Arguments that support - ethnicity is no longer important

Question 1

What are Postmodernists views on Ethnicity is no longer important?

Answer 1

• Postmodernists argue that social divisions like ethnicity are now blurred.
• So ethnicity is no longer important in constructing identities.
• Instead, identities are built around consumption and leisure.
• Instead of hybrid identities, where individual signifiers of identity still carry some original meaning, they argue that we have bricolage (pic ‘n mix) identities, where individual signifiers no longer carry their original meaning.
• E.g. white youths paying to have Rastafarian hairstyles, wearing henna tattoos on their hands.
• Doward (2004): White youth follow Black culture in their consumption and leisure patterns.
• Hall (1992): Ethnic identities are becoming harder to identify. Globalisation and diaspora are merging cultures and creating ‘new ethnicities’. E.g. African-Caribbean music and dress becoming popular among Punjabi and Bengali males E.g. minority ethnic cultures becoming integrated into mainstream culture, such as in reggae, hip-hop and rap music.

Question 2

What did Bradley put forward on Ethnicity is no longer important?

Answer 2

However, Bradley argues that ethnicity is likely to continue to be an active or politicised identity for ethnic groups that experience racism in Britain today.

This is particularly true since ethnicity continues to be a source of social difference and inequality, and since media and cultural representations continue to be negative.

Question 3

Is ethnicity still an important source of identity?

Yes.

Multiple Answers

Answer 3

Family values
Changing Identities: Hybridisation
Family
Ghuman: South Asian families emphasise importance of loyalty and commitment to religion through primary socialisation.
Hennink: Arranged marriages: Sikh 75%, Muslim 85% arranged.
Ghuman: Asian families: strong discipline, obedience, respect for family. Stressed humility rather than self-pride and assertiveness. Use of mother tongue was important between generations.
Education
Institutional racism can reinforce ethnic identity. Sewell: Black identities were reinforced as young black students coped with racist teacher stereotypes of ‘black machismo’ by forming peer group-related black subcultures. The experience of education and peers reinforced ethnic identities.
Media
Sewell: Macho black identity amongst young African C is created from media (film, rap)
Religion
Jacobson: Religion is important – Islam has become a growing source of identity amongst young British Pakistani Asians – partly as a response to social exclusion, racism and lack of opportunity they face.
Ethnicity is used as a form of resistance – Sewell: Used to resist racism and disadvantage. Anti-school male black subculture created as a response to racism. Asserting their ethnicity emphasised the strengths of their culture. By resisting the denial of status and devaluing of their own culture they reclaimed aspects of their culture and accentuated these.
Bradley: Ethnicity is likely to be an active or politicised identity for ethnic groups that experience racism.
Ethnicity continues to be a source of social difference and inequality – media representations continue to be negative.

Question 4

Is ethnicity still an important source of identity?

Yes.

Multiple Answers

Answer 4

Hall: Influence of globalisation – diasporas, new identities emerging
Burdsey: British Asians now consuming designer clothes, recreational drugs and participating in leisure that was commonly associated with young white and black males.
Process of ‘Hybridzation’. Combined identities mean that ethnic identity is becoming increasingly confused, especially with mixed ethnicity of parents.
Anwar: Family can be a site of conflict. Younger generations experience conflict with their traditional culture passed on by their parents and the mainstream culture in the media and education. For girls who want to go to university and have a career this accentuates the conflict.
Multiculturalism has led to some assimilation. Majority of Muslims are well integrated in British society (Mirza)
Hybrid identities (Les Black) emerged in council estate in South London – Trying out new cultural ‘masks’, playing with different styles, meanings, symbols. Cultural borrowing.
Postmodernists
Social divisions, such as ethnicity, are now blurred and therefore it is not important.
Identity is around consumption and leisure
Rather than hybrid identities we have bricolage (pick n mix) identities – individual signifiers no longer carry their original meaning (dreadlocks etc.)
Doward: White youth follow black culture in their consumption and leisure patterns.
Hall: Ethnic identities are harder to identify. Globalisation and diaspora are merging cultures and creating new ethnicities.