Programme Outline
The programme focuses on how we understand identity. What goes into making you feel like you? How important a factor is ethnicity? Is your identity an advantage or disadvantage?
The historical context of identity is emphasised; not only the histories of migration but also how people call on the past to re-create or deny the present. There are examples of host cultures’ responses to migration, such as Mrs Thatcher’s statement about being ‘swamped by an alien culture’. We also get contrasting definitions of identity from young people who compare their lives and expectations with those of their parents. These complex notions of identity are then examined in a school context.
School profiles, both inner-city and rural, suggest different messages about identity. Questions raised include: How can a school prepare its pupils for a diverse society? Do teachers make hidden or racist assumptions about the curriculum and certain students? What are the benefits and disadvantages of separate education for different groups?
