Women in Jamaican Dancehall: Rethinking Jamaican Dancehall through a Women-Centered Informal Economy Approach

摘要

Some academic discussions that address women who participate in Jamaican Dancehall have taken the position that these women lack morality and agency and have internalized sexist norms (Lake 1996). This is because of the overtly sexual nature of the cultural expression. This research project aimed to expand the conversation concerning these women by investigating how female dancehall dancers, models and auxiliaries (designers, beauticians and vendors) make a living from Dancehall's informal economy. Through empirical evidence, this research will suggest that women who participate in Jamaican dancehall have subjectively and economically benefited from the informal economy that is embedded in dancehall.