Voices from the Hills. Ancil Neil
1, myself, was employed by this Government agency. Prior to this period these opportunities were unheard of. It was at this point in time that I began my initial investigation.
Informal Survey
During the period 1961 to 1965, I conducted a rather informal survey. This took the form of casual conversations and interviews. These conversations and interviews were conducted among residents of the community and people outside of the community. The majority of those interviewed happen to be friends and individuals I had come into contact with both on a social and professional level.
My intentions were to ascertain the following:
1.The reason why the community carried a social stigma
2.The reason for the lack of attention and general improvement of the area by the Government
3.The causes for excessive forms of violence in the area
4.The sudden impact of the steelband on the community.
Formal Survey (Non-Random Sample)
In 1974, I conducted a formal survey in the form of personal interviews using a cassette recorder. The survey comprised of a cross-section of the population by non random sampling methods; approximately 300 persons were interviewed.
The reduced size of the sample is not detrimental to the study for the following reasons:
1.Well over 10 percent of the population in the area under study were interviewed. This percentage included the 300 persons formally interviewed.
2.My first-hand knowledge and experience as a member of this community, qualified me to analyze and evaluate the social changes that took place in my time.
3.A very large sample was not a crucial requirement for this study of social change in this particular community since I had experienced most of the changes I was studying.
CHARACTERISTIC OF FORMAL SAMPLE
Age Group Interviewed—Ages ranged from 16 to 90 years (See Appendix: Table 1).
Sixty percent of all respondents have lived in the area all their lives. 40 percent for more than 15 years (See Appendix: Table 2).
The majority, 80 percent, fell between 20 and 60 years. Approximately 60 percent male and 40 percent female made up the sample (See Appendix: Table 1).
Approximately 100 steelband members, part of the sample, were interviewed. Approximately 25 of them were ex-members living in the United States of America.
Education
The sample revealed the majority of respondents completed elementary education. The older members of the sample never continued their formal education. Of the younger members, 20 percent completed high school (See Appendix: Table 3). The report of the urban redevelopment council on East Port of Spain (1972), states that an overall basic education was obtained, and that people with no schooling whatsoever, were found to be restricted to the older age group.9
Occupation
The data showed 10 percent of the employed respondents represented teachers, civil servants, nurses and policemen. Twenty five percent skilled and technical workers. Thirty percent fell into the manual occupational category. Fifteen percent engaged in clerical/sale occupations and 20 percent were unemployed (See Appendix: Table 4).
Religion
The predominant religious affiliation is Roman Catholic. On the basis of the sample and other information, the religious community was comprised of several religious groupings, the spiritual Baptist and Protestant groups followed closely behind the Catholic (See breakdown by religion in Appendix: Table 5).
Residential Stability
Slum communities are sometimes found to be largely unstable in that prevailing conditions, both within and around such areas, give rise to the considerable movement in and out of them. New arrivals of low occupational status converge for temporary cheap residence while engaged in jobs in neighboring areas, residents move in search of occupation or better living conditions.10
Knowledge of the residential stability of an area is of particular importance to agencies or organizations considering long term social and/or development projects, such as the part-financing of co-operatives, providing training facilities or assisting with the acquisition of property for recreational or other use. Justification of such projects depend in part on the active participation and cooperation of dependable community members.11
The Laventille community seemed a fairly stable one12 (See Appendix: Table 2). The population of the area under study was roughly estimated to be 10,000. This figure represents one-half of the population of the entire East Dry River areas estimated at 16,000. The unpublished figures from the central statistical office gives an overall total for the East Dry River area of 16,644-8, 026 males; 8,618 females.13
The population was difficult to obtain in terms of accuracy since the central statistical office gave an overall total for the entire East Dry River area or South East Port of Spain as the area is generally called. There are no separate census for the true Laventille area as outlined in this study. Faced with this dilemma, I had to use my personal familiarity with the area, and assumed the true Laventille community had a population that could be considered about two-third of the entire area.
CHAPTER THREE
Social and Economic Analysis
The study of data revealed in general, Laventille was an underprivileged community. A community with a vast majority of problems common to all depressed communities. Poverty, lack of proper housing, massive unemployment and limited facilities of practically every kind was present. In addition, a social stigma, violence and hooliganism, was attached to the people of the community. This created a social barrier, preventing any type of socialization or integration with members from other communities.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND OCCUPATION
The unemployment rate among all age groups was a major problem. According to community members, the unemployment problem was their worst dilemma. The majority of unemployed fell within the age group of 15 to 35 years. Males were more concerned than females over the problem although the unemployed rate of females was higher than that of males.14 Almost 50 percent of the under 35 years of age group found it difficult to obtain jobs or keep them.
The most frequently engaged in occupations by males were masonry, labourers (dockworkers), mechanics, painters and shoemakers. Females were most frequently engaged in hairdressing, dressmaking and as store clerks.15
Permanent employment was held by members of the older age group-35 years and older. The young persons ages were from 15 to 20 years, few had skills. In this age category nearly 80 percent never learned a trade or acquired a skill. This was hardly surprising, considering their limited educational experience and opportunities as well as their youthfulness.16
From experience and data collected I came to the following general conclusion:
1.The tremendous unemployment problem resulted in the majority of young people doing nothing from the age of fourteen (when they left primary school), to the age of seventeen or eighteen when they considered any serious attempt to obtain employment.
2.This resulted in the production of undisciplined, unmotivated, unpunctual, and unindustrious individuals, who had very vague