Résumé
While working in group homes for young offenders and troubled youth, it was observed that many of the Native and Black youth had a specific slant to the common adolescent need to be defiant in asserting their individualism. In particular, much of their defiant attitudes conformed to stereotypical ideas of young Black and Native people. This study went further into this phenomenon to discover the correlates to this attitude, using colonial theory, neo-colonial theory, social construction theory and cultural transmission theory. A total of 17 youth serving time in correctional institutions participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Analysis done on the interviews identified common themes both within and across racial groups. Results showed that for Native youth, ideas of the "drunken Indian" and that Natives were more prone to commit crime were common place. Likewise, Black youth seemed to have internalised the ideas of Blacks being criminal and "gangsta-like". In most cases, the influence of popular culture, most notably rap music, as well as other social institutions, for example the police, served to reinforce their behaviour. However, it was found that although these youth all reported incidences of racism in society, they did not see themselves as socially or economically oppressed, as was suggested by neo-colonial theory as a mediating effect. In most cases, the youth seemed to use ideas about their race that were common in society not only to influence their behaviour, but also as excuses for their actions, deferring responsibility from themselves to society. .