Abstract Book of the 10th International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2025
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When ‘Religion’ IS A Eurocentric Category: Rethinking Development’s Epistemic Violence IN THE Caribbean
Ameera Brown
ABSTRACT:
This paper examines the limitations of current international development frameworks in conceptualising religion, with a specific focus on their impact in the Caribbean. It argues that dominant paradigms remain rooted in colonial epistemologies, privileging institutionalised, Western-centric religious structures while marginalising Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean syncretic spiritualities. Drawing on case studies including Taíno spirituality, Haitian Vodou, Garifuna traditions, and Rastafari, the paper explores how epistemological biases, top-down decolonisation efforts, and rigid secular-religious binaries contribute to systemic exclusions in funding, policymaking, and cultural recognition. Additionally, the paper addresses the overlooked intersection between religion and environmental sustainability, highlighting the ecological philosophies embedded within Indigenous and syncretic traditions that development institutions disregard. The discussion concludes with a call to reconceptualise religion within development by integrating Indigenous methodologies, promoting participatory policymaking, and formally recognising the rights and leadership of communities such as the Taíno. This reorientation aims to foster more inclusive, culturally respectful, and ecologically sustainable development practices in the Caribbean and beyond.
Keywords: Epistemological bias, Decolonisation, Development