Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference
About: This article is published in British Journal of Sociology.The article was published on 1970-06-01. It has received 4205 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Social organization & Ethnic group.
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01 Dec 2011
TL;DR: In this article, a comparative study of the educational experiences of African-Caribbean boys studying in British secondary schools was carried out, focusing on two other areas of education, namely, a supplementary school and a youth organization.
Abstract: This thesis critically explores: “Perspectives on the educational experiences of African Caribbean boys”. It draws upon the earlier literature in the field of secondary schools (Mac an Ghaill, 1988 and 1994, Gillborn, 1995, Sewell, 1997, Blair, 2001, LDA 2003). But this study adopts a comparative approach, specifically focusing on Black boys current experiences of both state secondary schooling and other areas of education, namely, a supplementary school and a youth organisation. Recent statistics have indicated a continuing high level of underachievement among African-Caribbean boys studying in British schools. The DFES 2006 reports that only 39% of Black pupils achieve 5+ A*-C GCSE grades which denotes that Black boys are among the lowest achievers at secondary school level as compared with pupils of other ethnic minority communities. The DFES further reports that Black pupils are more likely to be excluded from schools than pupils from any other group (Education and Skills, 2006). This study will go beyond the statistics by examining the reasons as to why Black boys have negative experiences in their secondary school education which is linked to their historically-based underachievement in secondary schools. The literature review of the study explores the academic literature/reports concerning African-Caribbean pupils’ underachievement (Mac an Ghaill, 1988, Wright, 1992, Benskin 1994, Gillborn, 1995, Sewell 1997, Ofsted, 1999, Blair 2001, LDA 2003, Education and Skills, 2006). The discussion reflects a number of inter-related issues that are shaped by the intersection of race, class and gender. These issues include: racialisation and accompanying negative stereotypes of the Black community and more specifically portraying Black masculinity as a problem, lack of respect for Black boys and their culture, peer group influence, and differences in treatment by teachers towards Black boys, as some of the significant factors affecting Black boys’ negative experiences at secondary schools and their resulting underachievement. In addition to examining the impact of these factors, as indicated above, this thesis critically examines two other areas of education, a supplementary school and a youth organization. Earlier studies have identified such sites as a powerful source of positive experiences for secondary school Black boys. This comparative, multidisciplinary approach enables original data to be gathered, in probing into the reasons as to why these institutions are successful in making Black boys educational experiences more meaningful. Over a course of six months, 36 participants were involved in this research study. The boys, their parents and their teachers were interviewed at the secondary and supplementary school. At the youth organisation, the Black boys and their youth workers were interviewed. The research used a wide range of methods, such as semi-structured interviews, participant-observation and non-participant-observation. This process provided the researcher with the bigger picture, giving insight into why Black boys have negative and positive experiences of education. The study makes a number of recommendations based on the findings, which include: actively recruiting more Black teachers to provide Black pupils with positive role models who understand their culture; employing Black culture/history in schools for the benefit of Black boys and teachers in state secondary schools learning from the other educational sites in terms of curriculum, pedagogy and relations between educators and Black male pupils. Such recommendations have been proposed in potentially being a step towards removing institutional racism within schools and promoting the career paths of these boys into successful professions.
27 citations
Cites background from "Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The S..."
...Jenkins (2004), who draws on the work of Barth (1969), Tajfel (1981) and Cohen, (1994) claims that identity was one of the central themes to emerge during the 1990s, with changing and new identities high on the academic and political agenda....
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01 Jan 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a table of contents and a list of FIGURES, TABLES, and CHARTS, as well as maps and images, for the first chapter of chapter one.
Abstract: ................................................................................................................................. iii RÉSUMÉ ...................................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND CHARTS ........................................................................ ix LIST OF MAPS AND IMAGES .................................................................................................. x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................................................
27 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the setting in which cross-category relations develop and symbolic boundaries are constructed in Neighbouring as a setting for cross-categories relations development.
Abstract: This article examines ‘neighbouring’ as the setting in which cross-category relations develop and symbolic boundaries are constructed. The study is based on thirty in-depth interviews with resident...
27 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the social capital of young people across diverse ethnic and cultural settings and drew on theories of ethnicity and social capital to explore the ways in which they might be utilised as social resources by young people.
Abstract: British empirical analyses investigating the relationship between ethnicity and social capital tend to highlight the views and experiences of adult minority ethnic individuals. In contrast the experiences of young people remain an under developed, but growing, research area. Our interest in this special issue stems from the desire to promote young people's voices in public and policy debates, particularly those from minority ethnic groups and communities, and to bring to the fore their experiences. Drawing on empirical research conducted in the Caribbean, England, Finland, Italy and Northern Ireland, the collection of articles explores the social capital of young people across diverse ethnic and cultural settings. We draw on theories of ethnicity and social capital to explore the ways in which they might be utilised as social resources by young people. We consider how ethnicity and cultural belonging might be regarded as both positive and negative forms of social capital among young people. We al...
27 citations
Cites background from "Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The S..."
...Theories of ethnicity explore the dynamics of social change and the maintenance of social boundaries (Barth 1969)....
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Dissertation•
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that coexistence should be visualised as a multidimensional process, where the state and other ethnic groups influence the coexistence of the Kamba and the Maasai and make a case for a theory of interethnic coexistence.
Abstract: The study seeks to deepen understanding on "interethnic coexistence". It is about how ethnic groups interact and engage in various forms of exchange to meet not only their daily needs but also to produce a stable state. This study is to a large extent about stability and harmony. It shows how ethnic groups that share common territory and resources interact and make sense of each other in everyday life and how the groups live together in spite of distinctions in language, discursive cultural practices, different modes of subsistence, scarcity of resources, disparities in social transformation and often conflicting political orientations.
The groups in question are the Maasai and the Kamba of Kenya. The Maasai are a Nilotic speaking group and predominantly pastoral while the Kamba are a Bantu speaking group and mixed farmers. The two groups are neighbours, sharing a porous but "clearly marked" political boundary.
These groups have an interesting multifaceted relationship. Both groups claim to display distinctive physical traits and even when these appear to be fluid, actors claim that they can intuitively tell "who is who". The Maasai have a "traditional" dress code while the Kamba have over the years discarded theirs. Whereas many Kamba readily adopt Maasai identity and learn Maa (Maasai language), it is hardly the other way round. Besides, while Maasai men easily marry Kamba women, Kamba men find it difficult to be accepted as suitors among the Maasai. Besides, the Maasai practice female circumcision, while the Kamba hardly do. Apart from these distinctions, the two groups stereotype each other a lot. For instance, the Maasai are said to be "backward" while the Kamba are portrayed as "cowards".
Although the groups portray each other as enemies and incompatible, observation of everyday life suggests otherwise. The two groups have an elaborate system of interaction and exchange. While some of these exchanges are based on ecological specialisations, others involve business-client relationships where the Kamba control business while the Maasai act as customers. Moreover, Kamba men work as herders in Maasai homesteads in exchange for money, cattle or adoption. Other social exchanges take the form of intermarriages and schooling opportunities. However, the social and economic exchanges do not exclude conflict. The Kamba and the Maasai compete and fight over resources. Ethnic conflict is therefore seen as part of the coexistence process. The groups compete over land, water, pastures, social amenities, trading space and political power. Moreover, they have a long history of cattle raids. In as much as the groups live in some semblance of harmony, theirs is also an antagonistic relationship. Ethnic groups do not "coexist" in a vacuum. The study therefore examines how the state and other ethnic groups influence the coexistence of the Kamba and the Maasai. The study shows how the state has destabilised as well as enhanced coexistence among groups. Divide-and-rule tactics, aimed at undermining interethnic cohesiveness, also contribute to state stability. I also examine the "rings of dominance", where selected ethnic group members are rewarded in turns, and where "eaters" recruit "co-eaters". This practice of inclusiveness in governance enhances stability by pacifying ethnic groups and pre-empting rebellion.
Finally, I make a case for a theory of interethnic coexistence. I argue that coexistence should be visualised as a multidimensional process. One of the dimensions is ethnic difference; one cannot talk about "interethnic coexistence" if the actors are not distinct. Secondly, I look at the dimension of "complementarity" and "interdependence" where I discuss coexistence as a relationship that involves mutual exchange. Interdependence is seen as a higher level of complementarity where exchanges are symbiotic or where groups seem to attain a status of being "indispensable". The Kamba and the Maasai oscillate between the two levels depending on the magnitude of vulnerability at a given time. Thirdly, I highlight the dimension of conflict. Here, I look at coexistence as an antagonistic process where there are rivalries, ethnic tensions and hatred as groups compete for resources and ethnic supremacy.
Fourthly, I consider coexistence as a process characterised by compromises, negotiations and concessions. This is where actors strategise and concede to win acceptance from others. Compromises are made depending on what one party or both stand to lose or gain.
Fifthly, I examine the notion of "common territory". The argument here is that "coexistence" has a bearing on physical space. Even when groups have independent territories, to say they "coexist" means the boundaries are porous. The sixth and last dimension discussed is the "external" aspects. The argument here is that interethnic coexistence is shaped and influenced by the state as well as other groups.
27 citations