Ethnicity and Identity

Ethnicity and Identity

1. Hybrid Identity

   • Formed by individuals of more than one ethnicity or nationality, blending norms and values Nayak (2003) points out how 'white wannabes' can be found amongst some White British males who dress and behave in a way that is influenced by Black hip-hop culture (parodied by Ali G)

2. Race

   • Refers to biological differences such as skin colour

3. Family

   • Ghuman (1999)
     • Asian families socialise their children into values which include: - Being obedient - Respect for religion - Using their 'mother tongue' - Obligation to extended kin

4. Education

   • Archer and Francis (2006)
     • British Chinese families place particular emphasis on the value of education, making necessary sacrifices ensure their children's success

5. Work

   • Spencer et al. (2007)
     • Eastern European migrants spend relatively little time socialising with British people, with one Ukrainian waitress commenting, "They do not let you into their circles"
   • Hewitt (2005)
     • Policies designed to achieve equality have been perceived as unfair by whites, often reacting with 'positive discrimination' in favour of ethnic minorities
   • Song (2003)
     • Shows how occupation can be linked to ethnicity, with over a third of doctors in the NHS being described as Asian, and many Chinese people working in the catering sector

6. Media

   • Cottle (2000)
     • Despite a big increase in the representation of ethnic minorities in the media, they are still portrayed in negative ways

7. Religion

   • Jacobson (1998)
     • Young British Pakistanis see being Muslim as more important than being Pakistani or British; Islam influences their identity in terms of dress, diet, routine, etc.

8. Peers

   • Sewell (1997)
     • The identity of black teenagers is focused on being "gangsta" in the eyes of their peers, which is intended to compensate for the absence of a father in many black families and also as a reaction to racism in wider society

9. Resistance or Hybridity?

   • Winston James (1993)
     • Hybridity Says the common experience of racism in the UK united blacks who had previously been divided by island of origin and possibly skin darkness (a hierarchy of colour imposed by colonialism)
     • Johal
       • Hybridity Second and third-generation British Asians adopt a dual identity, and put on a 'white mask' to fit in with peers at school and college
     • Burdsey
       • Hybridity The identities of young British Asian footballers were based around designer clothing and recreational drugs, in an attempt to fit in with their British peers
   • Cashmore and Troyna (1990)
     • Resistance There will be a tendency for ethnic minorities to 'turn inwards' and seek help from within their own ethnic communities as a response to racism
     • Ghuman
       • Hybridity Studied Hindu and Sikh girls, and found that they use 'compartmentalism' to cope with pressure from parents and racism at school They acted as respectful daughters at home, though wear English dress at school and are more assertive
     • Modood
       • Hybridity 40% of children born to a black parent also have a white parent

10. Changing Ethnic Identities

    • Modood (1997)
      • Found that second-generation Afro-Caribbeans and Asians felt more British than their parents, while still seeing their ethnic origin as a key part of their identity