The Social Characteristics of Jamaican Parliamentarians 1944-2002: (Extract)

By Rae-Ann Peart

 

This study of the middle class characteristics of Jamaican parliamentarians shows:

  1. that the middle class had become dominant in educational levels over time
  2. that middle class professionals had assumed dominance over lower professions over time.
  3. that middle aged, middle class, males were the most dominant category within the middle class.
  4. the established churches of the middle class (Anglican and Roman Catholic) were continuously dominant.

 

The data and discussion below indicate these trends. 

 

 

Education

Level education

In the years 1944 and 1962, 13.8% and 11.6% respectively of the all the elected representatives had acquired only elementary level education.  In the years 1980 and 2002, there were no members of the House of Representatives that possessed only this level of education.  In these years (1980 and 2002) the majority of the parliamentarians had acquired tertiary level education, with 61.2% of all the parliamentarians in 1980 and 82.2% in 2002. 

 

In 1944 17.2% of the parliamentarians had tertiary level education.  This percentage increased in 1962 to 30.2%. 

 

Level education of Parliamentarians

 

1944

1962

1980

2002

Elementary

4  (13.8 % )

 5  (11.6%)

---

---

Secondary       

3  (10.3%)

12 (27.9%)

9 (18.4%)

3  (5.2%)

Post-Secondary Non Teachers  

7  (24.1%)

8   (18.6%)

6   (12.2%)

6  (10.3%)

Post-Secondary Teachers

10 (34.5%)

5 (11.6%)

4 (8.2%)

1 (1.7%)

Tertiary          

5 (17.2%)

13 (30.2%)

30 (61.2%)

48 (82.8%)

 

 

 

 

 

Country preferred for Tertiary level studies

 

1944

1962

1980

2002

Jamaica

11  (64.7)

6  (33.3)

12 (50.0)

33   (64.7)

UK

3    (17.6)

6   (33.3)

9   (37.5)

4      (7.8)

USA

3    (17.6)

5    (27.8)

3    (12.5)

14    (27.5)

Canada

 

1     (5.6)

 

 

 

Local tertiary institutions have traditionally catered to the educational needs of the Jamaican parliamentarians.  However several of the parliamentarians have studied abroad in the United Kingdom and the United States of America predominantly.  Institutions in the UK like Oxford University, School of London and Edinburgh have been popular choices. Several other parliamentarians have opted to study at Howard University and Harvard University in the USA.  It is interesting to note that many of the parliamentarians, who studied abroad first read for Bachelor degrees at the University of the West Indies before opting to do postgraduate degrees abroad. 

 

 

Local institution attended by parliamentarians by Year

 

1944

1962

1980

2002

Mico

10   (83.3%)

5  (83.3%)

2  (16.7%)

---

UWI

---

---

8   (66.7%)

26    (86.7%)

CAST

---

---

2    (16.7%)

3 (10.0%)

WIC

---

1  (16.7%)

---

1 (3.3%)

other

2    (16.7%)

 

 

 

 

WIC-West Indies College now Northern Caribbean University

 

 

Throughout the years the parliamentarians have become increasingly more educated, with several of the parliamentarians possessing post-graduate degrees.  4.3 % of the 1980 parliament possessed post-graduate degrees and as much as 25.9% of the 2002 parliament.  This contrasts sharply with the 1944 and 1962 parliament that had no recorded cases of parliamentarians with higher degrees.

 

2002 Parliament

Country of study(tertiary)

for parliamentarians

PNP

JLP

Jamaica

21 (67.7%)

12

60%

 

Local Institution attended by 2002 Parliamentarians

Institution

PNP

JLP

UWI

90%

80%

CAST/UTECH

5.0%

20%

West Indies College/NCU

5.0%

---

 

 

 

Profession

Thirty-one percent (31.0%) of all the parliamentarians of 1944 were educators. Another 24.1% were trade-unionist. Doctors and lawyers accounted for 6.9% each. Farmers made up 10.3% and planters 6.9%. The number of educated professionals increased steadily after 1962.  In 1980 and 2002 there was a general increase in the number of businessmen, lawyers and doctors, this was associated with a general decline in trade unionist, farmers and the number of teachers in parliament.  The average teacher was replaced in 2002, by the highly educated University Lecturer, with that profession accounting for 5.6%. In 2002, doctor’s account for 17.2% of the parliament, lawyers 20.7% and businessmen 22.4%. 

 

Table showing Parliamentarians Main Profession

Profession

1944

1962

1980

2002

Businessman

1 (3.4%)

1 (2.3%)

7  (15.6%)

10  (18.5%)

Lawyer

2  (6.9%)

3  (6.8%)

4 (8.9%)

12 (22.2%)

Doctor

2  (6.9%)

3 (6.8%)

5  (11.1%)

9  (16.7%)

Educator

9   (31.0%)

5  (11.4%)

4  (8.9%)

1   (1.9%)

Lecturer

---

---

---

3  (5.6%)

Trade Unionist

7  (24.1%)

2  (4.5%)

3  (6.7%)

3  (5.6%)

Farmer

3 (10.3%)

6 (13.6%)

---

2 (3.7%)

Planter

2  (6.9%)

7  (5.9%)

2  (4.4%)

 

 

 

 

2002 Parliament

Profession

PNP

JLP

Businessmen

12.5%

27.3%

Doctors

18.8%

13.6%

Lawyers

21.9%

22.7%

Communications

3.1%

4.5%

Engineering

---

4.5%

Accounting

3.1%

---

 

The JLP has a larger percentage of businessmen than the PNP.  However both parties have roughly equal percentages for doctors and lawyers.  

 

Age

The average age for Jamaican parliamentarians since 1944 is 49 years. This is 9 years less than the world average of 58 years. The youngest recorded age in parliament since 1944 was 28 years (1980) and the oldest was 78 years (1962).

 

Year

Average Age

1944

41.41

1962

52.75

1980

46.59

2002

53.50

 

 

The 2002 parliament has the lowest percentage of younger candidates. 77.1% of all the recorded parliamentarians for the year 2002 fell within the age range of 46-55 and 56-65 yrs.  This stands in stark contrast to the 1944 parliament, in which 79.3% of the representatives fell in the lower age categories of 26-35 and 36-45 years.

The majority of the parliamentarians of the 1962 House of Representatives fell within the 46-55 and 56-65 age categories, with this age group constituting 62.5%.   In 1980 the majority of the parliamentarians fell in the 36-45 and 46-55 age range with this accounting for 69.6%.

 

 The 1944 parliament had no members over the age of 65.  However in 1962 12.5% of all the representatives fell within this age group.  The percentages for 1980 and 2002 were close, with this age range comprising 6.5% in 1980 and 6.3% in 2002. 

 

The Jamaica Labour Party had a higher percentage of younger representatives than the People’s National Party. The 26-35 age group, accounted for 12.7% of all the JLP representatives since 1944.  For the PNP, this age range accounted for 5.1%. This percentage represents a little less than half of the JLP’s recorded percentage.

 

 

Gender

Women comprised 3.1% of all the elected representatives since 1944.  In 1944 and 1962, there was only one woman in parliament.  In 1980 and 2002 women comprised 8.6% and 10% respectively of the total number in the House of Representatives.  Men in each considered year accounted for at least 90% of the entire parliament. 

 

 

Religion and Denomination

 

Denomination

1944

1962

1980

2002

Anglican

58.3%

48.8%

36.8%

 

Methodist

8.3%

14.6%

7.9%

 

Presbyterian

12.5%

4.9%

5.3%

 

Baptist

8.3%

7.3%

7.9%

 

Moravian

8.3%

2.4%

---

 

Roman Catholic

---

12.2%

18.4%

 

Seventh-Day Adventist

4.2%

2.4%

10.5%

 

Other

---

7.3%

13.2%