`Cindy's a Slut': Moral Identities and Moral Responsibility in the `Soap Talk' of British Asian Girls

Abstract

This paper is concerned with forms of moral discourse produced by British Asian girls as they talk about soap opera in groups without an adult presence. It is argued that moral identities are discursive constructs which help constitute the self as a centreless weave. The paper explores the contradictory nature of the girls' moral discourses as they apportion responsibility and blame between individuals and social circumstances. It is suggested that while being both Asian and girls is of significance, the latter is a more prominent consideration in the participants' soap talk.