Sociology

1. Sociology Topic 5 – Ethnic Identities

2. Ethnicity • Decide what ethnicity means – define it • Decide which categories may be useful for dividing the UK according to ethnicity • Do you have a strong sense of your own ethnic identity? What is it? Where does it come from?

3. What is Ethnic Identity? A sense of belonging to a people group who recognise that they are culturally distinct

4. Language • As well as speaking English some ethnic groups may continue to speak the language associated with their heritage.

5. Common Descent (race?) “Say it loud I’m black and I’m proud” James Brown

6. Shared Sense of History I am Jewish because…..

7. A Common Religion?

8. What are the three main ethnic groups in Britain today? And what percentage of the population fall into each category?

9. For AS sociology there are 3 ethnic groups: • White British 90% • British Asian 5% • Black British 3% • (mixed 2%)

10. How can we express our ethnic identity? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_IlY_DoP1M • Symbolic markers – what are the symbolic markers let you know the ethnicity of this mouse?

11. Who comes from which ethnic background? • Ethnic Minorities: • Black British: • British Asian: • Ethnic majority: • White British:

12. Symbolic markers – is a fist bump ‘black’? • Clare Alexander – the walk, the talk, the dress …’the art of being black’ • On the June 6 edition of Fox News' America's Pulse, host E.D. Hill teased an upcoming discussion on a gesture Sen. Barack Obama shared with his wife, Michelle, saying, "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently."A "terrorist fist jab"? Seriously?

13. How are we socialised into our ethnic identity? • Work with a partner to decide which agent of socialisation you think would be most influential in terms of ethnicity. (hint: this may change with each ethnic group)

14. British Asians Which agents of socialisation may be strong influences for British Asians?

15. Jacobson • Religion – Islam • Exclusion – inclusion • Which other studies suggest religion may be more important to British Asians than other ethnic groups? (p76)

16. Ghuman - Family • British Asian families are on average bigger (3.8 kids) • Parenting is more traditional - • Obedience • Loyalty • Hierarchical • Patriarchal • Religious • BUT…Anwar – conflict in families • Drury – girls / boys

17. Black British Which agents of socialisation may be strong influences for black British?

18. Sewell – black, working class, inner-city boys • Family • Media • Peers • Education

19. White British • 90% of population!…its hard to discern specifics about this group since they are such a huge group. • Sociology is often more revealing about minorities than the majority.

20. Multiculturalism ? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9s5zmOuVmc

21. Changing ethnic identities ?

22. How is ethnic identity changing? • Assimilation • Hybrid identities • Cultural navigation • Dual identity / white masks • Hyper ethnicity

23. Assimilation • This means taking on and accepting British culture • When large-scale migration first occurred in the 1950s many thought this would happen, such as Patterson • Evaluation: people do not want to lose their culture so it is better to think of Britain as multicultural

24. Hybrid Identities Les Back found significant levels of interethnic friendship amongst young people from different backgrounds (white, Asian and black) on two south London estates. They were experimenting with styles and symbols which involved them borrowing from other groups. He felt this was evidence of a blurring of the lines of race.

25. Cultural Navigation Roger Ballard uses the concept of cultural navigation to describe how young Asians manage to ‘switch’ between Asian family life and mainstream culture. He thinks most handle this without problems.

26. Johal (1998) – Dual Identity Johal makes a similar point when he argues that young Asians often adopt Asian identity and a British one. He argues that they adopt a ‘white mask’ in order to interact with white peers at school or college. However, he argues that they can remove this white mask when they want to emphasise their cultural difference.

27. Dietary rules Relationships Alcohol Religion Dress Language Culture (music, film etc) Dual Identity

28. Hyper ethnicity • Members of ethnic minority groups may face racial prejudice and discrimination • This may cause some to adopt even stronger ethnic identities, using their culture as a protection in a hostile society • Examples might be Rastafarians and Muslims wearing niqabs

29. Content analysis • Listen and read the lyrics to the song Fight The Power by Public Enemy. • How might this song influence black identities? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_t13-0Joyc

30. Some traditions seem to be maintained: For example: The extended family Persistence of Asian languages Arranged marriages Importance of religion BUT evidence of change in 2nd / 3rd generations For example: Greater choice in marital partner English as first language for some groups (esp. for those from Indian background) Religion remains centrally important for Muslim communities but evidence of some weakening amongst Sikhs and Hindus. Recognition of the huge diversity of Asian identities Modood et al - Findings for Asian Identity

31. There is no single black identity Protestant Christianity (especially Pentecostalism) remains important to the 1st generation. Patois not often used by 1st generation Few identified themselves as British because of perceived racist assumptions ‘West Indian’ (1st), Afro-Caribbean (2nd), ‘Black’ Secularisation – less influential on the young Resurgence amongst 2nd generation Modood et al – Findings For Black Identity

32. Charlotte Butler (1995)– Young Muslim Women • Found evidence of a diversity of identities amongst 3rd generation Muslim girls. • These girls were adapting their religion to fit into western culture

33. Postmodernism • How do you think a Postmodernist theorist would analyse contemporary ethnic identity? • How might other Sociologists challenge this?