What's in a name?

A birth certificate
24 Aug 2011 15:33:41.187
PA 253/11

Can bearing a name which sounds different or ‘foreign’ — regardless of your actual ethnic background — be enough to make you the target of racism?

A postgraduate student at The University of Nottingham is currently recruiting volunteers for a study that will aim to explore the links between names and potential ethnic and racial discrimination.

Emily Wykes, who is studying for a PhD in the University’s School of Sociology said: “There has been a lot of previous research conducted that highlights the relationship between skin colour, physical appearance and racism.
Click here for full story

“However, I am interested in finding out whether there is a non-visual form of racism. What assumptions, if any, are made about people on the basis of what they are called?”

Emily is appealing for people who have married and taken their spouse’s name — hence having the experience of living with two different names — to come forward to take part in the study.

She is particularly keen to hear from those who have changed their name from a ‘non-British sounding’ name, for example a Polish or Nigerian name, to a ‘traditionally British sounding’ name. Equally, she would also like to speak to those who have had ‘traditionally British sounding’ names and married someone with a name that is typically associated with another culture or ethnic group.

The research will involve speaking to the volunteers individually about their own experiences of changing their name and whether they have noticed any difference in how they are treated by others, whether their social or employment opportunities were affected, whether it has affected their own sense of identity and whether people react in a noticeable way to their new name.

Emily said that her own relationship with her partner, who is originally from Nigeria, sparked the idea for the research.

She added: “I began to wonder if having a name which people perhaps perceive as being ‘foreign’ impacts on your life chances in some way, just as skin colour may do. This led to the idea of interviewing people who have had the opportunity to live with two different names to find out whether they have noticed any difference.”

The research could help to inform future discussions of racism and perhaps government policies about racism.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the study can contact Emily by email at lqxejw2@nottingham.ac.uk or emilywykes@hotmail.com

— Ends —

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.

The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.

More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news

Story credits

 More information is available from Emily Wykes by email at lqxejw2@nottingham.ac.uk

Emma Thorne Emma Thorne - Media Relations Manager

Email: emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)115 951 5793 Location: University Park

Additional resources

No additional resources for this article

Related articles

Major study into understanding homophobia

Published Date
Tuesday 17th May 2011

Tackling prejudice in the beautiful game

Published Date
Wednesday 27th April 2011

A haunted honeymoon tale for Halloween

Published Date
Thursday 27th October 2011

Media Relations - External Relations

The University of Nottingham
YANG Fujia Building
Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham, NG8 1BB

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5798
email: pressoffice@nottingham.ac.uk