This article is part of a study analysing the Caribbean region based on William Ogburn’s ‘cultural backwardness’ scenario. It describes the new realities and concepts of the region, the role of virtuality in regional development and the role of knowledge of the Caribbean region in the future. Subsequently, based on a sociological taxonomy, the author supports the conflict in the Caribbean society, generated by modernisation processes and the persistence of the maintenance of forms and mental schemes specific to traditional society, and highlights the significant deficit in investment in human development.