SOAS Research Online

Abstract

West Indian, Asian, Cypriot and white British teenagers from three north London secondary comprehensive schools took part in an exploratory investigation into some of their social and political orientations, the investigator spent some months in the schools participating in their activities and getting to know the respondents informally. The respondents completed a pre-coded paper-and-pencil questionnaire based on intensive pilot studies. This was followed up by in-depth interviews. The investigator focused interest on the question: "How far do the immigrant teenagers feel at home in Britain?" This interest was pursued with regard to their attachments to their countries of origin, their racial, ethnic or national consciousness, their educational and occupational ambitions and their political interests. The data indicated that West Indians were more racially conscious than others but that Asians and Cypriots were more ethnically and nationally oriented. There was evidence to suggest that many immigrants and white Britons were more racially conscious than they liked to admit in school and that many would emigrate if they could. Immigrants shared white Britons' aspirations as regards education, training and occupations. Asians were the most ambitious but West Indians were not less ambitious than working class white Britons. Pew Respondents had more than a mild interest in British political life though immigrants generally were somewhat less negative in attitude than white Britons. There was little indication that these young citizens of the future will pay more than lip service to political participation or that they have the critical skills to evaluate constructively the ideology of representative democracy. It is the investigator's opinion that more systematic and coordinated research is needed if policies for educating for citizenship in a multi-racial society are to be soundly based.