My Wish Lists Login / Join

Becoming Rasta

Origins of Rastafari Identity in Jamaica

By: Charles Price

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 October 2009

At a Glance

Paperback
288 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.65

Paperback

RRP $64.99

$63.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $15.94 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

An exploration into why and how Jamaicans become Rastafari in spite of increasing incrimination of the religion

So much has been written about the Rastafari, yet we know so little about why and how people join the Rastafari movement. Although popular understandings evoke images of dreadlocks, reggae, and marijuana, Rastafarians were persecuted in their country, becoming a people seeking social justice. Yet new adherents continued to convert to Rastafari despite facing adverse reactions from their fellow citizens and from their British rulers.

Charles Price draws on in-depth interviews to reveal the personal experiences of those who adopted the religion in the 1950s to 1970s, one generation past the movement's emergence. By talking with these Rastafari elders, he seeks to understand why and how Jamaicans became Rastafari in spite of rampant discrimination, and what sustains them in their faith and identity.

Utilizing new conceptual frameworks, Price explores the identity development of Rastafari, demonstrating how shifts in the movement's identity-from social pariah to exemplar of Blackness-have led some of the elder Rastafari to adopt, embrace, and internalize Rastafari and blackness as central to their concept of self.

Industry Reviews

"Price fills a void by presenting and critically analyzing the testimonies of Rastafarian men and women that narrate how they discovered, why they entered, and how they sustained membership in the culture, resistance, and theater that is Rastafari. Becoming Rasta is one of the most important additions to the discourse on the Rastafarian movement to appear in years." William E. Cross, Jr., author of Shades of Black: Diversity in African American Identity "...Price's work is a significant addition to scholarly work on Rastafari, offering a unique initial foray into discussion of why Rastafari remains such a powerful identity while also presenting an important illustration of the process of transformation of Rastafari identity." Erin Macleod from Vanier College, Montreal writing for Social Anthropology

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.