Ethnic Inequality Flashcards
How is Ethnicity Operationalised?
Ethnicity is operationalised through the choice of an individual, as ethnicity is self-identified. Sociologists use the term BME, referring to individuals whose family has at some point, migrated to the UK from different areas around the world.
Smith and Noble
53% of pupils from black backgrounds achieved 5A*-C GCSEs, below the national average and scores of white pupils.- Department for Education 2012/13.
They do not have the same ability to do well as white pupils.
These ethnic minorities are experiencing material deprivation, therefore they do not have the ability to attain good grades in education in the same way as white pupils, Smith and Noble explain. These barriers to learning include not being able to afford school trips, tutoring, or equipment at home such as computers to aid their learning. Rex further supports this, stating that BME groups earn 2/3 less than white people on average.
Gillborn
African-Caribbean boys are 4-6x more likely to be excluded than white pupils. Department for Education 2013/2014.
They are not treated equally by teachers, meaning they miss out on learning, further hindering their academic progress.
Gillborn states that teachers perceive black males as disruptive and so are more likely to punish them. This label therefore leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy, wherein the black pupils perceive themselves as ill-behaved, therefore they do behave poorly in class.
Hall et al
Black or Black British Ethnic groups are the most over-represented in prison (13% of the prison population compared to 3% of the general population), whereas white groups are underrepresented.
They are regarded as more criminal, treated more harshly and suspiciously.
Hall et al explains that this is because capitalism was in crisis in the 1970s which led the media to scapegoat BMEs, as being black muggers, so that the public would blame them rather than the government.
Reiner
BME groups are 6x more likely to be stop and searched than white groups.
Shows they are viewed as criminals just because of their ethnicity.
Reiner supports this, stating that ethnic minorities are targetted by the police, as they perceive them as outsiders, as, the Macpherson report shows, ethnic minorities are extremely underrepresented in the police, leading to their unequal treatment.
