Rastafari : From Outcasts To Culture Bearers: From Outcasts To Culture Bearers

Since its emergence from the ghettoes of West Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930s, the Rastafarian Movement has been transformed from an obscure group of outcasts to a vibrant movement that has not only become firmly entrenched in Jamaican society, but has successfully expanded beyond the Caribbean to North America, the British Isles, and Africa. Ennis Barrington Edmonds provides a compelling portrait of the Rastafarian phenomenon and chronicles how a once-obscure group, much maligned and persecuted, became a dominant cultural force in the world today. Edmonds charts the evolution of the relationship between Rastafari and the wider Jamaican society. In the early years of the movement, there was outright confrontation and repression, as Rastas were seen as a threat to Jamaican society. This evolved into a grudging tolerance and eventually an aggressive appropriation of Rastafarian symbols in the 1970s and 1980s--as evidenced by the veritable coronation of reggae artist Bob Marley--resulting in the "culture tourism" of the late twentieth century. Edmonds focuses in particular on the internal development of Rastafarianism as a social movement, with its network of "houses" (small, informal groups that form around leading Rastas) and "mansions" (larger, more communal associations), to track the process of this strikingly successful integration. He further demonstrates how Rastafarian artistic creativity, especially in fashioning the music and message of reggae, was a significant factor in the transition of Rastas from the status of outcasts to the position of culture bearers. Rastafari presents an intimate account of a unique movement, which over the course of several decades had entrenched itself in Jamaican society and has become the international cultural and political force it is today. ## Abstract Since its emergence in the margins of 1930s Jamaican society, Rastafari has moved to the forefront of Jamaican popular culture. This transition has been occasioned by Rastafari's own internal dynamics, by the gradual shift from a more conflict‐ridden relationship to rapprochement between the movement and the wider society, and by the ability of the movement to insert itself in the cultural life of the society. With regard to its internal development, Rastas have evolved a dynamic social ethos with informal social relationships facilitated through a network of “houses” and “mansions,” a highly developed view of the world expressed in a variety of symbols, and period ritual activities that initiate and confirm individuals in the principles and ethos of Rastafari. The relationship between Rastafari and the wider society has evolved from outright confrontation in the early years of the movement, to a more accommodating posture in the 1960s, to a more aggressive cooptation and use of Rastafarian symbols in the 1970s, and finally, to a positive embrace of Rastafarian contribution to the indigenous culture and the commodification of the Rastafarian image and symbols for “culture tourism” since the 1980s. Rastafarian influence on Jamaica's indigenous culture is quite pervasive, but the most celebrated influence has been on reggae, Jamaican popular music, made famous around the world by Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Third World, and others. Though Rastafari does not have the centralized institutions that Max Weber regarded as necessary for routinization, the factors outlined above have contributed to its entrenchment in the fabric of Jamaica's cultural life. Once an obscure group of outcasts from the ghettoes of West Kingston, Jamaica, the Rastafarians have transformed themselves into a vibrant movement, firmly grounded in Jamaican society and beyond. In Rastafari, Ennis Barrington Edmonds provides a compelling portrait of the Rastafarian phenomenon and chronicles how this group, much maligned and persecuted, became a dominant cultural force in the world today. Edmonds charts the evolution of the relationship between Rastafari and the wider Jamaican society, from confrontation and repression to grudging tolerance and eventually to cultural integration. Edmonds focuses in particular on the internal development of Rastafarianism as a social movement, with its network of "houses" (small, informal groups that form around leading Rastas) and "mansions" (larger, more communal associations), to track the process of this strikingly successful integration. He further demonstrates how Rastafarian artistic creativity, especially in fashioning the music and message of reggae, was a significant factor in the transition of Rastas from the status of outcasts to the position of cultural bearers. Traces The History Of The Rastafarian Movement, Discussing The Impact It Has Had On Jamaican Society, Its Successful Expansion To North America, The British Isles, And Africa, Its Role As A Dominant Cultural Force In The World, And Other Related Topics. Charisma, Routinization, And Rastafari -- Dread Uprising: The Emergence Of Rastafari -- Babylon And Dread Revitalization -- The Ethos Of Rastafari: Structure, Ideology, And Ritual -- Coming In From The Cold: Rastafari And The Wider Society -- Rastafari Rules: Bearers Of Jamaican Popular Culture -- Summary And Conclusions -- Appendix: A Review Of The Literature On Rastafari. Ennis Barrington Edmonds. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 171-184) And Index. This work moves beyond simple stereotypes to provide a comprehensive portrait of the Rastafarian phenomenon and chronicle how a once-obscure group, much maligned and persecuted as an internal threat to Jamaican society, became an international cultural force In this chapter, I analyze and critique Weber's theory of charisma and routinization in order to develop a revised version of this theory, which will be particularly applicable to an analysis of the entrenchment of Rastafari in Jamaican society.