Black African and Caribbean Youth Inclusion Practices: the Role of Hip-Hop
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2017 Black African and Caribbean Youth Inclusion Practices: The Role of Hip-hop Lewis, Stefan Lewis, S. (2017). Black African and Caribbean Youth Inclusion Practices: The Role of Hip-hop (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25145 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3655 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Black African and Caribbean Youth Inclusion Practices: The Role of Hip-hop by Stefan Lewis A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN SOCIOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA February, 2017 © Stefan Lewis 2017 Abstract In this thesis I explore the ways in which Black African and Caribbean immigrant youth in Calgary, Alberta, use Hip-hop culture to foster feelings of inclusion in Canadian society. It is projected that by 2016, 25% of the youth population in Canada was immigrant. While some immigrant youth are on par socio-economically with their Canadian-born counterparts, others face barriers that make inclusion strenuous. First and second generation Black African and Caribbean immigrant youth in particular face social and economic barriers in Alberta. I argue that in addressing the problems faced by these youth, the potential of Hip-hop culture as a strategy to counter these barriers has been historically under-explored. Based on this data, my thesis identifies the racial and cultural barriers that these youth encounter in contemporary Canadian society, as well as the role that Hip-hop plays in shaping their inclusion process. ii Acknowledgements First, I wholeheartedly would love to thank God for holding me tight and never letting me go throughout every step of my life. Thank you for air, faith, love, and melody. Had it not been for your beats, rhymes, and life, I would not have stayed on a path to fulfill your purpose. Second, I owe my deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Dr. Amal Madibbo, who not only supported me through every step of this research, but helped me comprehend my identity in a world where I often felt I did not belong. Thank you for your revisions, input, knowledge, and wisdom. Third, I thank my community. Although I may not be around from time to time, I owe you huge chunks of my existence. You are my brothers and sisters. Thank you for turntables, cyphers, dancers, and unity. Had it not been for you, this study could never have been possible. Fourth, I am most grateful to CJSW 90.9 FM for their support throughout my university education. You are the reason I enrolled at the University of Calgary. Thank you for the unbreakable bonds I have made over the last few years. Finally, I want to acknowledge all of the authors and respondents who are cited in this thesis. You are the heartbeat of this thesis. Thank you for your quotes and knowledge. Thank you for your existence. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this Master’s thesis to my mother, Gemma Mignon, for her love, and support for what feels like an eternity of existence. Thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVED SIGNATURES .............................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................11 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................21 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .......................................................37 CHAPTER FIVE: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ...........................................49 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................113 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................122 APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW GUIDE ............................................................................128 APPENDIX B: LEGEND ................................................................................................130 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Demographics of Interview Participants ..............................................................46 vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background of the study It was projected that by 2016, 25% of the youth population in Canada will be immigrant (Canadian Council on Social Development, 2006) and the realities facing these young people today are complex. While some immigrant youth are on par with their Canadian-born counterparts socio-economically, others face poor educational outcomes, social isolation and exclusion (Ibrahim, 2011a). These barriers make smooth integration into society strenuous. Existing scholarship highlights racial inequalities in Canada (Kunz & Hanvey, 2000; Tator & Henry, 2006). Although Canada is celebrated domestically and internationally for its multicultural policies, and our efforts to include peoples from all walks of life in Canadian society, there still exists pervasive racism amongst ethnic groups, specifically Blacks. Through published studies we can begin to understand the experiences Black people share. It is easy for some to claim that “Blacks are disenfranchised because they do not work as hard,” but this outlook fails to acknowledge the deeper - latent - structures that oppress Black peoples from reaching their full potential. Today, Blacks in Canada experience language barriers, hold more disadvantaged economic positions, are less likely to attain a university education, face negative media portrayals, and occupy less political positions relative to their counterparts in dominant society (Das Gupta et al., 2007; Dei, 2012; James, 2003; Mensah, 2010). These inequalities are also experienced by Black youth in various realms of social life. Madibbo (2008) states that some of the systemic barriers that Black youth endure are associated with their immigration status. For example, refugees are often more concerned than other newcomers with their uncertain status, the trauma of war, or their reliance on public 1 housing and shelters. Black youth who are first-generation immigrants (born outside Canada) encounter obstacles related to their lack of proficiency in the English language, and the systemic lack of recognition for the work and educational experience they have gained in their countries of origin. However, Madibbo (2015) contends that Black youth of other immigrant generations also experience challenges, such as racial profiling by Canadian law enforcement. Madibbo (2008) perceives the police harassment of Black youth based on racial profiling to be structural and institutional racism that targets Black communities. According to Madibbo “Racial profiling means that Black youth, especially young Black men, are often stopped, arrested, searched, questioned or beaten by the police” (p. 46). She elaborates on the systemic nature of racial profiling: “I consider the police harassment of these people as a form of violence and racism existing in the police force” (p. 46). Tator and Henry (2006) posit that racial profiling mirrors the perceptions of the dominant white society’s beliefs and prejudice about minorities such as Blacks and First Nations. Commenting on Tator and Henry’s (2006) assertions, Madibbo (2008) states that racial profiling is fueled by negative stereotypes constructed about specific racialized groups, and that these stereotypes are “products of the dominant culture which perceives these groups as more violent than others” (p. 46). Madibbo believes that these presumptions place Black youth in constant scrutiny and constitute a major factor that instigates their experiences of police harassment and exclusion in Canadian society. In addition, Black youth encounter discriminatory practices within the education system, such as the under-representation of material pertaining to Black history and culture in the school curriculum, high suspension and drop-out rates, paucity of Black teachers, enrollment of racial 2 minority students in the Basic and General (as opposed to the advanced or accelerated) levels, and teachers’ low expectations of Black students, (Ibrahim, 2011a; Madibbo, 2008). In addition, according to Henderson and Mapp (2002), “Among the impediments to immigrant children and youth’s [including Blacks] integration are language barriers … low levels of parental involvement, and isolation..