Ethnicity and Identity

Ethnicity and Identity

1. Mass media

   • Evidence suggests that ethnic minorities are generally represented in stereotyped and negative ways
     • Usually represented as criminal, a threat, asylum seekers, potential terrorists
   • Black music helps to reinforce black identity, supplies a voice for those excluded from mainstream culture

2. Ethnic Identity common features

   • Common origin
   • Common language
   • Similar religious beliefs
   • Common historical experience eg slavery
   • Common shared customs/traditions

3. The family

   • Asian
     • Children brought up to be obedient
     • Arranged marriage
     • Respect for religion
   • African-Caribbean
     • Maintains close family ties
     • Divorce is normal

4. Education

   • Teachers have low expectations of African-Caribbean boys and treat them unfairly
   • Knowledge taught in school tends to be ethnocentric, cultural bias by the assumption one culture is more superior

5. Religion

   • "Faith schools" supposed to follow guidelines referring equal opportunities, however fears are expressed that children are narrow, intolerant which reject other ways of seeing the world
   • Islam has a strong impact on young Pakistani identity in terms of diet, dress, clothing

6. Peer Group

   • Cultural comfort zone, people from similar social and ethnic backgrounds tend to cluster together
   • Young black boys fail at school
     • Has to deal with low expectations and abilities
     • Often anxious on how they are perceived, behavious which is admired is normally non-academic as being academic is feminine and acting white
     • Uses cultural comfort zone to preserve identity, however attracts negative attention eg from police

7. Workplace

   • Most ethnic minorities are found in low-skilled and paid jobs
   • Ethnic minorities sometimes experience discriminatory barriers, harassment and bullying
   • Unemployment levels are high for ethnic minorities which can lead to negative effects on identity in terms of stress, depression, loss of self esteem