How does ‘race and ‘ethnicity’ impact on the formation of identities?
Identity is formed in relation to both internal and external influences. It is partly what we are, and feel inside and also partly how we are influenced, viewed and constrained by culture and society. Identity isn’t fixed and can be changed and adjusted in many ways. Some we choose ourselves, and others thrust upon us by external influences. Similarly, race and ethnicity are also fluid, altering as people’s perceptions change.
A quote from Henry Louis Gates in the course material is an ideal example of this;
‘My grandfather was coloured, my father was negro, and I am black.’
This illustrates that attitudes and ideas on what being ‘black’ meant have changed since the 1970’s. What it meant varied depending on what the prevailing attitude towards the group was. When being black meant being part of an African or Caribbean ethnic group, the identities of the people in that group were fairly certain. As the term became more wide ranging to include South Asians and Asians, it became less certain. Gradually being black meant something completely different, therefore altering the feeling of identity for black people.
The rights of others to dictate what ethnic or racial group a person belongs to has been a problem area for many years. It was traditionally the established and dominant group which decided what the other groups were or were not. This power balance shifted in more recent time as the different groups all began to exercise their own power.
As the example of the ‘Black is beautiful’ campaign illustrates, identity isn’t fixed and can be changed with a concerted effort to improve the social standing of the subject group. This is a good example of how race and ethnicity impacts identities. The black community worked to improve their social standing with the Black Power campaign, eventually altering their identity. By doing this they also took some of the power away from the dominant white group to decide on the definitions and meanings of the different ethnic groups and their standing in society.
As part of identity is a relationship between what you are a part of, and what you are different from, this change in attitude towards black people also affected the other ethnic groups, especially the white population. Once secure in the knowledge that everyone who wasn’t white was black, and therefore inferior, people were suddenly on shifting ground. With their certainties shaken, the white majorities own identities were changed. For your own identity to be certain you need to know where you are in relation to others. If the identities of others shift then it inevitably affects your own, as the marker you compare yourself to has changed.
These changes have made life more complicated for all ethnic groups. No longer just black or white, there is now a plethora of races and ethnicities to contend with. The power has shifted away from the majority white group to every other racial and ethnic group. Political correctness has also had a hand in this, as white people are often unsure of what to call other racial or ethnic groups for fear of being called racist. Because of institutional racism there appears to be positive discrimination, and preferential treatment to other racial groups. Police training has a specific class, where cadets are taught to treat racial and ethnic groups that aren’t white preferentially, as they may have a negative view of the police. This just adds to confusion and inequality of different kinds of people’s identities.
A quote from Stuart Hall in the course notes sums it up nicely.
‘I never called myself black because no one in the Caribbean was then. I’ve come home to an identity I was never allowed to settle for; discovering I’ve become something I was all the time; a black intellectual, a migrant… People who are 68 should feel the ground solid under their feet. But I’m not surprised it feels shifting… More and more people feel life this way.
This complication of ethnic and racial identities has made it more difficult for all racial ranges to feel secure in their identities. No longer are there just whites and blacks, but more social groups than ever before. This empowerment has in turn allowed all ethnic groups more agency over how they create their own identities. Once severely constrained by racism and strict social boundaries, there is certainly more freedom of expression for all groups.
No related posts.
