Partners: The Social Organisation of Rotating Savings and Credit Societies among Exilic Jamaicans

This paper describes the operation among exilic Jamaicans of the rotating savings and credit societies that are known as `partners' in modern Jamaica. The social context in which partnering was generated is examined. An analysis of the dynamics of partnering reveals that it rests on trust, which has advantages and disadvantages for participants. In conclusion, it is noted that as the social situation of West Indians in Britain has changed, so the importance of partnering has declined.