ABSTRACT
The dichotomy and interaction between categorisation by majority society and self-identification through a number of ethnic markers does not suffice to account for the processes of group identification among the young people concerned. The heritage of centuries of racism and infériorisation dating back to slavery is compounded by the stigma which immigrant workers in low status and low wage jobs have suffered in Britain. This is bound to leave a mark on these young people’s self-perception and the perception of society at large. The territorial basis of identification is another source of data which needs to be examined: Africa, the Caribbean, Britain, the locality, all have to be interrogated, as well as social sources of identification. Finally, the paths of action they follow will derive from the intertwining of those factors.
