Caribbean Studies IA

Theme: Music
Sub- theme: impact of dancehall music on society
Candidates name:
Candidate number:
Name of school: York Castle High School
Centre number:
Territory: Jamaica
 Table of Contents

Introduction and purpose of research..............................................................................................1

Literature review…………………………………………………………………………..........4

Data collection sources………………………………………………………………………....7

Presentation of data…………………………………………………………………………….9

Presentation of findings……………………………………………………………………….18

Discussion of findings………………………………………………………………………...21

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….23

Limitations…………………………………………………………………………………….24

Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………….25

References……………………………………………………………………………………26

Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………...27
 Acknowledgement

I would like to extend gratitude to all the individuals who have offered their help and support

which aided in the completion of my Caribbean studies IA. I would like to thank my Caribbean

Studies Teacher Mr. Burnett, my parents and my aunt for providing guidance during the process

and sharing their wisdom.

Theme

Music

Sub-theme

Impact of dancehall music in society

Problem statement

To investigate the impact of dancehall music on teenagers in Brown’s Town Jamaica and the

extent to which it affects them.

Variables

Dependent- teenagers in Brown’s Town Jamaica

Independent- dancehall music

Hypothesis

Dancehall music negatively impacts teenage behaviour in Brown’s Town Jamaica.

Research questions

How does dancehall music affect teenagers?

On what area of teenage life does dancehall music have the greatest impact?

How can the negative effects of dancehall music on teenagers be mitigated by the society?

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 INTRODUCTION

Relevance of topic

Dancehall music has been a part of Jamaican culture since the late 1970s. This genre of music

has become well known not only in Jamaica but also worldwide. Many dancehall artists have

collaborated with other artists all over the world from various genres. But in recent years there

has been greater concern from individuals within society about the sexually explicit and violent

content which comprises most dancehall songs in this era and its effect on society, culture and

everyday life especially the lives of young people. The view held by some individuals is that

dancehall music acts as a tool which alters the morals, values and behaviour of young people in a

negative way. Young people are the future of our society, so whatever they learn and practice

throughout their childhood especially their teenage years will be carried with them throughout

adulthood. So whatever ideals and values they possess will be passed on to their own children

through socialization. Therefore this study is important in order to acquire knowledge of how

dancehall music affects teenagers and the ways the negative effects (if any) can be mitigated.

Statement of the Problem

The study will be conducted in Brown’s Town, Jamaica to investigate the impact of dancehall

music on teenagers in Jamaica and the extent to which it affects them. Respondents will be

chosen from three high schools in the vicinity: York castle high school, Brown’s Town high

school and St. Hilda’s Diocesan high school in order to obtain results from different social

environments so generalizations can be made based on this information. The study will be

conducted in order to find out how dancehall music affects teenagers, the area of their life which

it has the greatest impact and ways in which the negative effects on youth can be mitigated.

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 Educational value

This research project will be beneficial to many people but mainly for the research subjects

“teenagers” as they will have access to the information and they will be aware of how the music

they listen to particularly dancehall contributes to their lifestyle and behavior and be able to

make informed decisions about what they listen to.

Definition of technical terms

Dancehall- This is a genre of music which was created in the late 1970’s in Jamaica and later in

the 1980’s became Jamaica’s dominant music.

Teenager – A person between the ages of 13-19.

Behavior- the way in which someone or something acts or conducts themselves.

Attitude- A settled way of thinking or feeling about something.

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 Literature Review
The effect of dancehall music on teenagers and young people is a highly controversial topic.

Most studies and other documentation provide information which support theories of the

negative impacts of the genre in comparison to the small percentage which interprets the effect

of the genre in a different way.

Crawford (2008) concluded that there was a direct correlation between the hardcore dancehall

genre and the sexual and violent behaviour of adolescents. In the study mentioned convenience

and judgment sampling were used in order to select respondents and this may have created room

for bias. Furthermore it stated that the females would be more likely to be impacted psycho-

socially than their male counterparts, and would therefore act upon the lyrical content they hear.

Whereas another study Crawford, McGrowder and Crawford (2010) found that adolescent males

were more likely to have numerous sexual partners than females. As this is the subliminal and in

some cases blatant message being postulated by a number of dancehall artist, it creates one

instance where the males rather than females are more likely to act upon the lyrics of dancehall

music. Respondents from this study were selected from all fourteen parishes to ensure that all

teenagers were represented across the island and adequate results were obtained that could be

used to make generalized conclusions. Schubert (2007) states that music evokes intense pleasure,

sometimes sending shiver and chill down the spine. This gives further support to the claim in

Crawford (2008) that sexual and violent behaviour directly correlates to the hardcore dancehall

genre as these feelings of intense pleasure can be a driving force behind the attitude, actions and

behaviour of youth.

Even studies done outside the region have come to similar conclusions. Martino, Collins and

Elliot (2008) found that listening to music with degrading lyrics is related to advances in a range

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of sexual activities among adolescent, as it creates a false ideal of the expectations of the

behavior of males and females in the region. According to Anderson, Craig and Nicolas (2003)

there was a correlation between songs with violent lyrics and thoughts or feelings of aggression.

It was stated in the article that the college students who heard a violent song felt more hostile

than those who heard a similar non-violent song. In addition the study focused on the exposure to

violent lyrical content in short-term settings, development of aggressive personalities and the

differences between the short term and long term effects.

Dr. Gillian lowe, a child psychologist attached to the UWI hospital and the ministry of health

states in an article in the Sunday gleaner “parents urged to monitor their kids” (2009) sates that

parents should monitor their children’s activities to limit the likelihood of transferring negative

values. She also claims parents should explain why and also the consequences, so the children

are able to see your point of view clearly. This methodology may not work with all children as

not all children respond to their parents in the same way even when placed in a similar situation.

In the same article Dr. Winsome Miller a well-known musicologist from St. James concurs that

schools should take a proactive role in reducing the negative effects of dancehall music. She

argues that music education should be taught in schools and also encourages artists to focus on

songs with positive messages.

The gleaner article “No link between dancehall and violence among youth- UWI study shows

link statistically insignificant” (2009) states that Dr. Donna Hope conducted a study among 300

15-24 year olds in Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and clarendon in 2009 the findings of the

study were not accepted by everyone as it deviated from the standard perception and found that

there was no statistical correlation between youth consumption of dancehall music and violence.

The violence is mainly attributed to other factors such as poverty and peer pressure. Although the

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study employed the use of an adequate number of respondents, the respondents were chosen

from three specific areas. Therefore, it can be argued that the environment could have also been a

factor which determined the responses obtained. Each area in Jamaica differs as not all may have

the same system of values, beliefs and ideals.

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 DATA COLLECTION

Research design

The research project is applied and quantitative in nature as it employs the use of statistically

based data collection source to investigate the problem which deals with the impact of dancehall

music on teenagers in Brown’s Town, Jamaica. This study requires the use of quantitative rather

than qualitative methods as the study seeks to find out how and the extent to which dancehall

music affects teenagers in Brown’s Town Jamaica. Therefore data has to be collected from a

number of sources so that generalizations can be made and major trends can be found in

comparison with qualitative data which is associated with in depth analysis using words.

Method of data collection

A structured questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was utilized as one of the methods of data

collection in order to extract relevant firsthand information from the primary sources and make

accurate deductions. The questionnaire had 1 opened-ended question and 20 close-ended

questions. Furthermore the questionnaire was chosen as it can be completed in a relatively short

period of time and can be done at the convenience of the respondent. Data from questionnaires

can also be easily analysed and it ensures confidentiality so that respondents may answer freely.

Selection of sample size

There are three high schools located in Brown’s Town: York Castle High school, St. Hilda’s

Diocesan High School and Brown’s Town High School. Sixty questionnaires were distributed.

Twenty questionnaires were distributed at each high school and all sixty were returned. The

respondents were chosen through a process of systematic random sampling. The questionnaires

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were distributed at the entrance of each high school. Every fourth student who passed was given

a questionnaire to complete. Questionnaires were completed at the entrance of the school then

handed back to the researcher. Permission was sought from the principal of each school before

questionnaires were distributed.

Collection of data

The study was conducted over a four day period from January 17-20, 2017. The questionnaires

were distributed to the respondents at each location. Respondents completed the questionnaire on

spot and returned them to the researcher immediately after. A few respondents were reluctant to

complete the questionnaire and had to be reassured. A small number of respondents did not fully

understand some questions.

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 Presentation of Findings
Sixty questionnaires were distributed to respondents. Thirty seven of these respondents were
female while twenty three were male. A total of 26 respondents were in the 13-15 age group
while other thirty four were in the 16-19 age group.

Figure 1. The graph shows the individuals chosen by respondents who they believe are in control
of the music children listen to. Eleven respondents chose peers, twenty four selected children,
five chose parents and twenty respondents chose the media.

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Figure 2. The pie chart shows the sex respondents believe are more likely to act on the lyrics of
dancehall. Ninety four percent (94%) selected female while six (6%) percent chose male.

Table showing how youths were introduced to dancehall

Ways youths were introduced to dancehall Number of respondents

internet 7

radio 19

television 12

peers 17

parents 5

Table 1. The table above shows the ways in which youths were introduced to dancehall. From
the table it can be seen that nineteen (19) respondents were introduced to dancehall through

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radio, twelve (12) through the television, seventeen (17) were introduced through peers, seven
(7) through the internet and five (5) through parents.

Figure 3. The conical chart above illustrates the preferred genre of the respondents. From the
graph it is evident that thirty nine (39) individuals prefer dancehall, nine (9) prefer pop while six
(6) prefer R&B. The preferred genre for five (5) individuals was reggae, one (1) individual
preferred gospel and none preferred rock.

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Figure 4. The pie chart above shows how often the respondents listen to dancehall music. It is
seen that majority of respondents which was seventy percent listen to dancehall music every day,
fifteen percent listen to the genre 2-5 times per week, ten percent listen at least ten times per
month and five percent listen to dancehall every few months.

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Figure 5. The bar chart illustrates the reasons why respondents like the dancehall genre. Thirty
six (36) individuals like the genre because of the beat and eleven (11) like it because of the artist.
Six (6) individuals like the genre because of the message and seven (7) like it because of the
popularity of the genre.

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Figure 6 shows that thirty five percent (35%) of young people felt over- confident after listening

to dancehall music, twenty percent (20%) felt angry, thirty percent (30%) felt angry while fifteen

percent (15 %) felt relaxed.

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 Positive impacts of Tally No of respondents
dancehall
Empowerment 1111 4
Popularizing Jamaican 1111 1111 1111 1111 39
culture 1111 1111 1111 1111 11
No positive impacts 1111 1 10
Boosts earnings in 111 7
sectors such as tourism

Tally chart showing ways dancehall positively impacts society and youth

Table 2. The tally chart above shows the ways in which respondents believe dancehall impacts

the society and youth. Forty three (43) respondents chose popularizing Jamaican culture, four (4)

selected empowerment while ten (10) said there were no positive impacts. Lastly seven (7)

individuals selected boosts earnings in foreign exchange.

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Figure 7. The bar chart shows the effects of dancehall music on respondents after being exposed

to the genre. Eighteen (18) respondents believed they became disrespectful to authority, thirteen

(13) felt no effect, twenty two (22) said they felt violent tendencies and nine (9) respondents said

they began abusing drugs.

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Figure 8. The doughnut shows whether respondents agree with all the sexually explicit and
violent messages in dancehall. Ninety percent (90%) of respondents did not agree while the other
ten percent (10%) agreed.

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 Interpretation of Findings
Overall table 1 shows that most individuals were exposed to dancehall music through the media

whether it was the television, the radio or the internet but a significant number were also

introduced through their peers while only a small number said they were introduced by their

parents. This is significant as figure 1 showed most respondents believed that children

themselves, the media and peers exercise the most control over what youth listen to rather than

the parents. This shows that parents have little to no influence over what children listen to as the

musical palette of children are mainly determined through outside influences rather than their

immediate family (parents).

According to figure 3 dancehall was the preferred genre of music among respondents but when

asked whether they agreed with all the sexually explicit and violent content of the genre ninety

percent did not as shown in figure 8. Figure 6 showed most individuals preferred dancehall

music because of the beat, the artist but the smallest number liked the genre because of the

message. This shows the relationship between figures 3 and 8. Most individuals liked the genre

because of aesthetic qualities such as the beat, the artist and the popularity of the genre rather

than the message, so even though they don’t agree with the content, it does not play a major

factor in the dislike of the genre.

From figure 7 it was seen that only thirteen individuals felt no effect of the dance hall genre

while the rest faced adverse effects such as disregard to authority, drug abuse and violent

tendencies. The amount of time spent listening to the genre in figure 4 directly correlates to its

effects. Figure 4 showed that most individuals listened to the genre every day. Most behaviours

are learnt so most times whatever is said or done often and over a long period will more than

likely be cemented and transitioned into attitude, behavior and normal daily routine.

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Majority of respondents claim that dancehall music is one of the reasons why youth today make

so many irrational decisions and that the genre of music is partially responsible for the increase

in crime and violence. Therefore dancehall music results in impulsive behavior and a disregard

for the consequences resulting from this behavior. Individuals do not necessarily think before

they act when they are being influenced by the genre.

From the results it was observed that most individuals believed that females rather than males

would be more likely to be influenced by dancehall music. Further most believed that the

females would be more likely to act on the sexual content of dancehall music. This is the main

theme in most dancehall song and they are usually geared to appeal to females.

Although dancehall music has some negative impacts the genre also has made and continues to

make positive contributions to our society. Table 2 showed only ten respondents from the overall

sixty believed that the genre had no positive impacts. Most respondents (39) selected

popularizing Jamaican culture as the greatest impact of dancehall music while seven stated that

the genre boosts sectors such as tourism. Dancehall has garnered worldwide recognition for

Jamaica and as a result of the popularity of the genre tourists come to Jamaica every year just to

get firsthand experience of the music.

Majority of individuals from the study (41) feel that artists should control the kinds of explicit

songs produced, 13 chose producers and 6 selected the government. Therefore to was seen that

most respondents believe the artist should be the ones to control the kinds of explicit songs

produced as they are the individuals creating these songs with all the” raw” music. Artists are

seen as role models to many youth today so these artists need to promote positive values in their

music. In addition most respondent believed that self censorship by artist is the best way of

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combating the negative effects of the genre. This further show that it is widely believed that

dancehall artists are the ones who have the power to influence our youth today.

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 Discussion of Findings
The findings of the study shared numerous similarities with others done previously. The results

showed that the musical selection of children is mostly determined by outside influences rather

than their parents. Most individuals in this study experienced a negative change in behavior after

listening to the genre while only a small number were not affected in any way. The statement

made by Dr. Gillian Lowe in the Sunday gleaner article “parents urged to monitor their kids”

(2009) is fitting in this circumstance. She made the statement that parents should monitor the

activities of children to reduce the likelihood of negative impacts being transferred. As most

parents in this study did not seem to be actively participating in the control of the musical

choices of their children, her statement seems to have some merit.

Respondents also claimed that there was a link between dancehall music, crime and violence and

irrational decisions. The study done by Anderson, Craig and Nicolas (2003) also found a link

between dancehall and violence. Both studies show that dancehall is a factor that impacts

emotions and behavior. The hardcore genre manifests feelings of anger in some young people

and exposure to the genre over a long period could eventually lead to these young people acting

on these violent emotions and cause harm to others or themselves.

Schubert (2007) stated that music evokes intense pleasure, sometimes sending shiver and chill

down the spine. This is clearly shown from the study as dancehall music has the ability to impact

the behavior of young people after listening. Individuals experienced various emotions after

listening to the genre such as: confidence, anger, happiness and a small number were even

relaxed after. Dancehall music can be a powerful driving force in our daily lives because it has

the power to influence our emotions and how we feel plays a vital role in what we do, how we

act and how we interact with others.

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Crawford (2008) stated that the females would be more likely to be impacted psycho-socially

than their male counterparts, and would therefore act upon the lyrical content they hear.

Similarly the findings from the study also reflected that most individuals believe that females

rather than males would be more likely to act the lyrics of dancehall.

Contrary to The gleaner article “No link between dancehall and violence among youth- UWI

study shows link statistically insignificant” (2009) it was revealed from the study that there was a

link between dancehall and violent behavior. Some respondents claimed that they experienced

violent tendencies after listening to dancehall. Not all respondents experienced these violent

tendencies therefore factors along with dancehall music may have been the cause.

The study also presented evidence to show that most individuals believed that the best way to

deal with the negative effects of dancehall music was self censorship by artists. In the Sunday

Gleaner article “parents urged to monitor their kids” (2009) Dr. winsome miller also made an

argument to this effect as she encourages dancehall artists to focus on songs with positive

messages.

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 Conclusions

The findings of the study showed that dancehall music is among some of the factors which

negatively impact youth today. Although in a few cases no negative effects were seen majority of

the respondents faced adverse effects from listening to the genre regularly over long periods. The

findings agreed with previous studies which showed that the dancehall genre contributes to the

violent and explicit behaviour of adolescents. It was also seen that dancehall music mainly

affects the response of adolescents to authority figures. Authority figures are more prominent in

the home and school therefore it can be concluded that dancehall music would mainly affect the

school life and family life of teenagers. Majority of respondents also believed that the artists are

the main persons who are responsible for combating the negative effects of the genre on youth

and believe this can be done through self censorship.

In addition the role of the parents cannot be downplayed as it was shown that parents need to

take an active role in the lives of their children as they are exposed to various influences both

positive and negative during this time in their lives.

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 Limitations
While the study was conducted a few problems were noticed by the researcher that hindered the

study itself or created shortcomings in the study. The sample size of 60 individuals was not

necessarily large enough which may have affected the study where the conclusions deduced may

not have been accurate or may not apply to the entire population. The fact that questionnaires

were only distributed at schools could also be seen as a major problem. This is because some part

of the population of teenagers who do not attend school regularly or at all may have been

neglected.

A few individuals did not fully understand a few questions in the questionnaires so it had to be

interpreted for them. This affected the validity of the study.

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 Recommendations
In order to reduce and essentially eliminate the negative effects of the dancehall genre on

adolescents a number of solutions can be implemented. Firstly the dancehall artists are the

individuals with the greatest influence so they are the ones who are in the best position to

alleviate the negative impacts. These artists can do this by simply censoring their lyrics and

reducing the sexually explicit and violent content in their songs so they can cater to the needs of

the younger generation as well as the wider populace. Other solutions to the problem include

workshops for teenagers to help them deal with anger and violent tendencies and music

education in schools.

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 Reference List
Cooke, M. (2009). No link between dancehall and violence among youth-UWI study shows link
statistically insignificant, Jamaica Gleaner, 27 December.
Collinder, A. (2008). Parents urged to monitor kids, Jamaica Observer, 2 June.
Crawford, T. McGrowder, D. Crawford, A. (2009) access to contraception by minors in Jamaica:
a public health concern. North American Journal of Medical Sciences, 1(5), 247-255.
Crawford, A. (2010). The effects of the dancehall genre on adolescent sexual and violent
behaviour in Jamaica: A public health concern. North American Journal of medical
sciences, 2(3):143-145.
Schubert E. (2007). The influence of emotion, locus of emotion and familiarity and preference in
music. Psy Music. 35(3): 499-515.

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 Appendices
Letter for questionnaire

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Dear Respondent,

This is a survey being carried out in Brown’s Town ____________________, in order to

investigate the effects of dancehall music on teenagers in the vicinity. This study is being

conducted in partial fulfillment for the successful completion of my Caribbean Studies Internal

assessment.

You are advised to answer the following questions honestly and truthfully. Since you do not have

to write your names anywhere, no one will ever know who answered in a particular way.

Remember this is not a test. There is no right or wrong answers. Most of the questions can be

answered by a check in a box like this □. You are also encouraged to give specific responses

where necessary.

You do not have to include your name on the questionnaire and all responses will enable me to

successfully complete my internal assessment.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

___________________
Asha Moodie.

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What is your gender?

Male female

What age group do you belong to?

13-15

16-19

1. Do you listen to dancehall music?

Yes No

2. How often do you listen to dancehall music

Every day at least 10 times per month

2-5 times per week every few months

3. At what age did you start listening to dancehall?

4. How were you introduced to dancehall music?

Internet peers television

Parents radio

5. Did dancehall change your behaviour or personality after listening? If the answer is yes n

what way has it affected you?

Disregard for authority no effect

Violent tendencies drug abuse other

6. What genre of music do you listen to most often?

Dancehall reggae pop R&B gospel rock

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7. Do you prefer dancehall to other genres of music? If yes why?

Message/lyrics beat

Artist does not prefer dancehall

8. How do you feel after listening to dancehall music?

Over- confident angry

Content relaxed other

9. What is your emotional state of mind after a long period without listening to dancehall?

Angry content

Relaxed other

10. Do you agree with all the sexually explicit and violent messages in dancehall music?

Yes no

11. On what area of your life do you believe dancehall has the greatest impact?

Education spiritual

Social family other

12. Do you believe dancehall has impacted this area positively or negatively?

Positively negatively

13. Do you believe/ think that the explicit messages portrayed in dancehall music affect the actions
of listeners?

Yes no

14. Do you believe that the dancehall music produced today is one of the reasons why young adults
of today’s society make so many irrational decisions?

Yes no

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15. Do you believe that the dancehall music produced today is partly responsible for the
increase in crime and violence? State your reason.
Yes no

16. What sex do you believe is more likely to act on the lyrics of dancehall?
male female

17. What lyrical content of dancehall music is the named sex above most likely to act on?
Sexual content

Violent content

18. Who do you think exercises the most control over what children listen to?
Children parents

Media peers

19. In what way do you believe dancehall positively impacts the society and young people?

Empowerment no positive impacts

Popularizing Jamaican culture boosts earnings in sectors such as tourism

20. Who do you believe should control the kinds of explicit songs produced?

Producers artists

Government

21. What do you believe is the most appropriate way of dealing with the negative impacts of
the dancehall genre?
Music education in schools Increased parental involvement in teenage life

Self censorship by artist(Less degrading material in music)

Censorship in mass media

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