Race, Culture and Background

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors explore particular issues and opportunities stemming from research into personal backgrounds. They have seen that working-class participation rates in education are low; race and culture can combine with other factors such as unemployment and underemployment, low educational expectations and difficulties with literacy in English create obstacles difficult to overcome. White researchers may have little idea of what it means to be black and little understanding of black communities and produce caricatures and unhelpful 'pathological' stereotypes of black communities as problems, having an 'identity crisis' and 'culture conflict'. Nineteenth century scientists measured skulls to attempt to demonstrate white supremacy as part of a form of cultural evolutionism which ranked human cultures from 'primitive' through to 'civilized'. Emigration to America has been extensive, with complex patterns of migration and settlement. Ethnographic study involves investigating a situation in depth by means of observation and interviews.