G674 Activity Study the handout and answer the questions provided httpwwwyoutubecomwatchvzAWn4FO1MOw Ethnicity in Britain Acknowledged as a source of inequality and difference ID: 276678
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Slide1
Ethnic Inequalities
G674Slide2
Activity
Study the handout and answer the questions provided.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAWn4FO1MOwSlide3
Ethnicity in Britain
Acknowledged as a source of
inequality
and
difference –
but our society’s way of managing this has changed over the past 30 years...We used to promote the view that everyone should be treated equally regardless of ethnicity......Now, the view is more that we should recognise difference and celebrate it.
What concept fits this view?Slide4
Multiculturalism in Britain
Multiculturalism is about celebrating difference,
not
promoting equality.
“Every individual must be treated with respect. ‘Colour-blind’ policing must be outlawed. The police must deliver a service which recognises the different experiences, perceptions and needs of a diverse society.”
- The 2005 Foster Report into the impact of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.Slide5
Recap
What do we mean by ‘ethnicity’?
How does this differ from race and nationality?Slide6
Race, Ethnicity & Nationality
Concept
Meaning
Race
Biological
differences, linked to
phenotypes (physical characteristics) and genotypes (underlying genetic differences).Ethnicity
Groups
within society that share things like
culture, traditions, language, religion, race, ancestry etc.
Nationality
A sense of ‘belonging’ to a particular nation through origin,
birth or
naturalisation.Slide7Slide8
Race or Ethnicity?
Race is often regarded as an
outdated concept
and sociologists prefer the broader concept of
ethnicity...
However, some argue that race is a better term for explaining the position of ethnicities at the bottom of the social stratification system – because sociologists like Miles (1989) have identified racism as the main cause...Slide9
RacismSlide10
3 Elements of Racism
Cultural Attitudes / Prejudice
Racial Discrimination
Institutional DiscriminationSlide11
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice
Racism is a way of thinking, often reliant on factually incorrect or exaggerated stereotypes.Slide12
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice
Prejudice
is part of a society’s culture and is passed from generation-to-generation through the
agents of socialisation.Slide13
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice
Barker (1982)
notes that the
New Right
focused on cultural differences to exploit fears about unemployment in the 80s/90s.Slide14
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice
The mass media often portray ethnic minorities as a problem/threat. They do this by:
Offering an over-simplified view of traditional British culture
Exaggerating the strangeness of other cultures
Playing down the problem of racism (or making it seem like the fault of minorities for not fitting in)Slide15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MYHBrJIIFUSlide16
Racial Discrimination
Acting on prejudice; treating people differently because of features of their ethnicity.
This can take the form of
racist attacks
(e.g. The Stephen Lawrence murder).
(Clickview: Panorama: Hate onthe doorstep).Slide17
Institutional Racism
Where racism is a basic feature of the rules and routines of Britain’s social institutions
(e.g. the police/courts, the education system, the housing markets...).
Not usually conscious or intentional
(e.g. schools are committed to equality but still expel four times as many black children as white).Slide18
Evidence for Ethnic Inequalities
Are some ethnic minority groups more disadvantaged than others in the UK today?
How is this changing?Slide19
Labour Force Survey (1998-2000)
41% of white men in the highest two social class groups, compared to
:
47% of Indian men
44% of Chinese men
33% of black men31% of Pakistan men
23% of Bagladeshi men and…Slide20
Labour Force Survey (1998-2000)
41% of Chinese women
34% of white women
34% of black women
33% of Indian women
29% of Pakistani/Bangladeshi womenSlide21
Workplace
Heath & Li Cheung (2006)
Statistical analysis of the
ethnic penalty
(the disadvantage faced by minorities in the labour market).Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Caribbean people more likely to experience the ethnic penalty.
First generation migrants faced a greater ethnic penalty than subsequent generations.Slide22
Workplace
These disadvantages could not be explained by age, education or birthplace.
Evidence suggests the key factor is
workplace discrimination
.
The attitude of employers seems to be the biggest contributor to the disadvantage faced by ethnic minorities in the workplace (Mason; 2003)Slide23
Workplace
Iganski
& Payne (1999)
1
st
generation immigrants disadvantaged by decline of UK manufacturing; 2nd generation benefited from move to service-sector.
Ginn & Arber (2001)Ethnic minority women disproportionately dependent on state pensions (due to earning less throughout life).Slide24
EducationSlide25
Education
Some blame cultural factors
e.g
High rate of male desertion in Afro-Caribbean families...
...this creates a lack of role models, leading to peer pressure that draws young males into an
aggressive masculinity (Sewell; 1997)Lack of linguistic skillsCulture of return (
Bolognani; 2007) – ethnic groups are attached to their country of origin and believe they will return - intensified due to Islamophobia.Slide26
Education
However,
Briggs et al (2006)
argues that ethnic groups improve more at school that white pupils; this is hidden by GCSE results.
Some argue the culture of schools in more to blame
(e.g. Ethnocentric curriculum; racism of teachers etc.)The impact of povertySlide27
Mass Media
Moore et al (2005) identified five media stereotypes of black people:
Criminals
A threat
Abnormal
UnimportantDependentSlide28
Mass Media
Van
Dijk
(1991)
found evidence of
unconscious racism in media reporting of minority ethnic groups.He argued that negative language and lack of reference of quotes from minorities demonstrated a white perspective on news stories.Slide29
Mass Media
The contemporary media do not reflect the ethnic reality of the UK
(
Malik
; 2002)
Programmes like Eastenders try to be representative of multi-ethnic communities, but repeatedly rely on stereotypes (Asian doctors and shopkeepers etc). Black and Asian characters also take a more marginal place in the programme (Barker; 1999)Slide30
Research
Identify the characters in
Eastenders
who are from a minority ethnic background.
To what extent do they conform to ethnic stereotypes?
Are they central characters in the programme?Are issues of ethnicity and racism considered? If so, how are they dealt with?Slide31
Mass Media
“Reality TV has done more for racial understanding than any other media creation...shows like Big Brother gave people a more varied view of what Asian and Black people could be like.”
Trevor Phillips
(Commission for Racial Equality)Slide32
Politics
27 out of 650 MPs are from ethnic minority backgrounds (around 4%)...
...Ethnic minorities make up around 9% of the overall
UK population.Slide33
Crime
Which studies/theories from the Crime & Deviance unit provide evidence for ethnic minority disadvantage in the contemporary UK?Slide34
Ethnic Inequality: Sociological Explanations
G674Slide35
1: FunctionalismSlide36
Common Value System
Explain ethnic equalities in relation to
common value system
. Differences and inequalities are
temporary
.Slide37
Parsons (1966)
Argued that the
“American Negro”
was a second class citizen, as skin-colour symbolised status – but over time, this common value would change and minority ethnic groups able to play full role in the meritocratic society.Slide38
Discuss
To what extent was Parsons right? Is skin colour a barrier to success and opportunities in the USA today?Slide39
Host-Immigrant Model (Park)
Cultural difference
( language, qualifications, customs)
disadvantages the immigrant group in a host society
The disadvantage will disappear as the immigrant group is assimilated into the host societySlide40
Patterson (1965) – ‘Host-Immigrant Model’
Described a culture clash between W. Indians
(boisterous, noisy, no queuing at bus stops)
and English ‘hosts’
(private, quiet)
.The hosts were not racist- just unsure/suspicious about how to act towards the newcomers.This uncertainty led to conflict over jobs/housing etc....but Patterson was convinced that harmony would follow.
VSSlide41
Host-Immigrant Model: Evaluation
Accused of ‘victim blaming’ (e.g. It is the culture of immigrants that attracts conflict)...
Racial hostility does not always decline...the same tensions/conflicts over housing, jobs etc still exist in the contemporary UK...Slide42
Research
Use the internet to research attitudes to recent immigrant groups into the UK
(e.g. Eastern European; the predicted Romanian/Bulgarian wave).
To what extent were/are concerns about these immigrants:
Cultural (e.g. Different norms/values)
Practical (e.g. Employment, housing)Slide43
Discuss
In small groups, summarise a viewpoint to present to the class:
To what extent is the contemporary UK effective in assimilating immigrant groups?Slide44
Evaluation
What is the common value system?
Ignores persistence of racism
Assumes immigrants will want to assimilate; limited evidence that they actually do in the UK.
Ethnic inequality can be specific to particular areas/regions, rather than entire societies.Slide45
Evaluation
The perspective also assumes that subsequent generations will experience fewer problems...
...But
Heath & Li Cheung
found that the
ethnic penalty does not just apply to first generation immigrants...Slide46
New Right Realism
Closely linked to functionalist views
Believe in encouraging/enforcing assimilation of ethnic minority groups
e.g. legislation to make learning the English language compulsory for minority groups.Slide47
NEW RIGHT: ‘
Losing Ground’
Charles Murray (1984)
African-Americans constitute a black underclass defined by their cultural
attitudes e.g.
Unwillingness to work
CriminalityIrresponsible parentingThese sorts of views remain popular among
t
he right wing but are accused
o
f creating conflict...Slide48
2: MarxismSlide49
Cox (1948)
Racial differences – and racism itself – are the creation of the economic system (capitalism).
It creates divisions and
justifies paying/treating
some groups less well than others.
Slavery is the ultimate example of how racism and
r
acial divisions can serve capitalism – by justifying the provision of free labour!Slide50
Castles & Kosack
(1973)
Ethnic minorities are part of the
reserve army of labour.
They are also used to ‘divide’ the working classes. For example...Slide51
I think immigration is a good thing...
I’m not being racist, but you know that immigrants are taking your jobs, right?
What? Really?
Yep. And they’re doing the same jobs for half the price...
That doesn’t seem fair on them...
It is, because they’re lazy, and criminal, and don’t raise their kids very well, and they look and speak and act a bit differently to us...
Right, well let us do those jobs instead, then...
I’d love to, but you see, these immigrants are so much cheaper...
I now hate all immigrants...Slide52
Castles & Kosack
(1973)
Also believed that ethnic minorities provided a convenient
scapegoat
for the problems of capitalism...(Which study best demonstrates this?)Slide53
Miles (1980)
(Neo-Marxist)
Ethnic minorities are part of
racialized
class fractions.
This means that they occupy the same class structure as everyone else...but are treated differently because of their ethnicity.Miles argues that racism prevents them being fully accepted by the white middle classes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA8Y_kGx7LsSlide54
Gilroy (1987)
“There
ain’t
no Black in the Union
Jack”
Black
people, even if born in Britain, are seen as culturally different and as undermining the cultural unity that had made Britain strong in the past.Slide55
Evaluation
Recognises the persistence of racism in society
Assumes the reason for racism is economic
(economic determinism/reductionism)
Assumes racism will disappear with
communism?Slide56
3: WeberianismSlide57
Parkin (1968)
Ethnic groups are
negatively privileged status
groups:
The lower status of ethnic minorities affects their market situation or class. Social closure keeps minority groups out of authority positions
.A glass ceiling…
...or a concrete ceiling?Slide58
Dual
Labour Market theory
(Barron & Norris; 1967)
Minority groups placed in the Secondary Labour market; life chances and market position weaker than their white colleagues.Slide59
Rex & Tomlinson (1979)
Racism places ethnic minorities in a separate class position under the working
class (Rex calls this a
‘black underclass’):
Economically disadvantaged in employment, housing and education Marginalised and lacking in powerSlide60
Evaluation
The
Weberian
view does not differentiate between different ethnic groups...
...It also overlaps with Marxist ideas, though with big differences in terms of the class position of ethnic minorities.Slide61
Postmodernism
Super-diversity
Not all ethnic groups – or individuals within ethnic groups – experience the same advantages and disadvantages.
Modood is critical of the portrayal of ethnic minority groups as victims.
Hybrid identities
Code-switchingSlide62
Assessment
Outline and assess the view that ethnic minorities constitute a black underclass in contemporary Britain (44 marks)