WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology Revision Guide

71 Ethnicity, life-chances and inequality Strengths of the argument that ethnic minority groups’ life-chances are improving are: Six per cent of MPs elected in 2015 were non-white. This is ten times as many as in 1987. In spring 2018, MI6, the secret intelligence service, used a young black mother in its advertisement for recruits. People associate MI6 with the white male ‘James Bond’type. They are reaching out for ethnic minority and female applicants. The government website gov.uk showed that the ‘employment rate gap’between ethnic minorities and everyone else has closed from 15 per cent in 2004 to 10 per cent in 2016. Weaknesses of the argument that ethnic minority groups’ life-chances are improving are: Ethnic minorities have higher unemployment rates than other groups. A government report in 2017 showed that black people are three times more likely to be arrested than other ethnic groups. Two out of three Indian and white people own their own homes. Fewer than half of Afro- Caribbean, Bangladeshi or other mixed backgrounds own their own homes according to a 2017 government report. Strengths of the argument that prejudice and discrimination towards ethnic minority groups is less common are: Laws about discrimination are now a key part of UK law and well known. Diversity in the media is improving. Marvel comics have introduced a black Spiderman and Captain America. Action figures offer positive role models for children. The Macpherson Report following the Stephen Lawrence case has made hospitals, schools and other institutions look at their practice. Statistics are very useful in presenting an argument. Choose to learn some of these by heart so that you can use them in the exam. Select the ones you think are likely to be most useful. Statistics about crime and education are likely to be useful in stratification and differentiation. Tony Sewell , a British sociologist. has spent his career examining reasons for the under- achievement of Afro-Caribbean boys compared to their potential. • Sewell blames the failure of Afro-Caribbean boys on the peer group they belong to. • The peer group they belong to values the ‘street’more than education. • Sewell says that racism of teachers and/or institutional racism is not the problem. • Sewell set up a successful Generating Genius programme which encouraged high-ability Afro-Caribbean boys to do science and engineering. This created a ‘science gang’which gave them a new peer group with high expectations, where they aimed to be the best scientist. Explain reasons why individuals may be racist. There is great variety in population ethnicity within the UK. Places like Birmingham, London, Manchester and large towns may be very diverse compared to smaller towns and villages. T h i n k l ink The links with education and crime are obvious here. How does family link? Can the family of ethnic minorities affect life- chances? Weaknesses of the argument that prejudice and discrimination towards ethnic minority groups is still common are: Ethnic minority groups are still scapegoated in the media. Moral panics are created about gangs, knife crime and terrorism. Racism is not always a conscious decision. People may not be aware of it. A survey by The Independent newspaper in April 2018 found that less than half of ethnic minority people believed that progress on reducing prejudice had been made in the 25 years since Stephen Lawrence’s death. Knowledge check 1. Outline what is meant by ‘ethnicity’. (2 marks) 2. Identify two ways that stereotyping can affect life- chances. (4 marks) 3. Give reasons why some ethnic minority groups may be less equal in terms of wealth. (4 marks) 4. ‘Ethnicity does not affect life- chances.’Do you agree? (9 marks)