Cultural Patterns and Processes
Language:
Ninety percent of the Dominican population speaks traditional Spanish. A great bulk of the country also speaks Dominican Spanish, a Caribbean dialect of Spanish. Spanish is apart of the Indo-European language family. It is a Romance Language with over 75 percent of words derived from the Latin root.
|
Here is a YouTube video further explaining the History of the Spanish Language and its origin!
|
Religion:
A majority of the Dominican population consists of Roman Catholic faith. Catholic beliefs were brought to the New World by explorers and settlers. In fact, Spanish and Portuguese colonization caused Roman Catholicism to be a predominant religion in Latin America. The Roman Catholic religion is one of the three branches of Christianity, meaning that it is apart of the largest universalizing religion in the world. Roman Catholicism is a monotheistic faith that is known to be founded by Jesus Christ in the first century. A few of the basic principals of Roman Catholicism are; The Principle of Respect for Human Dignity, The Principle of Respect for Human Life, and The Principle of Solidarity. Catholicism basic beliefs include: God's interest in individual human beings, the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the immortality of the soul of each human beings, etc. Roman Catholics typically pray at home or at their Church. Catholics are normally required to go to mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation. In Roman Catholicism, members kneel, bow, and make the sign of the cross for worship. The Bible, inspired by the word of God, is known as the sacred text of Roman Catholicism.
Architecture
Dominican architecture consists of many diverse cultures. Their architecture mainly displays influences from European colonists as well as Haitian emigres. Ornate designs and baroque structures are primarily found in the capital city, Santa Domingo. Romanesque, Gothic and and Renaissance styles are also found in parts of the country. These styles were very popular in Europe in colonial times. The traditional buildings may feature stucco exteriors, arched doors and windows, and red tiled roofs. In Cibao Valley, houses are commonly painted and decorated with shutters and lintels in contrasting colors. Substantially most of the Dominican Republican's architecture contains vivid color schemes. In upscale neighborhoods such as Santa Domingo and Santiago, contemporary and postmodern homes are owned by wealthy individuals.
Food Preferences
The national dish of the Dominican Republic is called Sancocho, also formally known as Sancocho de Siete Carnes or "seven meat stew". The term "sancocho" refers to a meat stew that originates in Spain. This dish varies in different countries, in fact, it exists in several different forms within the Dominican Republic itself. As the name implies, this dish is a seven meat stew. These meats sometimes may include goat meat, pork, beef, and chicken. The dish is mixed with root vegetables and served with rice and avocado.
Social Norms
Most Dominicans tend to be very happy, friendly people. Humor and laughter play a big role in their communication. Although they may inhabit these traits, they also commit actions that are normal to their culture, but may seem strange to countries such as the United States. For example, in the Dominican Republic, it is normal for people to be at least 1-2 feet close to others while they engage in conversation. If they back up or move farther away from the person their engaging with, it is considered rude. In the United States, we may move away or feel strange if someone is that close to us when were engaging. Majority of the time, we would rather have our own personal space instead of being clustered. Another example is the legal drinking age. In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21. In the Dominican Republic, the legal drinking age is only 18!
Ethnicity
The Dominican Republic is predominantly mixed of African and European ethnicities. 72 percent of the entire Dominican population is known to be Mulatto, Mestizo, or Multiracial. These people are from Black and White descent due to racial integration. Their primary language is Dominican Spanish, but some speak Semana English. The next prominent ethnicity is the White Dominicans or European ancestry. This ethnicity makes up 16 percent of the entire Dominican population. In the 18th century, Europeans went to colonize in this region, which led to a surge in the white population. When areas finally started to gain their independence, white dominance started to recede and only a few were left behind. These few are the ancestors of the current White Dominicans. These Dominicans speak either English or Spanish. Both ethnicities are from Christian faith, but some European Dominicans are from Jewish faith. Gender roles play a huge part in the Dominican culture. Although women may have many rights, many are still expected be be housewives in a traditional manner. It is more common for females to have job opportunities rather than men because they are being paid less. Women actually don't even get paid enough to be categorized as middle class. In the Dominican Republic, men are the dominant figures in families.
Pop and Folk Culture
Dominicans have many distinctive types of folk and pop cultures. Aging back the the 1840's when the DR was founded, it has gained many influences from the Spain, African, and Tainos cultures. Son is a less popular music genre that originates in Eastern Cuba. By the way it draws melodic and harmonic language, it is considered a Dominican genre that incorporates African and Spanish sounds simultaneously. Dominican cuisine also reflects their folk culture to an extent. Their foods include Spanish, African, and Tainos influences as well. Most Dominican dishes include rice, beans, fish, shrimp, and fruits and vegetables. Pop culture in the Dominican republic can be represented by their music. Bachata and Merengue are two of the most popular forms of music in the Dominican Republic. Although Merengue is more popular than Bachata, both are more upbeat and fast-paced styles of music. Appearing neat and clean is a huge necessity for Dominicans. Their appearance is important is usually how they are judged. Dominican clothing in rural areas reflect influences from the Tainos culture. Dominican traditional clothing may be bright, long dresses for women and the traditional chacabana for men. Due to diffusion of American culture, Dominicans dress more casual in things such as t shirts and jeans or short skirts and blouses.
Ethnic Tension
Hispaniola is an island that is split into two by means of an artificial line. One side of the island is Haiti and the other is the Dominican Republic. This split was caused by a historical event called the 1937 Parsley Massacre led by the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. Trujillo targeted Haitians, Dominicans who were dark enough to look Haitian, and people who could not roll the "r" in perejil, the Spanish word for parsley. Today, the tension still occurs as any Haitians or people of darker skin complexions identified may be at risk of being expelled from the country. People without identification of any sort are at high risk of being expelled from the country.