Identity & Ethnicity

Identity & Ethnicity

1. In constructing identies in the UK young minority ethnics are often torn between traditional culture or their parents (primary socialisation) and mainstream culture taught in school (secondary socialisation)

2. POSTMODERN

   • BRADLEY'S levels of identity; ethnicity is likely to be active or political due to experiences of discrimination in a hostile society

3. FORMAL INSTITUTIONS

   • SCHOOL
     • Minority ethnic groups are under-represented in education jobs- interactionists would say this sends messages to students not only about if they belong in school but also about appropriate aspirations
     • BERNSTEIN- LINGUSTIC DEPRIVATION
       • LABOV- children in HARLEM could express sophisticated ideas when allowed to converse in LANGAUGE OF THEIR CHOICE
       • RESTRICTED CODE
     • HARKER- MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
       • JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION- PLATT (2007)- 70% Bangladeshi and 50% of Pakastani children grow up in poverty in the UK compared with 30% of Indians and 20% of white population
     • DURKHEIM- CULTURAL DEPRIVATION
       • Minority ethnic groups are likely to lack cultural advantages of networking, wealth and education which can give them negotiating skills
     • SEWELL- non-partcipant observation and unstructured interviews- Whilst white teachers found themselves as non-racist and progressive, Black Caribbean boys were significantly disadvantaged making up for 85% of all exclusions in one school despite being a third of the population
       • ANTI-SCHOOL SUBCULTURES formed as a PROTECTION MECHANISM and MEANS OF GAINING STATUS
       • Others distanced themselves from ethnicity in order to succeed- resulting in DUAL PUNISHMENT from teachers labels and peers who labelled them as 'BATTYMEN'
     • WRIGHT- Teachers demonstrates little sensitivity towards cultures of ethnic minority groups such as MISPRONOUNCING NAMES
   • MAC AN GHAIL- BLACK CARIBBEAN BOYS tend to react ANGRILY to WHITE-DOMINATED institutions
   • FULLER- girls of the same ethnicity tend to work in RACIST INSTITUTIONS to DISPROVE NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES
   • CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM- INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
     • MCPHERSON REPORT following the murder of Stephen Lawrence concluded that parts of the police force were institutionally racist
     • BLACK people are the group mostly to be STOPPED AND SEARCHED by police

4. INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS

   • MASS MEDIA
     • SCAPEGOATING
       • The SKINHEAD youth subculture scapegoated ethnic minority groups for economic problems such as unemployment
       • Mass media have scapegoated ethnic minority groups in MORAL PANICS
         • STUART HALL- YOUNG BLACK MALES were scapegoated for MUGGINGS in the 70s to detract from economic crisis caused by capitalist corporations
     • GOFFMAN- STIGMA
       • HAIDEH MOGHESSI- MUSLIMS are HUDDLED together by the media which ignores a huge range of differences between muslims in class, beliefs and culture
     • JONES AND JONES
       • Ethnic minorities played aliens and monsters in films demonstrating their 'OTHERNESS'
     • HALL- only allowed to exceed in areas such as MUSIC AND SPORT which are based on physicality rather than intellect
       • However society has progressed- e.g. first black president of America- Obama
     • CHILDREN NOW- 'FAIR PLAY' STUDY- ethnic stereotypes in video games 86% of heroes were white, Latinos dominated sporting characters and black women were portrayed as victims of violence
     • ABERCROMBIE
       • Ethnic minorities now appear in LEAD ROLES in soaps- shown positively and integrated in society
     • ANGELA BARRY
       • BLACK people are depicted as TROUBLE MAKERS, DEPENDENTS or SPORTS FIGURES
     • HARTMAN AND HUSBAND
       • Media operates within a culture that sees FOREIGNERS, especially BLACKS, as INFERIOR
       • Media emphasises racial conflicts and presents negative images of minority ethnics, reinforcing racial prejudices
     • VAN DJIKES
       • Inner-city riots of 1980s- tabloid press focused on RACIAL EXPLANATION OF THE RIOTS even though many white people were involved
       • British media diminishes prejudices by saying 'Brits are kind and tolerant people but this is always followed by the RACIST 'BUT'; then minority ethnics are accused of abusing our hospitality, being welfare scroungers, asylum seekers, criminals and terrorist sympathises