WEEK 4: ED1BSJ 19/10/21
RACE & ETHNICITY
SLIDE 3: DEFINING TERMS
Race =
- Human construct
- Mode of categorisation based on physical appearance
- It’s ascribed = people assigned into racial categories based on what others see
|_> categories = fluid. Our ideas of regional groupings change all the time
Ethnicity =
- Ethnic group/s person belongs to.
- Part of someone’s heritage & ancestry
- 2 people in same racial groups can/do have different backgrounds
- Huge part of identity formation & development
Nationality =
- Someone’s national origin, where they hold citizenship
- People from same race or ethnicity come from all different nations
- Nationality = flexible. Person immigrates, nationality changes.
|_> dual citizenship or no citizenship at all
SLIDE 4: RACE
Social construct. How people define themselves & other people based on physical &
social characteristics
|_> race in social science is different than life science (i.e. human race)
Racial identifiers = physical features (i.e. skin complexions) – PILKINGTON, 2003
Race generates material, emotional & experiential inequalities & consequences
Used in literature, as it continues to be relevant everyday
|_> racial tensions in US (e.g. NFL kneeling of national anthem), #blacklivesmatter
SLIDE 5: RACE = SENSITIVE CONCEPT
- Term isn’t easily defined or understood
- Implicit power relations
- Links to current debates around immigrations
SLIDE 6&7: ETHNICITY
- Distinct cultural norms & values of a group – WALTERS, 2012
- Individuals sense of identification & provides sense of belonging
- New concept (from 1950s)
- Attempt to move away from physical characteristics?
- Characteristics of ethnic groups may include:
1. Shared cultural practices & beliefs
2. Common lang
3. Common religion
4. Common geographical origin
|_> common racial or physical features?
, |_> can you look like a particular ethnicity?
} SONG, 1999; WATERS 1990
- Better concept to race.
SLIDE 10: BME & BAME
- BME = Black & Minority Ethnic – from1980s
- BAME = Black, Asian & minority ethnic – last 10 yrs
} both have limitations:
- Imply BME/BAME individuals = homogeneous group
- Describing groups as non-white – othering
- Perceived as convenient labels, placed on minority ethnic groups of people. NOT
identities with which people have chosen to identify
- These terms refer only to non-white people, doesn’t consider white minority
ethnic groups
SLIDE 12: RACIAL PERCEPTIONS
- 2/3yrs old = more aware of male/female
- 3 – 5 yrs old = attach value to skin colour. Independent of their own ethnicity
SLIDE 14: CENSUS 2011: ETHNIC CATEGORIES (%)
ONS = says there’s no consensus on what constitutes an ethnic group, membership = self-
defined & subjectively meaningful.
- Ethnicity = multifaceted & changing phenomenon
|_> many ways of measuring ethnic groups. E.G. ancestry, identity, religion, lang,
physical appearance
{ Ethnicity includes all these aspects
- Mixed = 2.2%
- White = 86%
- Asian = 7.5%
- Black = 3.3%
- All = 100%
SLIDE 17: CENSUS 2011, RELIGION
Christian = 59.3% in 2011 => -12.4% change from 2001
No religion = 25.1% => +10.3% change from 2001
Muslim = 4.8% => +1.8% change from 2001
Other = 0.4% => +0.1% change from 2001
SLIDE 19:
5+ GCSEs a* - c: 2012/13 5+ GCSEs a* - c inc eng & maths
White = 82.5% GCSE: 2012/13
Mixed = 83.7% White = 60.2%
Asian = 86.4% Mixed = 62.6%
Black = 82.9% Asian = 64.2%
Chinese = 93% Black = 58.1%
All = 283% Chinese = 78.2%
All = 60.6%
RACE & ETHNICITY
SLIDE 3: DEFINING TERMS
Race =
- Human construct
- Mode of categorisation based on physical appearance
- It’s ascribed = people assigned into racial categories based on what others see
|_> categories = fluid. Our ideas of regional groupings change all the time
Ethnicity =
- Ethnic group/s person belongs to.
- Part of someone’s heritage & ancestry
- 2 people in same racial groups can/do have different backgrounds
- Huge part of identity formation & development
Nationality =
- Someone’s national origin, where they hold citizenship
- People from same race or ethnicity come from all different nations
- Nationality = flexible. Person immigrates, nationality changes.
|_> dual citizenship or no citizenship at all
SLIDE 4: RACE
Social construct. How people define themselves & other people based on physical &
social characteristics
|_> race in social science is different than life science (i.e. human race)
Racial identifiers = physical features (i.e. skin complexions) – PILKINGTON, 2003
Race generates material, emotional & experiential inequalities & consequences
Used in literature, as it continues to be relevant everyday
|_> racial tensions in US (e.g. NFL kneeling of national anthem), #blacklivesmatter
SLIDE 5: RACE = SENSITIVE CONCEPT
- Term isn’t easily defined or understood
- Implicit power relations
- Links to current debates around immigrations
SLIDE 6&7: ETHNICITY
- Distinct cultural norms & values of a group – WALTERS, 2012
- Individuals sense of identification & provides sense of belonging
- New concept (from 1950s)
- Attempt to move away from physical characteristics?
- Characteristics of ethnic groups may include:
1. Shared cultural practices & beliefs
2. Common lang
3. Common religion
4. Common geographical origin
|_> common racial or physical features?
, |_> can you look like a particular ethnicity?
} SONG, 1999; WATERS 1990
- Better concept to race.
SLIDE 10: BME & BAME
- BME = Black & Minority Ethnic – from1980s
- BAME = Black, Asian & minority ethnic – last 10 yrs
} both have limitations:
- Imply BME/BAME individuals = homogeneous group
- Describing groups as non-white – othering
- Perceived as convenient labels, placed on minority ethnic groups of people. NOT
identities with which people have chosen to identify
- These terms refer only to non-white people, doesn’t consider white minority
ethnic groups
SLIDE 12: RACIAL PERCEPTIONS
- 2/3yrs old = more aware of male/female
- 3 – 5 yrs old = attach value to skin colour. Independent of their own ethnicity
SLIDE 14: CENSUS 2011: ETHNIC CATEGORIES (%)
ONS = says there’s no consensus on what constitutes an ethnic group, membership = self-
defined & subjectively meaningful.
- Ethnicity = multifaceted & changing phenomenon
|_> many ways of measuring ethnic groups. E.G. ancestry, identity, religion, lang,
physical appearance
{ Ethnicity includes all these aspects
- Mixed = 2.2%
- White = 86%
- Asian = 7.5%
- Black = 3.3%
- All = 100%
SLIDE 17: CENSUS 2011, RELIGION
Christian = 59.3% in 2011 => -12.4% change from 2001
No religion = 25.1% => +10.3% change from 2001
Muslim = 4.8% => +1.8% change from 2001
Other = 0.4% => +0.1% change from 2001
SLIDE 19:
5+ GCSEs a* - c: 2012/13 5+ GCSEs a* - c inc eng & maths
White = 82.5% GCSE: 2012/13
Mixed = 83.7% White = 60.2%
Asian = 86.4% Mixed = 62.6%
Black = 82.9% Asian = 64.2%
Chinese = 93% Black = 58.1%
All = 283% Chinese = 78.2%
All = 60.6%
