This document provides sample questions and responses from the 2004 CAPE Caribbean Studies exam. It includes questions about the meaning of culture, the impact of Rastafarianism, social stratification, how education influences social stratification, cultural pluralism, the impacts of emigration on Caribbean countries, the meaning of indentureship, and how indentureship differed from slavery.

1. CAPE CARIBBEAN STUDIES
REVIEW OF PAST PAPERS
CAPE 2004
SHORT PAPER

2. QUESTION 1
 State One meaning of the term ‘culture’, supporting
your answer with an example.

3. RESPONSE
 Culture refers to the ways of life of a people e.g.
forms of dress.

4. QUESTION 2
 Describe TWO ways in which Rastafarianism has
had an impact on cultures outside of the Caribbean
region.

5. QUESTION 3
 Explain what is meant by ‘social stratification’.

6. RESPONSE
 This refers to the ranking of different groups in the
society according to criteria that are valued.

7. QUESTION 4
 Explain Two ways in which education influences
social stratification.

8. RESPONSE
 Individuals who have minimal education are usually
confined to manual or working class jobs.
 With educational qualifications one can access elitist
social clubs and professional circles.
 Highly qualified and learned individuals can become
members of the intelligentsia.

9. QUESTION 5
 Explain the meaning of ‘cultural pluralism’ in the
context of Caribbean societies.

10. QUESTION 6
 Describe ONE negative and ONE positive impact of
emigration on Caribbean countries.

11. RESPONSE
Negative impact:
 Emigration results in a brain drain from Caribbean
countries
 The country very often suffers from the loss of many
professionals and many skilled personnel to the big
countries
 The country also loses investment after training a
number of persons who leave at the end of training
(for example nurses and teachers)

12. RESPONSE
Positive Impact:
 The country benefits economically through the
remittance of funds to the home country by the
migrants
 The festivals staged by the new or newly adopted
countries aid the Caribbean as Caribbean artistes
often have to be imported for these festivals.
 Less population pressure in the Caribbean, for
example, less competition for jobs and other
resources.
 Recognition of Caribbean people and their potential
through the achievements of the Caribbean diaspora.

13. QUESTION 7
 Explain what is meant by ‘indentureship’ in the
context of the Caribbean experience.

14. RESPONSE
 This refers to the contracting of mainly East Indians
and Chinese to work on sugar plantations in the
period after emancipation.

15. QUESTION 8
 State TWO ways in which indentureship differed
from slavery in the Caribbean.

16. RESPONSE
 Indentureship involved East Indians and Chinese
while slavery involved West Africans
 Indentured labourers were contracted to work for a
time and paid a wage. African slaves were regarded
as chattel.
 Indentureship was confined to certain territories
such as Trinidad and Guyana whilst slavery was
widespread.
 While indentured labourers were treated
harshly, they were not systematically
beaten, tortured and murdered as were Africans.

17. QUESTION