Britkid.org - United Kingdom

Britkid.org is based around nine imaginary characters in their mid-teens from a variety of ethnic backgrounds; users are invited to 'hang out' by following one or more of these characters through the basic activities of everyday life. Details are provided in an effort to make the characters individuals, and to illustrate some of the tensions and negotiations within their British identities: Balvinder, a Sikh girl, follows her faith but once cut her hair; Tzu Lee, a Chinese girl, wants to be a model against her family's wishes; David, a Jewish boy, is good friends with Mumtaz, a Muslim girl; Megan, a Welsh girl, is unsure about her African heritage. The characters show us their homes, introduce us to some members of their families, and tell us something about themselves and their lives. If they are religious they give some information about their beliefs; it is also possible to visit their respective places of worship. Most of the site, however, features arguments and conversations between different members of the 'cast'. They discuss harassment, relationships, the words and 'jokes' they like or find offensive, public attitudes about race myths and ideas about the numbers of minorities, myths about 'natural black talent' in sport and music, and racism in football, crime, and discrimination. For example, those who click on the "Pete's Pizza" link can follow a conversation about racist jokes that takes place between three friends. This conversation is then placed into context when the friends visit a restaurant where the waiter makes assumptions about what kind of pizza each is ordering (or should order) based on his or her skin colour. These discussions end either in a quiz or in a 'truth/dare/kiss/promise' option that enables visitors to engage with the material and give answers that may be factual, moral, or a matter of opinion. There are also contributions from celebrities.

Other sections of the site are intended to guide teachers wishing to use the site as a classroom tool. Visitors to the "Serious Issues" page may download a chart of main UK language and religious groups, information on UK immigration law, numbers of minority ethnic groups, a post-war timeline of minority ethnic groups in UK, legal issues around racial discrimination, employment and housing patterns among minority ethnic groups, words and terminology about 'race', crime and 'stop and search', racist attacks and harassment, religious discrimination, refugee issues, the concept of race, racism and sports, public attitudes about 'race', and right-wing movements. Several maps are also available. A teacher's guide provides more information about the development of the initiative and orients teachers to ways in which they can use the site to help their students understand racism. For example, lesson plans are provided that can be printed and photocopied as work sheets and handouts; indicators of the ways in which these plans can fit into the National Curriculum are also included. Links to books, resource packs, websites, and organisations working in this area are provided.

Racism, Children, Youth, Education.

Figures provided in the "Serious Issues" section of the site reveal that, on the whole, white people acknowledge that there is widespread prejudice against ethnic minorities, though fewer white people than in the past say they are prejudiced themselves. A large survey carried out in 1997 found that less than 10% of British people thought people in the UK are not at all prejudiced. Asked if they thought people were very prejudiced or quite prejudiced, this is who said 'yes': 11% of Whites said that people are very prejudiced, in comparison with 29% of African-Caribbean people, 16% of Asian people, and 11% of Jewish people. The reasons people gave for prejudice were, in order of importance: the idea that minorities were 'taking jobs', various things related to cultural differences, and believing that minorities were 'getting good housing'.

The site's author and organiser has found that these kinds of issues can be difficult to deal with in a whole class setting, and that authoritative accessible resources are hard to find. He points out that "having only nine characters makes oversimplification and stereotyping a constant risk", noting that he might have included any number of people from different backgrounds, including Travellers, the Irish, east African Asians, the Vietnamese, Cypriots, and refugees of many different nationalities. He invites feedback from visitors to the site.