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A comparison of UK and Trinidad and Tobago black male adolescents' identity and self-concept

Hinds, Samuel; (2018) A comparison of UK and Trinidad and Tobago black male adolescents' identity and self-concept. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

Pupils from black backgrounds remain the lowest performing group compared to other ethnic groups. Although there have been improvements in achievement over the years. African Caribbean boys still continue to perform below the expected national average (DfE, 2014). There may be many reasons for this, including the identities the boys adopt. This study aims to compare the identity and self-concept of black male adolescents in the United Kingdom (UK) and Trinidad and Tobago (TT), and the nature of their relationships with their fathers to explore African Caribbean boys in the United Kingdom where they are classified as an ethnic minority and in Trinidad and Tobago where they are not a minority, to gain an understanding of the characteristics that surround African Caribbean identity in these contexts and the possible impact on attainment. Questionnaires including rating scales, drawings of self-perceived role in the wider world and imaginary letters to fathers were adopted in the data collection. Three hundred and eighteen questionnaires were analysed for the UK and Trinidad and Tobago altogether. The age range was 12-25. The two sample groups had a different emphasis on education with the Trinidad and Tobago sample believing that education was critical for achieving success in contrast to the United Kingdom sample. Religious community was seen as a supportive structure where boys were able to find role models and encouragement to do well. Statements relating to lifestyle, friends and social life showed few differences between the samples. Many African Caribbean boys in the United Kingdom had negative experiences in relation to racial prejudice and the police. The Trinidad and Tobago sample did not see this as an issue since they had no lived experiences of institutional racism by the police. Parents in the United Kingdom were more likely to help boys with their homework while boys in the Trinidad and Tobago sample had a greater admiration for their fathers. The friends of boys in the United Kingdom were predominantly black while boys in the Trinidad and Tobago sample had a mixture of friends. There were similarities in the samples in relation to fathers’ absence. Boys in Trinidad and Tobago had greater access to black male role models and were more likely to be in contact with their fathers. Although the boys in the sample faced various types of discrimination, the analysis of the data showed that they did not suffer from low self-esteem. Some boys had developed coping strategies that made them resilient and able to overcome any unfair treatment that they may have experienced. Many boys were emotional about their relationship with their fathers. The findings highlighted the importance of a father being present in the house. Where fathers were present, boys were grateful for their support and admired them. When the father was absent many boys expressed a love/hate relationship. Many felt abandoned. Fathers tended to be seen as the boy’s first role model and many of them aspired to be like their father. Some African Caribbean boys in the United Kingdom, despite a range of lived negative experiences, saw themselves as powerful and being able to cope. Others felt powerless and disillusioned with the world, feeling unable to make changes or be heard. The findings are discussed in terms of their educational implications.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: A comparison of UK and Trinidad and Tobago black male adolescents' identity and self-concept
Event: UCL (University College London)
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10048085
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