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Occupying the eastern two-thirds of island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic has something for almost everyone – except perhaps obsessive perfectionists. If you can relax and go with the flow you will experience a land of great environmental diversity with a rich and varied culture, a turbulent history, some infuriating idiosyncrasies, and a people whose friendliness is legendary. The Dominicans are flamboyant, irrepressible, generous, headstrong, and resilient. Their culture is a distinctive mix of an easygoing Caribbean nature coupled with Latino verve and showmanship.
 
For those who choose to break out of the confines of all-inclusive tourist resorts, Culture Smart! Dominican Republic offers a tantalizing insight into this warm, vital, and intriguing people. It takes you on a journey from the unspoiled coastline to the agricultural interior, to the imposing mountains and to the hamlets where time appears to have stood still. It then catapults you into the twenty-first century, through poverty and opulence, to the hustle and bustle of the large cities and the lifestyles of the luxury coastal tourist resorts. It offers practical advice on what to expect and to how to behave in a Dominican home, or in social and work settings.
 
The authors of this book, both long-term residents in the Dominican Republic, have provided a unique roadmap to the interesting and challenging experiences that await you in this beautiful, varied, and complex country.

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The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, has a rich history beginning with the first inhabitants, the Taíno indians, to the Spanish conquistadors, African slaves, and numerous waves of immigrants. Culture and Customs of the Dominican Republic is the first book to encompass the vibrancy of the land, its people, and their cultures and customs. It surveys the daily lives of average Dominicans and also the unusual folk practices of the rural populace. Attention is also given to the thriving Dominican community in New York City,the Dominacanyors.

Students and interested readers will be intrigued by this insider's affectionate portrait of the Dominicans. This little-known culture is illuminated with chapters on the land, its history, and people; religions; social customs; media and film; literature; performing arts; architecture, art, sculpture, and photography. Culture and Customs of the Dominican Republic is a major contribution to the understanding of the developing Caribbean and Hispanic peoples.

Customer Reviews (1)

Useful Source Of Information
This book provides a good general overview of the history, politics, religion and art of the Dominican Republic. The DR is a vibrant, unique and fascinating nation which relatively little has been written about.

I read this book during a recent visit to the country and found it to be a useful source of information which enriched my travelling experience. But I did find a few shortcomings. For one almost half the book is devoted to the creative arts, with a particular focus on the so-called "high arts" such as theater, sculpture, ballet and opera. I think a more reasonable disturbution would have included more on economics, anthropology and social issues, with about 1/4 of the book devoted to creative endeavors. Also in this artistic section more should have been written about the popular forms of music and dance, such as merengue, bachata and mambo. These performing arts are, by far, the most important to the majority of the Dominican people. They, especially merengue, are also hugely popular and influential throughout Latin America.

In terms of social topics, Brown does best when discussing the complex issue of race in the Dominican Republic. Brown emphasizes the extent to which Dominicans have gone to emphasize their white European heritage and to downplay their black African heritage. This has been increased by the fact that the DR shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Haiti and the DR have a long history of political and military conflict, including a Haitian invasion and conquest of the DR in the early 1800's. Most Dominicans are mulato. But Brown says many darker skinned people prefer to call themselves "indios" rather than identify as black. This despite the fact that the indigenous Tainos were practically wiped out a relatively short time after the arrival of Colombus and the Spanish. My sense is that this is gradually changing, as young people seem less concerned than their elders about skin complexion. But, truthfully, I didn't discuss this topic with enough Dominicans to develop a well informed opinion.

In terms of gender roles Brown has a a rather extreme perspective, saying that "Dominican men treat Dominican women abysmally." However, she may not be far off the mark as practically every Dominican woman I talked to referred to Dominican men as "machista" (sexist). On the other hand, the tourist zones were full of young white women, mostly European, who had hooked up with Dominican boyfriends while on vacation.

A very common social problem that Brown doesn't address is the extremely high percentage of single mothers in the country. This often involves young women who have several children at a young age and then are abandoned, along with the kids, by the boyfriend or husband. Of course, this helps continue the cycle of poverty and leads many women into prostitution and other desperate efforts to provide for their offspring.

There are a few other areas which I found myself disagreeing with Brown's analysis. But for those seeking to learn more about the DR this is one of the few useful sources available and worthwhile picking up from the library though I wouldn't pay the price listed on Amazon. ... Read more

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An introduction to the geography, history, economy, culture, and people of the Dominican Republic. ... Read more

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Chapters: Cuisine of the Dominican Republic, Culture of the Dominican Republic, Pueblo Viejo National Park, Engombe Sugar Mill, Academia Dominicana de La Lengua, Nigua Sugar Mill, Galíndez, Diego Caballero Sugar Mill, Palavé, Pambiche, Parque Nacional Del Este, La Duquesa Sugar Mill, National Library Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Sanate Sugar Mill, Las Caritas, Procigar Festival. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 42. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The cuisine of the Dominican Republic is predominantly made up of a combination of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and African influences, the first and last occurring over the last five centuries. Dominican cuisine resembles that of other countries in Latin America, those of the nearby islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba, most of all, though the dish names differ sometimes. Breakfast can consist of eggs or meat and mangú (mashed plantain). A heartier version uses deep-fried meat, such as Dominican salami. Cheese is another popular accompaniment. As in Spain, the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch. Its most typical form, nicknamed La Bandera ("The Flag") consists of rice, red beans, meat (beef, chicken, pork, or fish), and salad. The Dominican Republic was formerly a Spanish colony. Many Spanish traits are still present, and people recognize a Latin American feel to the island and its cuisine. Many traditional Spanish dishes have found a new home in the Dominican Republic, some with a twist. African and Taíno dishes still hold strong, some of them unchanged. All or nearly all food groups are accommodated in typical Dominican cuisine, as it incorporates meat or seafood; cereals, especially rice, corn, and wheat; vegetables, such as beans and other legumes, potatoes, yuca, or plantains, and salad; dairy products, especially milk and cheese;...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=8034023 ... Read more

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This is a guide to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, which has much more to offer than its idyllic beaches. The site of the first European settlement in the Americas, the country has a long and often turbulent history, marked by dictators, foreign invasions and popular uprisings. For almost two centuries the country has shared the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a proximity which had led to friction and occasional conflict. Despite efforts to abandon dependency on sugar and to modernize the economy, the Dominican Republic still faces considerable poverty and social tensions. Migration, legal and illegal, provides a lifeline to many poor communities. Yet this often difficult past and present have created one of the most distinctive and vibrant cultures in the Caribbean, where 16th-century colonial architecture contrasts with modern office blocks, and where Spanish, African and American influences are apparent in music, food and art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Elementary school level
I ordered this book because I thought it would provide an introduction to the politics of the Dominican Republic. When I got it, it reminded me more of a mixture between a tacky guidebook and an elementary school social science book. It does present some insight into the historical, economical and political conditions of the country, some of them even differing from the mainstream image, but it is all very limited in scope and not very useful. If you want a guidebook, I'd suggest Lonely Planet a million times before this one. When it comes to a political review of the country, I have unfortunately had difficulties in finding one. But surfing the web for a couple of hours will certainly provide more useful information than a copy of this book.

Facinating
This book is a much needed new insight on Dominican Republic where I travelled a lot a few years ago.It is very interesting situation with haiti and the author adresses cultural issues sensitively butinformatively.The book is very easily to read and has a good order.

Summary
This book has dealt well with subjects like the economy, politics, and local places to visit.Unfortunately, I found the information on the history and cultural identity of the Dominicans to be lacking information.For example, When Howard spoke too briefly of the Taino Indiansor howthe Dominicans have a need to be more "Indian". He was totallyincorrect.The author does not hold a strong enough argument or facts tosupport this. He leaves the reader with much confusion about the Dominicanidentity. ... Read more

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Sanky Panky Meets the Rainbow Flag
Most studies of sex tourism focus on female sex workers with foreign male clients.Even some studies look at men involved in sex work with foreign women.This book tries to fill in a gap by discussing Dominican men who sell sex to foreign male tourists.This book tries to break a rigid hetero/homo dichotomy by showing the many men who engage in hustling but with no desire for other males.

There is a rare but excellent anthology called "Caribbean Masculinities" and the author's contribution is reprinted here.Really, I hope this book is a sign that the author got tenure somewhere.The info in this book is similar to another study about "pingueros" in Cuba.Those who saw the French-language film "Vers le Sur" may also enjoy this.

The book NEVER mentions "the down-low" and this is understandable as the study takes place outside the United States.Nevertheless, for those interested in reading about Black men who get busy with men on the hush-hush, they'll want to read this book.The interviewees here never suggest that kicking it with men means they don't have women at home and desire women all the time.There's a lot of "don't ask, don't tell" here too.Relatives of these men don't question how men who are penniless on Friday afternoon can now pay the rent on Monday morning.There's also machismo here where women are conditioned not to question their male partners and these male sex workers can lie about getting with women when they are actually selling to men.

Let me mention the most important comment to me in this book: "[The Zona Colonial] also stands as the most vivid symbol of what has been described as a kind of Dominican "hispanophilia"--an exaggerated identification with all things of Spanish origin, and a simultaneous denial (and repression) of the African cultural influences on contemporary Dominican society" (81).A whole mess of books and word-of-mouth mention how Dominicans go out of their ways to downplay or deny being Black.While the author brings this up only once, I really wish he would have spoken about race more.He dances around it as many people in that nation do.A student could write an awesome paper comparing this book and "What's Love Got to Do with It?" and they will note how the latter is explicit about Blackness when the former plays into the denial.

Sometimes the book felt long-winded.However, this was not another anthropological text in which a writer just recalls, "First I did this, then I did that."This was an informative book about Black bisexuality in a transnational context. ... Read more

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Dominican Republic has recently come to the attention to global strategic planners.This report puts these executives on the fast track.Ten chapters provide: an overview of how to strategically access this important market, a discussion on economic fundamentals, marketing & distribution options, export and direct investment options, and full risk assessments (political, cultural, legal, human resources).Ample statistical benchmarks and comparative graphs are given. ... Read more

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From the arrival of the first Europeans in the region until the 1930s, plantations--building their fortunes on sugar and to a lesser extent on cotton, indigo, tobacco, coffee, and bananas--brought unprecedented wealth to Old World owners, effected a fundamental shift in the landscape and economy of the Caribbean and the Atlantic world, saw the enslavement of first indigenous populations and then imported Africans, and led to bloody wars on both sides of the Atlantic over control of the lucrative sugar market. In this comprehensive volume, Moya Pons explores the history, context, and consequences of the major changes that marked the Caribbean between Columbus' initial landing and the Great Depression. He investigates indigenous commercial ventures and institutions, the rise of the plantation economy in the 16th century, and the impact of slavery. He discusses the slave revolts and struggles for independence, seen by European landowners not as a matter of human or political rights but as an expensive interruption to their profit flow. History of the Caribbean traces the fate of a group of small islands whose natural resouces transformed them first into some of the wealthiest places on earth and then into some of the poorest. This book intertwines the socioeconomics of the Caribbean with Atlantic history in a captivating narrative that will fascinate a general audience and provide new insights for specialists. History of the Caribbean: larger image Please Choose: Add to Cart:

Hardcover Info: ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 3282 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more