistes are seen in today's society

30

25

20

15

10
How the artistes are seen in today's
5 society

Source: Questionnaire

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 Fig: 7

What would you change about dancehall

music

I wouldn’t change
anything
Sexual lyrics
16%
28%

Profane Language
23%

Violent lyrics
33%

Source: Questionnaire

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 ANALYSIS OF DATA

According to Fig 1, of the respondents, twenty three (23) of them (77%) said that they attend
parties or clubs often while seven (7) of them (23%) said that they do not attend these events.

As show in Fig 2, of the respondents that visit these parties, all twenty three (23) of them (50%)
said that teenagers react to dancehall music by daggering, seventeen (17) of the respondents (37)
stated that they sing along and another six (6) of the respondents (13%) stated that most males
have a gangsta or bad boy behavior when violent dancehall songs are played. Daggering is a
form of dance originating from Jamaica. The dance incorporates dry sex, wrestling and other
forms of frantic movement and is considered to be quite vulgar and inappropriate, but is still
practiced at many parties. Also, the gangsta style dancehall music that promotes violence and
drug use also influence most boys to smoke weed and walk with weapons to fit in with one
another as bad boys at these parties.

As seen in Fig 3, of the respondents, seven (7) of the respondents (23%) listen to dancehall
music because of the personal like for it, two (2) of the respondents (7%) listen to dancehall
music because of the influence of their peers, six (6) of the respondents (20%) listen to dancehall
music because it inspires youths and uplifts them, and teaches them about life, fourteen (14) of
the respondents (47%) listen to dancehall music because it has a nice beat and one (1) of the
respondents (3%) don‟t like to listen to dancehall. As shown in the graph above, many youths are
attracted to the rhythm of these music and turn a blind eye on the deep lyrical meaning that the
artiste are trying to portray.

According to Fig 4, twenty two (22) of the respondents (14%) said that they hear Dancehall
music most often in public streets, twenty (20) of the respondents (13%) stated that they hear
Dancehall music most often at parties, eighteen (18) of the respondents (12%) said that they hear
Dancehall music most often at home, twenty one (21) of the respondents (13%) said that they
hear dancehall music most often at school via peers, fifteen (15) of the respondents (10%) stated
that they hear Dancehall music most often on the television/radio, all thirty (30) of the
respondents (19%) stated that they hear Dancehall music most often on social media and thirty
(30)of the respondents (19%) said that they hear dancehall music most often being in public
transportation. In Guyana, the most popular and cheapest means of transport is minibuses.

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Majority of school children use these minibuses and it is quite evident that majority of them skip
regular buses to catch those buses that blast dancehall music with the volume at the maximum.
They refer to these buses as “Top buses”, and are attracted to them despite the reckless driving
habits of these drivers.

As shown in Fig 5, seven (7) of the respondents (11%) said that Dancehall music puts them in an
uplifted mood, nineteen (19) of the respondents (31%) said that Dancehall music puts them in an
Aggressive mood, four (4) of the respondents (6%) said that Dancehall music puts them in a
relaxed mood, nine (9) of the respondents (15%) said that Dancehall music puts them in an
excited mood while twenty three (23) of the respondents (37%) stated that Dancehall music puts
them in a sexual mood. Many of the respondents can attest to it, whenever they listen to
dancehall music a certain vibe is felt which puts one in a certain sexual mood. According to a
respondent, “lyrical contents of dancehall genre have the potential to impact the brain, and affect
emotional behavior in humans, especially for the young people”.

According to Fig 6, of the respondents, twenty seven (27) of them (32%) see dancehall artistes as
role models, all thirty (30) of them (29%) see dancehall artistes as trendsetters, two (2) of them
(2%) sees dancehall artistes as political and social activists, twenty (20) of them (23%) sees
dancehall artistes solely as entertainers and twenty five (25) of them (29%) sees dancehall
artistes as being homophobic. As shown in the graph, many of the respondents see these artistes
as a role model who is also linked them being trendsetters as most teens‟ wants to be like Vybz
Kartel or Movado. An example is when the song “Clarks”, was released by Vybz Kartel
popularizing the brand further. Vendors in Georgetown started to double their prices. Thieves
also targeted people who wore them. Knock-off copies of the design also started appearing and
multiplying.

According to Fig 7, twenty one (21) of the respondents (28%) said that if granted with the
opportunity they would change the sexual content on dancehall music, twenty four (24) of the
respondents (33%) noted that if granted with the opportunity they would change the violent
lyrics of dancehall music, seventeen (17) of the respondents (23%) said that if granted with the
opportunity they would change the profane language of dancehall music and twelve (12) of the
respondents (16%) stated that they won‟t change anything.

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 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Due to the fact that dancehall culture is becoming more popular among the youth and the
registered increase in delinquent behaviour, it was necessary to evaluate why the youth gravitate
towards this kind of music and their perception of „dancehall‟ to determine whether or not it
plays a part in deviancy among youth.

The main findings in this research was that the vast majority of student‟s listened to dancehall
music due to the influence of their peers as well as the fact that they did not make a thorough
assessment of the music they choose to listen to, but more so, the fact they acknowledged this.
As with any genre of music, the lyrics being transferred are highly likely to influence the
recipient individual in some ways. The findings that dancehall music made males feel more
aggressive and females more excited corresponded with the study done by Crawford (2010)
about the effect of the music on adolescents in affecting emotional behaviour. One issue of
concern is the fact that students are completely aware of the content of the lyrics, and are not
expecting clean lyrics, but many of the youth still gravitate towards this type of music regardless
because it is what is current.

It was mostly found that the influence of peers is a big factor in the kind of music listened to by
students. It was therefore assumed that this influence also penetrate through to other aspects of
their lives. These findings somewhat corresponds to conclusions made by Dr. Hope Marquis in
her 2012 study. She expressed that the influence of dancehall music alone on certain aspects of
deviant behaviour can be seen as negligible compared to the influence of peers.

It was also found that Marcia Forbes‟ study in Jamaica, where she found that the teenage
students, when taking public transportation, were drawn to the taxis with very tinted windows
that played dancehall music is seen in Guyana also. These teens are attracted to pit bull busses
that are also tinted also, that blast music through their music systems. The most preferred genre
is also dancehall music and majority of school children use these minibuses. They refer to these
buses as “Top buses”, and are attracted to them despite the reckless driving habits of these
drivers.

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 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, there is a correlation between „hard-core‟ dancehall genre and the sexual and
violent behaviour in teens. Based on the responses obtained from the respondents, the findings
reveal that females more than males are more likely to respond psychologically to the lyrical
contents of dancehall genre. This research also found that the influence of dancehall music was
largely negative, promoting sexual explicitness, violence, and the degradation of women.
Additionally they do not make very calculated evaluations of the music they choose to listen as
they are very highly influenced by their peers. These conclusions are validated by previous
studies.

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 LIMITATIONS

One limitation faced in conducting this study was that many students were reluctant to
participate in the survey, thus limiting the availability and ease of acquiring responses. Another
is that respondents reported some issues with interpreting the questions posed.

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 RECOMMENDATIONS

From the findings it is evident that dancehall music poses a threat to Guyanese youths. This
threat is subtle yet very real, as it intends to demoralize our youth and propagate a culture of
crime, over sexualisation, objectification and violence. As mitigation strategy it is suggested that:

1. Dancehall artistes are encouraged to provide more wholesome, conscious lyrics that will
engender positive nation building qualities.
2. Songs that work against this goal should also be banned from the airways to minimize
exposure.
3. It is also recommended that parents begin to monitor to a certain extent what it is their
child is exposed to, but more importantly to try and instil in their children values
facilitating independence, and expose them to music which will aid in their social
development.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Caribbean Studies for CAPE examinations (2nd edition) by Jennifer Mohammed

 Crawford A.D. (2010). The effects of dancehall genre on adolescent sexual and violent
behavior in Jamaica: A public health concern. North Am J Med Sci; 2: 143-145.
 "Exposure to Violent Media: The Effects of Songs With Violent Lyrics on Aggressive
Thoughts and Feelings," Craig A. Anderson and Nicholas L. Carnagey, Iowa State
University and Janie Eubanks, Texas Department of Human Services; Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, Vol. 84, No. 5.
 Forbes, M. (2009, November 05). Art versus Life: The Gully- Gaza Feud. Jamaica Observer
 Hope-Marquis, D. (2009, December 27). No link between dancehall and violence among
youth- UWI study shows link statistically insignificant. The Gleaner. p
 Joseph, O. (2012). Jamaican Dancehall: Misconceptions and Pedagogical Advantages.
Bloomington, IN: Booktango; 112-115
 Manning, G. (2008, March 02). Music triggers early sexual activity- study. The Gleaner. p.

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APPENDICES

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