Creolization
Encyclopedia
Creolization is a concept that refers to the process in which new African American
cultures emerge in the New World. As a result of colonization there was a mixture between people of indigenous, African, and European decent, which became to be understood as Creolization. Creolization is traditionally used to refer to the Caribbean; although not exclusive to the Caribbean
it can be further extended to represent other Afro-diasporic individuals. The mixing of people brought a cultural mixing which ultimately led to the formation of new identities. It is important to emphasis that Creolization also is the mixing of the "old" and "traditional," with the "new" and "modern." Furthermore, creolization occurs when participants actively select cultural elements that may become part of or inherited culture. Robin Cohen
states that Creolization is a condition in which "the formation of new identities and inherited culture evolve to become different from those they possessed in the original cultures," and then creatively merge these to create new varieties that supersede the prior forms.
, often of which was used to distinguish the master and the slave. The word Creole was also used to distinguish those Afro-descendants who were born in the New World in comparison to African-born slaves. The word creolization has evolved and changed to have different meaning at different times in history.
What has not changed through the course of time is the context in which Creole
has been used. It has been associated with cultural mixtures of African, European
, and indigenous
(in addition to other lineages in different locations) ancestry (eg. Caribbeans). Creole has pertained to "African-diasporic geographical and historical specificity". With globalization Creolization has undergone a "remapping of worlds regions", or as Orlando Patterson
would explain, "the creation of wholly new cultural forms in the transnational
space, such as 'New Yorican' and Miami Spanish. Today, creolization refers to this mixture of different people and different cultures that merge together to become one.
enable new forms of identity formation and processes of communal enrichment through pacific intermixtures and aggregations. The meeting points of multiple diasporas and the crossing and intersection of diasporas are sites of new creolizations. New sites of creolizations continue the ongoing ethics of the sharing of the world that has now become a global discourse which is rooted in English and French Caribbean
. The cultural fusion and hybridization of new diaspora
s surfaces and creates new forms of creolization.
Creolization has had an impact on the elements and traditions of food. The blend of cooking that describes the mixture of African and French elements in the American South, particularly in Louisiana and in the French Antilles have been influenced by creolization. This mixture has led to the unique combination of cultures that led to cuisine of creolization, better known as 'creole cooking.' These very creations of difference flavors particularly pertains to specific territory which is influenced by different histories and experiences.
Jazz music took its roots from the dialogue between black folk music in the U.S., that is derived from plantations and rural areas and black music based in urban New Orleans. Jazz music developed from the 'creole music' that takes its roots from the combination of blues, parlour music, opera, and spiritual music.
The popular religions of Haiti, Cuba, and Brazil formed from the mixing of African and European elements. Religious beliefs like Voodoo in Haiti, Santaria in Cuba, Shango in Trinidad, and Candomblé in Brazil take its roots from creolization. The creation of these new religious expressions have sustained and evolved overtime to make 'creole religions.'
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
cultures emerge in the New World. As a result of colonization there was a mixture between people of indigenous, African, and European decent, which became to be understood as Creolization. Creolization is traditionally used to refer to the Caribbean; although not exclusive to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
it can be further extended to represent other Afro-diasporic individuals. The mixing of people brought a cultural mixing which ultimately led to the formation of new identities. It is important to emphasis that Creolization also is the mixing of the "old" and "traditional," with the "new" and "modern." Furthermore, creolization occurs when participants actively select cultural elements that may become part of or inherited culture. Robin Cohen
Robin Cohen
Robin Cohen is a sociologist working in the fields of international development and migration. He is Professor of Development Studies and Director of the International Migration Institute, University of Oxford.-Career:...
states that Creolization is a condition in which "the formation of new identities and inherited culture evolve to become different from those they possessed in the original cultures," and then creatively merge these to create new varieties that supersede the prior forms.
Beginning
According to Charles Stewart the concept of creolization originates during the sixteenth century, although, there is no date recording the beginning of the word creolization. The term creolization was understood to be a distinction between those individuals born in the "Old World" versus the New World. As consequence to slavery and the different power relations between different races creolization became synonymous with CreoleCreole
- Languages :A Creole language is a stable, full-fledged language that originated from a pidgin or combination of other languages.Creole languages subgroups may include:* Arabic-based creole languages* Dutch-based creole languages...
, often of which was used to distinguish the master and the slave. The word Creole was also used to distinguish those Afro-descendants who were born in the New World in comparison to African-born slaves. The word creolization has evolved and changed to have different meaning at different times in history.
What has not changed through the course of time is the context in which Creole
Creole
- Languages :A Creole language is a stable, full-fledged language that originated from a pidgin or combination of other languages.Creole languages subgroups may include:* Arabic-based creole languages* Dutch-based creole languages...
has been used. It has been associated with cultural mixtures of African, European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
(in addition to other lineages in different locations) ancestry (eg. Caribbeans). Creole has pertained to "African-diasporic geographical and historical specificity". With globalization Creolization has undergone a "remapping of worlds regions", or as Orlando Patterson
Orlando Patterson
Orlando Patterson is a Jamaica-born American historical and cultural sociologist known for his work regarding issues of race in the America, as well as the sociology of development, currently holding the John Cowles chair in Sociology at Harvard University. Patterson took his B.Sc in Economics...
would explain, "the creation of wholly new cultural forms in the transnational
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
space, such as 'New Yorican' and Miami Spanish. Today, creolization refers to this mixture of different people and different cultures that merge together to become one.
Diaspora
Creolization and globalizationGlobalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
enable new forms of identity formation and processes of communal enrichment through pacific intermixtures and aggregations. The meeting points of multiple diasporas and the crossing and intersection of diasporas are sites of new creolizations. New sites of creolizations continue the ongoing ethics of the sharing of the world that has now become a global discourse which is rooted in English and French Caribbean
French Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
. The cultural fusion and hybridization of new diaspora
New diaspora
A neo/new diaspora is a term used to describe the displacement, migration, and dispersion of individuals away from their homelands by forces such as globalization, neoliberalism, and imperialism...
s surfaces and creates new forms of creolization.
Culture
There are different processes of creolization have shaped and reshaped the different forms of one culture. For example, food, music, and religion have been impacted by the creolization of today's world.- Food
Creolization has had an impact on the elements and traditions of food. The blend of cooking that describes the mixture of African and French elements in the American South, particularly in Louisiana and in the French Antilles have been influenced by creolization. This mixture has led to the unique combination of cultures that led to cuisine of creolization, better known as 'creole cooking.' These very creations of difference flavors particularly pertains to specific territory which is influenced by different histories and experiences.
- Music
Jazz music took its roots from the dialogue between black folk music in the U.S., that is derived from plantations and rural areas and black music based in urban New Orleans. Jazz music developed from the 'creole music' that takes its roots from the combination of blues, parlour music, opera, and spiritual music.
- Religion
The popular religions of Haiti, Cuba, and Brazil formed from the mixing of African and European elements. Religious beliefs like Voodoo in Haiti, Santaria in Cuba, Shango in Trinidad, and Candomblé in Brazil take its roots from creolization. The creation of these new religious expressions have sustained and evolved overtime to make 'creole religions.'