Ethnic Identity Flashcards
Alexander
(Media)
Suggests that Asian youths in East London have been unfairly targeted by the police and media
Argues that there is a ‘myth of the Asian Gang’ created by media because of reported clashes amongst black and Asian Gangs
- these clashes were exaggerated by media
- Asian boys criminalised as a result of Islamophobia
Sewell
(Peer groups/ education)
Studied Afro Caribbean boys and attempted to explain their lower rates of educational success and higher levels of participation in crime (and how this influences their identities)
-looked at relationship between gender and ethnicity and the way they construct their black masculine identity
Seek role models in media-rappers on MTV - promote messages about violence, getting rich quick and the objectification of women and importance of consumer culture
- feel secure with friends - same background
Anwar
Found that family can be a source of conflict for some Asian children -issue of western clothes, arranged marriages, freedom
Younger generations mix with those at school with different cultural values which influences their identity
Asians have pride in their reputation -girls often given less freedom and must conform to traditional roles of wives and mothers.
Les back
Studied young people on a housing estate in South London and found that white, black and Asian youths were all friends
- spoke in same slang
- wore similar clothes
He claimed that this was evidence of ‘new hybrid identities’ (sharing same cultures) and that these youths were trying out new ‘cultural masks’
Cashmore and Troyna
Explained that immigration groups faced racism within Britain and therefore exercised cultural resistance by turning inwards and strengthening their own culture.
- they did this through forming their own communities and generally only socialised with each other.
Driver and Ballard
(Through education being more important to certain ethnic groups)
Argue that Asian families place a great value on their children’s education. They push kids to have high ambitions and gain the best possible grades.
- reflected in achievements of Indian students - do better than black and white groups on average at GCSE - lead them into certain types of career.
Archer and Francis
Believe that cultural factors are important in explaining the success of British- Chinese students.
- educational success is part of their identity
- when boys engage in laddish behaviour they still maintain a commitment to school
Parents take a strong role in developing their academic success by talking to children about their future education and invested time and money in supporting their kids even when they had little money to spare
Happy to push kids and are critical of white British parents who allow failure to develop.
Coard
(Education) - influences ethnic identity by being institutionally racist
- argues that the curriculum is based around 1 particular cultural viewpoint white ignoring others
- white history and literature dominate the curriculum - makes British National curriculum ethnocentric
- teaches British history and studies British novels
Gilborn
(Education influences ethnic identities by being institutionally racist)
- argues that teachers are institutionally racist towards black boys - black boys seen as a threat and disruptive by teachers (negatively stereotype and label them)
- black boys less likely to be placed in higher sets and entered in foundation tier at GCSE -called lead to a self fulfilling prophecy
Gill
Link with Les Back
- studied British Asian students and identified some of them as Blasian : adopted black styles of dress and language and combined these with their Asian culture
- friendship groups included black youths - further evidence of hybrid identities. P
Johal
(Have ethnic identities changed)
Used Gill’s theory of brasian - inherit an Asian identity and a white one
- focused his research on young Asians an noticed that that were more likely to adopt a ‘white mask’ - change identities when with friends at school.
Code switching - Asians wear a different cultural mask when with peers
Burdsey
Study: ‘one of the lads’
Ethnographic study of young, male, British Asian footballers
- noticed conflict between laddish behaviour (drinking/gambling) and their Asian identity
- Asian footballs often had a dual nationality (identity)
- adopted white masks when with team mates.
Phillips
(National identity)
Argues that national identity is socially constructed
- Argues that national curriculum supports the ideology of nationalism and that history lessons are a key factor in creating national identity (Britain - stories about WW1/WW2 taught through the eyes of a British Soldier of British involvement and creating a sense of national identity.
Kumar
Unlike the Scots/ Welsh/ Irish- the English find it difficult to say who they are and that English national identity is elusive.
Hewitt
(Contrast with Gilborn)
Britain has seen a ‘white backlash’ from the white we against what they believe is preferential treatment of ethnic minorities.
E.g education system - youth workers told Hewitt that young people had often expressed the view that they felt victimised by teachers in comparison to peers who were from ethnic minorities.
