Ethnicity and Identity: LT8 Flashcards
Ethnicity
The shared culture of a certain social group which gives its members a common identity.
Minority ethnic group
A social group that shares a cultural identity which is different from that of the majority population of a society
ethnic identity
When an individual asserts their identity primarily in terms of their ethnic group and culture to which they belong
How are ethnic identities formed?
Transmit from one generation to the next by agencies of socialisation
Anwar: Family
South Asian families emphasise value of family obligation and loyalty and commitment to religion
Sewell: Education
Black identities are reinforced as young black students cope with racist teacher stereotypes
Sewell: Media
Aspects of the macho black identity of African Caribbeans are derived from the media
Jacobson: Religion
Islam in particular has become an increasingly significant source of identity amongst young British Pakistani Asians that force social exclusion in British society
However, Ethnic identity
Fanon: British Asians adopt Asian identity at home and a ‘White Mask’ identity at school
Diaspora of ethnic identity
The dispersal of an ethnic population from its homeland, spreading across the world while maintaining cultural ties with area of origin
White mask
Refers to the idea that non-white minority ethnic groups play down their own ethnicity and culture and adopt features of white culture to overcome prejudice
What has diaspora caused?
Ethnic population to adopt at least two identities
What has globalisation caused for ethnic identity?
Cultures are beginning to lose their separate identities
Hybrid identities emerge from a mix of identities
Hall
‘New identities’ are being created, while ethnic identities are becoming harder to identify with due to globalisation
Bradford
Ethnic identities becoming more confused due to UK born children being born with inter-ethnic partnerships
Hybrid identity
Ethnic identities in Britain
Multi-cultural society with diverse ethnic groups
White identities
. Agencies of socialisation promote and favour white people
. Do not generally assert there identity because they already have power
Black identities
. Has links to ‘Black Atlantic’ which is a cultural network of support to black people spanning Africa, America and Britain relenting diaspora form slavery
Gilroy
There is no single black identity but historical experience of slavery affects the perceptions of black people
Asian identities
Religion has become important to help build a positive identity that is denied by a white, racist, Islamophobic culture.
Mirza
growing popularity of hijab by muslim girls is because of want to preserve cultural traditions
Johal: Brasian identity
Younger Asian generations have an Asian identity inherited through family socialisation and a British identity learned through secondary socialisation
Islamic Fundamentalism
Muslim identities have become stigmatised leading to harassment
Furthermore ‘fashionable islamophobia’ where prejudice has become normal.