This volume collects new angles and perspectives on issues shaping the development of the
Caribbean. Bringing together essays on regional integration identity and culture and focusing
on foundational personalities and institutions in the region this book opens up new lines of
inquiry on twentieth-century Caribbean history. Essays examine popular perspectives of the West
Indies Federation the intersections of ideology and governance through key figures such as C.
L. R. James and Rawson William Rawson the socioeconomic context of Caribbean foodways and
Carnival as a tool of cultural diplomacy. Integration is a critical theme throughout. Pointing
to the region's rich cultural and historical heritage this book explores how Caribbean
unification may provide a way forward for this patchwork of island territories facing the
challenges of the twenty-first century.
