Saint Lucia

Greetings

Man greeting Man - In a casual setting, men often “jam fists” and then tap their chest (over their heart). This acts as a hand-shake. In a more formal setting, men will shake hands.

Woman greeting Woman - Women usually greet each other with a hello, and depending on the level of familiarity will sometimes kiss each other on the cheeks but more often they will hug one another.

Man greeting Woman- In a casual setting, if the man and woman are friends with one another, they will sometimes “jam fists.” Most often men and women still shake hands or if in a casual situation and they know one another well they may hug. If a man thinks that a woman is attractive, he may attempt to get her attention by making a “psssst” noise. For the most part, greetings of all types are conducted with a “hello”.

Communication Style

• People tend to be very direct. Honesty is appreciated.

• Sarcasm is essentially unused and unrecognized.

• Patois is the local language and most commonly spoken everywhere except Castries. As a tourist you may be regularly addressed in English but expect St. Lucians to speak amongst themselves in Patois.

• St. Lucians are known to be quite friendly. Expect to say hello and strike up conversations with strangers. Expect them also to not adhere to the racial sensitivities many areas are accustomed to, which is not intended to be offensive (think “hey white man/woman”) but curious.

Personal Space & Touch

• People tend to communicate at arms length, although with an increased level of familiarity, this distance can decrease. (i.e. with family, friends, etc.)
• In ordinary conversation, touching is not very common. With friends, family, etc. it can be more common.
• Hand holding is common among people of both genders who are close friends or family.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is acceptable, but it too much can be considered staring, which is rude. It's best to strike a balance.

Gestures

• The idea of waiting in line is not adhered to in Saint Lucia, so be aggressive and push yourself to the front of the line if you expect to be waited on.
• To beckon someone people tend to make the ‘pssst’ sound.

Views of Time

• Everything occurs on “island time.” Regardless of if a situation is casual or formal, most people will arrive late.
• If a person running a meeting sets a strong standard, people will perhaps arrive promptly, but it is uncommon.
• Time is given freely and willingly. Buses do not run on an official time schedule and can come earlier or later each day depending on situations.
• Do not be in a hurry to reach anywhere or do anything if your time frame is dependent on someone else. Treat people with respect and they will treat you the same.

Gender Roles

• Women often times run their households and raise their children with little to no assistance from men.
• Most women work, shop, etc., and there is little that is seen as unacceptable for them to do.

• From a young age girls are encouraged far more than boys to be active in school, which continues into college. Increasingly women are taking over the professional role while men continue in labor jobs (construction, bus drivers, farming). Yet, men still expect to be the sole breadwinners despite a changing professional class of women.

• Foreign women are usually not expected to adhere to any strong standards of genders roles.

Taboos

• Some taboo topics of conversation often include disabilities, HIV/AIDS, and evolution.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age is 18 but it is rarely enforced. If there is a smoking age it is never mentioned, but smoking cigarettes generally is not practiced.
• Marijuana is relatively prevalent but only mildly regulated.
• For driving speeding and aggressive driving is only regulated in Castries. For the most part you can expect very fast bus drivers, aggressive driving on the narrow highway, and few seat belts in use.

Dress

• For Men: Men often wear slacks and a dressy polo short or dressy collared shirt (with tie if in a more formal setting). Some people wear full suits depending on the situation.
• For Women: Women usually wear two piece suits, and most all skirts reach the knees or lower.

Titles & Business Cards

• People strongly insist on being addressed (whether in person or in writing) by their proper title. Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr.,etc.
• There is no specific ritual surrounding the giving of business cards although it is advisable to treat the card with respect.

Meetings

• Although you should show up on time, a meeting rarely begins at the announced time.
• Meetings are often begun with prayers, and any important person (elected officials, etc.) are introduced and welcomed by the group.
• The person that calls the meeting is general responsible for beginning/ending the session.

• Expect a formal environment for all meetings, regardless of if they are at the community level (dress there may be semi-casual) or in an office (formal dress).

• The presence of an agenda may at times be loose but there are always prayers to open/close, welcome address, a clear moderator, and thanks. Also, food is generally expected for any longer meeting, be it light refreshments or a full meal.

Negotiations

• Bargaining is okay in most settings. Remain friendly yet assertive.
• Decisions are rarely made immediately.

Gift Giving

• Depending on the environment, it is customary to offer a token gift to guests. Do not expect to give something yourself but if you have traveled far (out of state) expect to receive a small gift.

In the Classroom

• The school year at most institutions is broken into trimesters: Sept-Dec (with a full month break at Christmas), Jan-Mar (two week break), and Apr-Jul (7-8 week break).
• As of a couple years ago, universal secondary education came into practice such that all students advance to secondary school (Forms 1-5). College (for certification and associates degrees) is available afterwords but at the cost of the family/student.

Other Observations

• It is best to be firm with deadlines if you want things to be taken care of in a timely fashion.

• Be firm about delegating responsibilities.