This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Brah, A. K Title: Inter-generational and inter-ethnic perceptions : A comparative study of South Asian and English adolescents and their parents in Southall General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Inter-Generational and Inter-Ethnic Perceptions: A Comparative Study of South Asian and English Adolescents and Their Parents in Southall Avtar K. Brah, School of Education, University of Bristol July 1979 Memorandum This thesis is submitted to the University of Bristol in support of an application for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The work reported in this thesis is the result of my ow-n research activities, except where otherwise specified in the text. None of the work has been used previously in a degree thesis submitted to this or any other University. Signe d . Dated . _?.tt. Abstract This thesis,reports research undertaken during 1975 and 1976. The study was conducted partly in schools and partly in the homes of the respondents. There are two main parts to the study: the first involves a comparison between the Asian and English adolescents' perceptions of self, parents, teachers and ethnically specified categories of adults and peers; and the second is concerned with the adolescents'and their parents' views on marriage, family and selected educational issues. In this way the study aims to study aspects of inter-generational continuity and change on the one hand; and ethnic perceptions, ethnic differences and the implications of the two for ethnic relations, on the other. Ethnic, social c'ass, and sex differences in attitude and perception are highlighted. The self-images of the Asian and English adolescents are found to be substantially dissimilar, and the two ethnic groups are found to perceive each other as being significantly different. Considerable similarity, and at the same time important differences in the value-systems of the two ethnic/age categories, are observed. Intra age-group differentiation is also demonstrated. For instance, the views of the 'second generation' Asian adolescents differ significantly from those of the 'teenage-migrants'; similarly, the Asian parents' attitudes are found to range from the to the 'radical'. The results are examined in relation to variables both within and outside the age-system. The study points to considerable ethnic polarisation and tension in the area. Overall, a complex interaction between age, sex, ethnicity and social class is demonstrated. Acknowledgements I shoild like to record my thanks to the pupils, teachers and parents for their interest and willing co-operation; also to the Education Officer of the London Borough of Ealing whose permission to carry out research in the area made the project possible in the first instance, My warm thanks go to my supervisor, Philip Gaxnmage, for his critical encouragement and continual readiness to help when necessary. I have benefited enormously from his advice and support. I am indebted to my friends and colleagues at the Social Science Research Council, Research Unit on Ethnic Relations for their continuing support. I should like particularly to thank Michael Banton, Angela Emery, Nary Fuller, Deiroy Louden, Robert Miles, Meg Peaford and Verity Saifullah Khan. My special thanks are due to Sarah Pegg and Sue Whituiore who typed the thesis with speed and meticulous care. Thanks are also owed to Ian Carr and Sue Evans for their valuable assistance with the computer analysis. I am grateful to the National Association for Asian Yoütth for giving me study leave at a critical stage during the writing up of the thesis. I owe a very large debt to all my friends. I should like especially to thank Rohit Barot, Reena Bhavnani, Suan Poh Lim, Sandra Nillerson, Pervaiz Nazir, Rashida and Jacek Opienski, and Madge Summerbell. To my parents and my extended family I owe a debt which goes well beyond that which is expressed here. Contents P age List of Tables Introduction 1 Ch. 1 Youth in Society: Some Theoretical Considerations. 6 2 Methodology. 27 3 Immigration Patter from the Indian Sub- Continent and the ' Growth of Asian Settlements in Southall. 57 4 Social Background Questionnaire Analysis: Some Further Details of the Main Sample. 114 5 Factor Analysis of the Semantic Differential. 139 6 Factor Analysis: Perception of Entities as Reflected by the Factor Scores. 179 7 Analysis of the Interview Data: Perceptions of Marriage and Family. 217 8 Analysis of the Interview Data: Perceptions of School and Educational Issues; and Inter-Ethnic Relations. 297 9 Summary and Conclusions. 333 Bitliography 396 Appendices I In-School Questionnaire 1 II Construct Keys 9 III Instructions for the Independent Judges 12 IV Notes on Verbal Instructions for Completing tha Questionnaire 14 V Interview Schedules 17 VI Letter to the English Parents 25 VII Personal Interview: Biographical Details 26 VIII Tables Accompanying Section 6.3 of Chapter 6 27 List of Tables Page 1. The Useable Sample 46 2. The Non-Useable Sample 47 3. The Eub-Sainpie 50 4. The Parent Sample 51 5. The Age/Sex of Population Ethnic Group in Comparison to Borough Total 110 6. Size and Sex Composition of Ethnic Groups 114 7. Age and Sex Composition of Ethnic Groups 115 8A. Age and Sex Composition of Asians in the Sample 115 8B. Age and Sex Composition of English in the Sample 115 9A. Religious Background: Asian Pupils 116 9B. Religious Background: English Pupils 117 bA. Place of Birth of Asian Pupils 118 lOB. Parents'Place of Birth: Asian Pupils 119 1OC. Place of Birth of English Pupils 120 lOD. Parents Place of Birth: English Pupils 121 11. Asian Pupils' Length of Residence in Britain 122 12. Languages Spoken at Home 124 l3A. Parents' Residence Prior to Migration 126 l3B. Parents' Urban/Rural Background Prior to Migration 126 l3C. Parents' Prior Residence of African-Asian, Sub-Continental Asian and 'Other' Asian Pupils 127 13D. Parents' Urban/Rural Residence of African-Asian, Sub-Continental Asian and 'Other' Asian Pupils 128 14A. Social Class Composition of Ethnic Groups 130 14B. The Proportion of Asians and English Fathers in Each Social Class Category Expressed as Per Cent of the Economically Active Fathers Within Each EthnL.c Group 131 l4C. Manual and Non-Manual Occupations of Economically Active Asian and English Fathers 131 15A. Social Class Difference Among the African-Asian, Sub Cortinental and 'Other' Asian Pupils 132 l5B. Marual and Non-Manual Occupations of Economically Active Fathers of African-Asian and Sub-Continental Pupils 133 16. The Occupation in Country of Origin and in Britain of Asian Fathers Who Occupied Professional Posts in the Home Country 136 17. Constructs Arranged in Descending Order of the Absolute Values of Their Factor Loadings on Factor I 143 18. Factor II 144 19. Factor III 145 20. Factor IV 145 21A. Constructs Arranged in Descending Order of the Absolute Values of Their Factor Loadings on Factor I Cbtained Separately From the Asian and English Sectors of the Sample 146 21B. Factor II 148 21C. Factor III 149 21D. Factor IV 150 22A. Constructs Arranged in Descending Order of the Absolute Values of Their Factor Loadings on Factor I Calculated Separately for African-Asian and Sub- Continental Asian Sectors of the Asian Sample 154 22B. Factor II 156 22C. Factor III 157 22D. Factor IV 158 23A. Constructs Arranged in the Descending Order of the Absolute Values of Their Factor Loadings on Factor I Obtained Separately from the Male and Female Sectors of the Asian Sample 160 23B. Factor II 161 23C. Factor III 162 23D. Factor IV 163 24A. Constructs Arranged in the Descending Order of the Absolute Values of their Factor Loadings on Factor I Extracted Separately from Male and Female Sectors of the English Sample 165 24B. Factor II 167 24C. Factor III 168 24D. Factor IV 170 25A. Comparison of Factor I Obtained Separately from the Male and Female Sectors of the Total Sample 171 25B. Factor II 172 25C. Factor III 17 2a 25D. Factor IV 17 2b 26A. Median Factor Scores Associated with the Asian Adolescents' Self-Image on Factor I Provided by the Asian Sector of the Total Sample 181 2GB. Factor II 181 26C. Factor III 182 26D. Factor IV 183 27A. Entities Receiving the Highest and the Lowest Median Factor Scores on Factor I Obtained from the Asian Sector of the Total Sample 184 27B. Factor II 185 27C. Factor III 186 27D. Factor IV 187 28A. Median Factor Scores Associated with Each Entity on ?actor I 191 28B.