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Nwachukwu, Ifeanyi Patrick (2025) Claiming voice and identity: Black young Londoners' experiences of marginalisation, critical consciousness and empowerment. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
This thesis is a qualitative study that explores how London Black young people perceive and construct marginalisation. It draws on their experiences of marginalisation to advance a contextual understanding of this phenomenon and the use of voice. The study analyses the narratives of Black young people, how they construct their views, and how they see others as reifying their identities. I argue that cultural awareness, race factors and racial identity provide a better understanding of the issues of marginalisation and social inequality. Exploring the influence of cultural factors and values enriches our understanding of this critical issue.
The research involved forty-eight Black young people from London, aged 13 to 17, who participated in eight facilitated group discussions to share their experiences of growing up in Britain. Data were collected using a deliberative discussion method, and reflexive thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. An interpretive approach was used to construct meanings, focusing on the lived experiences of Black young people.
To examine how Black young people perceive issues of marginalisation, this study adopted a theoretical framework that draws on Paulo Freire’s theory of critical consciousness and Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural capital. The study makes contributions to existing literature by offering methodological and conceptual insights into the exploration of marginalisation and identity.
The key issues identified by Black young people include social inequality, cultural capital, Black identity, racial discrimination, stereotypes, unequal educational opportunities, and a non-inclusive curriculum. This thesis illustrates the influence of cultural values on identity construction, emphasising the fluidity of social identities, as evidenced by practices such as code-switching and behavioural adaptation. The results demonstrate the complex and multifaceted nature of these issues, particularly the challenges faced by Black young people. Furthermore, the study identifies Black young people's resilience and coping strategies, illuminating a positive aspect of marginalisation.
A cultural framework is developed to show how cultural elements can offer better insights into the issues of marginalisation. It presents a strong argument for understanding how it evolves and the diverse ways it can be sustained. Resistance to marginalisation and the advocacy for social transformation is conceptualised as ‘voice of resistance’. By amplifying the voices of Black young people and introducing a cultural framework, this study offers an in-depth understanding of their challenges and perspectives, thereby advancing Black young people's scholarship within the UK context. Empowering voices of Black young people and acknowledging their critical agency is an essential step towards addressing the complexities of marginalisation, which are often influenced by interrelated social, cultural and temporal factors.
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