British Yemeni Young People’s Experience of Body Image, Home, Food, Language, and Religion

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides an in-depth knowledge on the social practices of an under-researched ethnic group in the UK, the British Yemenis. Through an exploration of their lived activities in the context of the conduct of everyday life, this study uses photo-novella and semi-structured interviews in combination, to present five main themes which emerged from the study. These are body image, food, home, language, and religion. The paper shows how British Yemeni young people connect and disconnect, at different levels, times, and context, with mainstream British cultures and Yemeni subcultures, displaying elements of cultural hybridity that are unique to these individuals, yet at the same time provides some information on the Yemeni community. The study follows the daily activities of six British Yemeni young people in a longitudinal manner, exploring an understanding of how social structures and cultures have, and are continuously, impacting the young people’s conduct of everyday life. The study also contributes to the use of intersectionality and post-colonialism as analytic tools in the study of young people’s lived experiences.