Jamaica

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another and maintain direct eye contact. At a first meeting a warm handshake will suffice and is sometimes combined with slight touches on the arms and/or elbows. In casual situations men will lightly touch closed fists. Good friends and family will engage in a hug.

Woman greeting Woman- At a first meeting, women generally shake hands. Friends and close acquaintances may share a light hug with a kiss on the cheek.

Man greeting Woman- At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. Friends, family and close acquaintances usually share a light kiss on the cheek.

Communication Style

• Jamaicans tend to speak very quickly and may become quite animated. They appreciate laughter and do so often and loudly.
• "Soon come" is a favorite saying. Keep in mind it could mean 10 minutes or 2 hours or 2 days! It's a good idea to be patient.

Personal Space & Touch

• Jamaicans tend to be most comfortable at arms lengths from one another. This space is considerably closer between friends and family.
• There is a fair amount of touching between men and men, and women and women and men and women while conversing.

Eye Contact

• Jamaicans tend to favor direct eye contact over indirect. Avoiding eye contact can be viewed as suspicious behavior.
• During conversations direct eye contact is commonplace rather than sporadic.

Gestures

• The thumbs up sign is used quite a bit signifying good or yes.

Views of Time

• Jamaicans tend to place more emphasis on people and relationships than to the strict adherence of set schedules in social situations.
• The bus, train, and plane schedules will not always be adhered to for the most part. Soon come is a favorite saying. Keep in mind it could mean 10 minutes or 2 hours. Be patient.

Gender Roles

• While women are usually seen as sexual objects and the ones who should be in charge of cooking and cleaning even if they work full time, more and more are entering and succeeding in the work force.
• Jamaican men are somewhat aggressive and women can expect to hear men cat-calling to them frequently.
• It’s acceptable for women to dine alone, but going to local bars and clubs unaccompanied is not advised.

Taboos

• Speaking about or engaging in homosexuality is a big taboo, resulting in threats, beatings, or worse.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age in the is 18, and is not readily enforced.
• The legal smoking age is 18 and is not heavily enforced.
• Marijuana while readily available is illegal throughout the country. Penalties for possession, acquisition, and trafficking of drugs are severe and include fines and lengthy imprisonment in local jails.

Dress

• Jamaicans are somewhat formal in the workplace.
• For men: Conservative shirts and ties are usually expected and most upper management types where suits. Depending on the situation, business casual clothing may be appropriate.
• For women: nice dresses, blouses, and jacket will suffice. Most women usually wear heels.
• Jeans, shorts and sandals are usually not appropriate.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are very important and it is best to address people directly by using their professional title or Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname.
• There is no specific ritual surrounding the giving of business cards although it is advisable to treat the card with respect.

Meetings

• Arrive on time for a meeting even though you may have to wait 30 minutes or more.
• Allow time for small talk before getting down to business. It is best to allow your host to begin the business discussion.
• Avoid talking about politics, and homosexuality

Negotiations

• Jamaicans tend to be direct and say what they mean. They value relationship building and harmony so it is important to avoid hard selling, pressure tactics and any sort of conflict or confrontation.
• Jamaicans enjoy bargaining so be prepared for a little give and take.
• Decisions are made from the top down and can take sometime

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not usually brought to a first meeting.
• Make sure that gifts are nicely wrapped.

In the Classroom

• The school year usually runs from September to July.
• School uniforms are worn in both private and public schools with the exception of the large universities
• Most university grades are given on an A-D scale with an A being the highest. The minimum passing grade is usually a C.