People who share similar physical/biological cultural and religious differences from the majority
Characteristics all affect who we are and how we see ourselves such as skin colour so common ancestral, social, cultural or national experience
March and Keating
It’s a sense of cultural awareness and identity within groups who share a common history which reinforces positive feelings
May use ethnic identity to construct notions of differences or boundaries between themselves and other ethnic groups so reinforces the notion of them and us
Cultural awareness may influence by religion, language, skin colour, regional origin and racism
Self-identity comes from recognising ethnic identity which is important for knowing who you are
In UK we tend to identify certain ethnic identity by their shared cultural characteristics such as religion, language, and lifestyle
Second, third and fourth generations migrants and those of mixed race will also have a range of cultural characteristics and more complex
Important to recognise that ethnic identity intersects with other aspects of identity such as nationality, gender and social class
Ethnicity and Nationality
Overlaps in terms of where they were born and where they live and nationality on passport
UK these 3 coincide, most people living in UK were born in the UK and passport says nationality as Britain’s so socialised in a different culture and in evidently been passed onto children
2nd generation Chinese people may describe the British Chinese or chinses British
Bond and Rosie (2006)
Found marked prioritisation of Scottishness as opposed to Britain identity
Clear that ethnicity and nationality do overlap when a person states their ethnicity it may say something about nationality
For example, Muslims mostly living in UK are a third and fourth generation
Most aged 30 and bilingual
Low paid semi-skilled or unskilled job or are unemployed
Feelings about ethnic identity will be different from that of the first generation who migrated to Britain from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh in 1950s
Ghumann (1999)
Tradition, religion and family values mainly for respect for elderly’s, duty, obligation, honour and avoidance of shame which is important for primary socialisation of Asian children of 2nd generation tend to be socialised with extended family
Emphasis on duty, loyalty, honour and religious commitment
Parents know child’s best interest with marriage and education so mainly arranged
Mother tongue is crucial as it maintains links between generations and in transmission of religious values so bilingual children
Gilroy (1993)
Identify of young black people arguing the use of the term black Atlantic
Shared with young black people in the UK
Shared experiences of racism and powerlessness can be transcended differences in background and history so creates black identity
Derrington and Kendell (2004)
Traveller community
Song (1997) and Francis and archer (2005) looked at different aspects of identity in British -Chinese families
Consider challenges of growing up within minority ethnic group and influence individual’s identity
Hewitt (2005)
White had backlash against multiculturalism
Achieve equally have been perceived an unfair to white community and white working class under pressure economically so they reacted with anger at perceived positive discrimination
Feeling the need to defend their ethnic identity
Jacobson
Found young Pakistani are adopting a strong Islamic identity so response to UK and US invasion Afghanistan and Iraq so belief in conspiracy theories with 9/11
Israeli occupation of Palestinian terrorists which makes islamophobia
Racial differences to innate biological differences between groups within society so sociologists argue that society determines which biological differences are socially constructed
In UK, society due to expansion of EU, growing numbers of ethnic minorities are white with an ethnic origin
Evidence that they may face similar issues relating to resentment racism and discrimination that immigrants from Asia and Caribbean such as Spencer et al. (2007) suggest eastern European migrants spent little time socialising with British people
In research, Ukrainian waitress committed that they do not let you into their circles
Dawney (2008)
Found evidence of racism against European migrants in their rural community
Largely came from a perceived threat and fear of numbers that did not necessarily have a basis in reality
Recent research suggests young Muslims in Britain generally express a strong sense of belonging to British society so consequently very integrated
Little evidence that young Asians are turning to fundamentalists Islam as an alternative and oppositional identify so odds with British society
Extremist Islamism views are hold by a tiny minority
2011 Consensus Showed:
- White British = 87.7%
- Asian British = 6.9%
- Black British = 3.0%
- Indian = 2.3%
- Mixed = 2.0%
- Bangladesh = 0.7%
- Chinese = 0.7%
- Irish travellers = 0.1%
- Others = 0.9%
British born but significant number were born outside the UK in Ireland, eastern Europe, France, USA and Australia
Understand white majority includes several ethnic groups such as significant cultural differences between English, polish and wales
20% of UK population identified with an ethnic group other than white British
Ethnic minority is normally used to refer to people who originate in the former British colonies of Indian subcontinent
Majority of ethnic minorities living in UK from these backgrounds are British born and hold British nationally
Resistance or Hybridity?
Ethnic minorities to racism may be to find ways in which their ethnicity can be used as a form of protection
Cashmore and Troyna (1998)
Argue there will be a tendency for ethnic minorities to turn inwards to seek support from within their own ethnic community so response to racism that they experience
Religion and culture may be strengthened as they become key sources of identity and support