Exploring the Role of Jamaican Music as an Instrument of Learning Among Adults Living in a Jamaican Garrison.

Abstract

This study was designed to explore the role of Jamaican music as an instrument of learning among adults living in a Jamaican garrison. Additionally, an aim of this study was to identify elements of culture that can be explored further as a pedagogical tool for others with similar life circumstances living within garrisons and other communities. Given the current state (criminality, poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and stereotypes) within Jamaica and specifically within garrison communities, it is essential to understand the sociocultural and socio-economic context of how adults navigate life within the garrison community. The perceptions of the garrison members are relevant in making meaning from their life stories. In an effort to illuminate the truth in the participants’ stories, Moustakas’s transcendental phenomenological approach was utilized as the basis for data collection and interpretation. In addition, the study was guided by four theoretical constructs. These included critical/emancipatory theory, postcolonial theory, sociocultural theory, and incidental or informal learning theory. Findings from this study illuminate how Jamaican music is used as an educational tool in reshaping the lives of adults living in a Jamaican garrison community.