Contact Magazine April 2018

The book draws on the work of the Caribbean’s Nobel laureate economist,
Arthur Lewis; anthropologist Daniel Crawley; C.L.R. James; the novels of V.S. Naipaul,
George Lamming and Earl Lovelace; the sociology of Eric Williams and M.G. Smith;
Lloyd Best’s plantation theory of Caribbean society; the poetry of Derek Walcott; the
scholarship of Gordon K. Lewis, Rex Nettleford, Trevor Farrell, Carl Campbell, Gordon
Rohlehr, Selwyn Ryan, Bridget Brereton and Selwyn Cudjoe, among others; and the
writings of newspaper columnists.
Although his analysis of Caribbean culture is grounded in these references,
Farrell’s prescriptive response to T&T’s economic underachievement emerges from a
world view very different from that held by many of them.
Where thinkers like James, Best, Lamming and Nettleford see the challenge of
change in the Caribbean as one of fundamental transformation of self and society
through disruption of the historic power relations embedded in colonial institutions,
Farrell argues that cultural change must be driven by “the elite who shape our
institutions and procedures and establish and enforce the rules”.
But they must first change themselves. To facilitate the process, Farrell proposes
the “re-training of values and attitudes for persons about to assume leadership”
through “structured, prepared encounters”.
Role of the elite
Persuading the society’s elite to “act like a true elite and take responsibility for the
place” will then bring its own rewards, as a new culture, supportive of economic
achievement, ripples outwards and transforms the wider society.
Farrell’s own observations about the work attitudes of Trinbagonians abroad
and at home in the courts, the energy
sector, airlines and certain hotel resorts
(namely the Sandals chain) have
convinced him that they are capable
of the “counter-cultural” behaviour
required for economic advancement.
Farrell’s counter-cultural situations
are defined by clear lines of authority,
mandated cooperation, and behaviour
that is uncompromisingly enforced.
“There is no rebellion or subversion, just
quiet and respectful conformance to
the rules,” he notes.
If this smacks of autocratic
leadership, it is not, Farrell says; it is
what can happen with an attitude
change in the exercise of authority to
engender trust.
respectful engagement; code-switching
and contextual use of ‘formal’ language;
establishing authority and enforcing
discipline; making systems work; and
connecting with the Folk to promote
democracy and foster innovation.
Drawn quickly, this prescription
bears little organic connection to
his analysis of the problem. Further
reflection might lead to an exploration
of the role of culture in the systematic
selection of elites who pose no
threat to the colonial architecture of
underachievement. A glimpse into the
self-perpetuating nature of culture
might encourage him to second-guess
his expectation that beneficiaries of the
status quo would have an investment in
changing the very system that rewards
them while punishing agents of change.
In any case, given the all-pervasive
nature of culture, who will re-train the
leadership elites for the challenge of
change?
Five initiatives
Farrell observes that movement between
the culture of underachievement and
the counter-culture of achievement is
negotiated through a process of “code
switching”, including the transition from
Trinidad dialect to Standard English. This
leads him to propose Standard English
as the language of the workplace, since
it is “associated with seriousness and
discipline”.
In the end, he distills his prescription
for change into five initiatives:
www.chamber.org.tt/contact-magazine 31
Trinidad and Tobago Chamber
of Industry and Commerce