Interviews with 30 converts from the 1930s and 1940s are a component of Barry Chevanne's book, a look into the origins and practices of Rastafarianism. From the direct accounts of these early members, he is able to reconstruct pivotal episodes in Rastafarian history to offer a look into a subgroup of Jamaican society whose beliefs took root in the social unrest of the 1930s.

This is a timely study of the processes by which male children are socialized, against the backdrop of growing concern among educators, social workers and the general public that Caribbean males are becoming increasingly marginalized.

The work is based on qualitative research in urban and rural communities in Dominica, Guyana and Jamaica. The people in the research communities who are the subjects of the study are allowed to speak for themselves, and their voices emerge from the pages with poignant clarity. Readers will, in turn, nod their heads in recognition and shake their heads in...

By focusing on the worldview of Jamaican and other Caribbean peoples, this collection of essays explores the themes of cultural continuity and change between the Rastafari, on the one hand, and Revival, Ndyuka and Winti religions, on the other. A wide range of topics are covered: continuity between Rastafari and Revival, the origin and symbolism of the dreadlocks, the process of Rastafari integration into British society, the Gaan Gadu cult, home rituals, and the theoretical problems of African retention in the Caribbean.