Barbadians have always tried to maintain the highest standard of living whenever possible. They try to excel on all fronts: sports, education, arts. They have always seen themselves as a unique class.
One of the ideals of Barbadians is to make their country the most envied island in the world. This is reflected in the United Nations ranking of Barbados on the social index as the leading developing country in the world, and we are still moving towards First World status.
Additionally Barbadians have always looked to progress along with their families. They have been forced within recent times to live within their means because of the international recession.
What we have to do is to put measures in place to protect the vulnerable middle class in Barbados and stop it from sliding back into poverty.
That is the greatest challenge we have to deal with now in this recessionary period. As a social practitioner, I believe we also have to address the plight of the poor who will be thrust further and deeper into poverty because of the recession.
I think everybody tries to live in an environment of comfort. There is nothing wrong with people aspiring to achieve the best for themselves and their families. It is a noble ideal.
Some people might describe trying to live a certain lifestyle as lavish and extravagant, but Barbadians will always try to do it within their budgetary constraints. I don’t see it as trying to live beyond one’s means. I see it as striving to be the best that they can be.
However, that ideal and movement towards getting the best materially are thwarted by external economic shocks and forces.
I do not understand the term extravagance when people strive to create a better way of life for themselves. What is the extravagance relative to?
The basic ideal of every human being that God puts on this earth is trying to be happy. If people see others trying to better themselves as extravagance, that is jealousy.
We have to understand the psyche of Barbadians. Psychologists, sociologists and economists have to evaluate the motivational factor when we say we are Barbadian.
Every Barbadian wants to see Barbados as the number one country on Planet Earth; that every single Barbadian has a standard of living that is middle-class and rich. That is what they are striving for.
The truth is that some people can’t sustain that standard of living. But I want to see it from a different perspective. When people’s expectation are thwarted and dreams and goals are not realized, it is due to the trickery of the ads on the radio and television that lure poor people to come in and buy merchandise.
But when the payments come in, all the dreams that you created are no more [if] you lose your job.
You can’t say Barbadians are living beyond their means because they have two gold chains around their necks. Somebody might have given them as a gift.
That is part of the Barbadian psyche – to look good and live well.
What also makes some people to think that Barbadians are living beyond their means is based on what they might see in their homes. Sometimes there is an element of jealousy.
