Cultural life
Cultural milieu
The national social structure was inherited from the period of British colonial rule, under which the majority of Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese labourers were directed by European planters and government officials. A poorly defined local middle class composed of teachers, professionals, and civil servants and including a disproportionate number of Chinese and Portuguese emerged during colonialism. Since independence the elite of the ruling political party has replaced the European plantocracy at the apex of Guyana’s social order. Indigenous peoples remain apart from the country’s social structure as they did under the British, but their culture, which remains uninfluenced by national politics, is recognized as an important element in Guyanese museum displays and as an inspiration in local music and art.
Daily life and social customs
Daily life in Guyana centres on family groups; notably, the matriarchal family among Afro-Guyanese contrasts with the patriarchal Indo-Guyanese family. Daily dress normally does not distinguish one group from another. Guyana’s cuisine is a blend of South Asian, South American, and Chinese dishes that make liberal use of fiery locally grown chiles and of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables. A typical dish is pepperpot, a stew made of meat (usually beef, mutton, or pork), potatoes, and peppers laced with cassareep (a sauce concocted from cassava juice and spices). The Guyanese advise that anyone who braves the dish should keep a supply of iced beer and locally produced rums nearby.