Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The main research question of this project is: How do the narratives of Caribbean black
middle class civil society within the bounds of the “post-postcolonial” state, explain the evolving
yet current environment of local and postcolonial civil society development? Using the Bahamas
as a case, this project explores the historical, political, cultural, and social conditions that
supported the development of civil society within the context of a postcolonial society.
Furthermore, an investigation via in-depth interviews, participation observation, archival, and
contemporary document analysis contextualizes the present-day work of civil society leaders in
the Bahamas.
Methodologically, the project employs narrative analysis to uncover the perspectives,
voices, and practices of black middle-class Bahamian civil society offering an unfolding,
dynamic, and nuanced approach for understanding the historical legacies and contemporary
structure of local civil society and philanthropy. The study focuses on three primary forms of
narratives. These include the narratives of the past (historical), the narratives of expressive and
aesthetic cultural practices, and the narratives of lived experience.
The project locates that the development of civil society is linked to historical and
cultural forces. The findings show that that the narratives of history, social, and artistic
development foregrounds a hybrid model of civil society development drawn from the experience
of slavery, colonialism, decolonization, as well as the emerging structures related to economic
and political globalization. Furthermore, observed through resilience narratives, local civil society
leaders negotiate the boundaries of hybridity in their understanding of their personal, social, and
professional identities as well as the way in which they engage government, the public, as well as
local and international funders.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IUPUI/oai:scholarworks.iupui.edu:1805/17234 |
| Date | 07 March 2018 |
| Creators | Williams-Pulfer, Kim N. |
| Contributors | Stanfield II., John H., Springer, Jennifer Thorington, Benjamin, Lehn, Steensland, Brian |
| Source Sets | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
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