Download Ethnic Inequalities

G674
Activity

Study the handout and answer the
questions provided.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAWn4F
O1MOw
Ethnicity in Britain

Acknowledged as a source of inequality
and difference – but our society’s way
of managing this has changed over the
past 30 years...
We used to promote the view that
everyone should be treated equally
regardless of ethnicity...
 ...Now, the view is more that we should
recognise difference and celebrate it.

What
concept
fits this
view?
Multiculturalism in Britain

Multiculturalism is about celebrating
difference, not promoting equality.
“Every individual must be treated with respect.
‘Colour-blind’ policing must be outlawed. The
police must deliver a service which recognises the
different experiences, perceptions and needs of a
diverse society.”
- The 2005 Foster Report into the impact of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.
Recap

What do we mean by ‘ethnicity’?

How does this differ from race and
nationality?
Race, Ethnicity & Nationality
Concept
Meaning
Race
Biological differences, linked to
phenotypes (physical
characteristics) and genotypes
(underlying genetic differences).
Ethnicity
Groups within society that share
things like culture, traditions,
language, religion, race,
ancestry etc.
Nationality
A sense of ‘belonging’ to a
particular nation through origin,
birth or naturalisation.
Culture
Clothes,
religious
values,
food,
tradition
Ethnicity
(Modood;
2005)
Language
Descent &
Geographical
Origin
Sense of
Identity
Race or Ethnicity?
Race is often regarded as an outdated
concept and sociologists prefer the
broader concept of ethnicity...
 However, some argue that race is a
better term for explaining the position of
ethnicities at the bottom of the social
stratification system – because
sociologists like Miles (1989) have
identified racism as the main cause...

3 Elements of Racism

Cultural Attitudes / Prejudice

Racial Discrimination

Institutional Discrimination
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice

Racism is a way of thinking, often reliant
on factually incorrect or exaggerated
stereotypes.
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice

Prejudice is part of a society’s culture
and is passed from generation-togeneration through the agents of
socialisation.
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice

Barker (1982) notes that the New Right
focused on cultural differences to exploit
fears about unemployment in the
80s/90s.
Cultural Attitudes/Prejudice
The mass media often portray ethnic
minorities as a problem/threat. They do
this by:
1. Offering an over-simplified view of
traditional British culture
2. Exaggerating the strangeness of other
cultures
3. Playing down the problem of racism (or
making it seem like the fault of
minorities for not fitting in)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MYHBr
JIIFU
Racial Discrimination
Acting on prejudice; treating people
differently because of features of their
ethnicity.
 This can take the form of racist attacks
(e.g. The Stephen Lawrence murder).

(Clickview: Panorama: Hate on
the doorstep).
Institutional Racism

Where racism is a basic feature of the
rules and routines of Britain’s social
institutions (e.g. the police/courts, the
education system, the housing
markets...).

Not usually conscious or intentional (e.g.
schools are committed to equality but
still expel four times as many black
children as white).
Are some ethnic minority groups more disadvantaged
than others in the UK today?
How is this changing?
Labour Force Survey (19982000)
41% of white men in the highest two
social class groups, compared to:
47% of Indian men
 44% of Chinese men
 33% of black men
 31% of Pakistan men
 23% of Bagladeshi men and…

Labour Force Survey (19982000)
41% of Chinese women
 34% of white women
 34% of black women
 33% of Indian women
 29% of Pakistani/Bangladeshi women

Workplace
Heath & Li Cheung (2006)
 Statistical analysis of the ethnic
penalty (the disadvantage faced by
minorities in the labour market).
 Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and
Caribbean people more likely to
experience the ethnic penalty.
 First generation migrants faced a
greater ethnic penalty than
subsequent generations.
Workplace
These disadvantages could not be
explained by age, education or birthplace.
 Evidence suggests the key factor is
workplace discrimination.
 The attitude of employers seems to be the
biggest contributor to the disadvantage
faced by ethnic minorities in the workplace
(Mason; 2003)

Workplace
Iganski & Payne (1999)
 1st generation immigrants disadvantaged
by decline of UK manufacturing; 2nd
generation benefited from move to servicesector.
Ginn & Arber (2001)
 Ethnic minority women disproportionately
dependent on state pensions (due to
earning less throughout life).
Education
Education
Some blame cultural factors e.g
 High rate of male desertion in Afro-Caribbean
families...
 ...this creates a lack of role models, leading to
peer pressure that draws young males into an
aggressive masculinity (Sewell; 1997)
 Lack of linguistic skills
 Culture of return (Bolognani; 2007) – ethnic
groups are attached to their country of origin
and believe they will return - intensified due to
Islamophobia.
Education
However, Briggs et al (2006) argues
that ethnic groups improve more at
school that white pupils; this is hidden
by GCSE results.
 Some argue the culture of schools in
more to blame (e.g. Ethnocentric
curriculum; racism of teachers etc.)
 The impact of poverty

Mass Media
Moore et al (2005) identified five media
stereotypes of black people:
 Criminals
 A threat
 Abnormal
 Unimportant
 Dependent
Mass Media

Van Dijk (1991) found evidence of
unconscious racism in media reporting
of minority ethnic groups.

He argued that negative language and
lack of reference of quotes from
minorities demonstrated a white
perspective on news stories.
Mass Media
The contemporary media do not reflect
the ethnic reality of the UK (Malik; 2002)
 Programmes like Eastenders try to be
representative of multi-ethnic
communities, but repeatedly rely on
stereotypes (Asian doctors and
shopkeepers etc). Black and Asian
characters also take a more marginal
place in the programme (Barker; 1999)

Research
Identify the characters in Eastenders
who are from a minority ethnic
background.
 To what extent do they conform to ethnic
stereotypes?
 Are they central characters in the
programme?
 Are issues of ethnicity and racism
considered? If so, how are they dealt
with?

Mass Media
“Reality TV has done more for racial
understanding than any other media
creation...shows like Big Brother gave
people a more varied view of what Asian
and Black people could be like.”
-Trevor Phillips
(Commission for Racial Equality)
Politics

27 out of 650 MPs are from ethnic
minority backgrounds (around 4%)...

...Ethnic minorities make up around 9%
of the overall
UK population.
Crime

Which studies/theories from the Crime &
Deviance unit provide evidence for
ethnic minority disadvantage in the
contemporary UK?
G674
Common Value System

Explain ethnic equalities in relation to
common value system. Differences
and inequalities are temporary.
Parsons (1966)

Argued that the “American Negro” was a
second class citizen, as skin-colour
symbolised status – but over time, this
common value would change and
minority ethnic groups able to play full
role in the meritocratic society.
Discuss

To what extent was Parsons right? Is
skin colour a barrier to success and
opportunities in the USA today?
Host-Immigrant Model (Park)

Cultural difference ( language, qualifications,
customs) disadvantages the immigrant group
in a host society

The disadvantage will disappear as the
immigrant group is assimilated into the host
society
Patterson (1965) – ‘Host-Immigrant Model’
Described a culture clash between W. Indians (boisterous, noisy, no
queuing at bus stops) and English ‘hosts’ (private, quiet).
 The hosts were not racist- just unsure/suspicious about how to act
towards the newcomers.
 This uncertainty led to conflict over jobs/housing etc....but Patterson
was convinced that harmony would follow.

VS
Host-Immigrant Model:
Evaluation
Accused of ‘victim blaming’ (e.g. It is the
culture of immigrants that attracts
conflict)...
 Racial hostility does not always
decline...the same tensions/conflicts
over housing, jobs etc still exist in the
contemporary UK...

Research

Use the internet to research attitudes to
recent immigrant groups into the UK
(e.g. Eastern European; the predicted
Romanian/Bulgarian wave).
To what extent were/are concerns about
these immigrants:
a) Cultural (e.g. Different norms/values)
b) Practical (e.g. Employment, housing)

Discuss
In small groups, summarise a viewpoint
to present to the class:
To what extent is the contemporary UK
effective in assimilating immigrant
groups?
Evaluation
What is the common value system?
 Ignores persistence of racism
 Assumes immigrants will want to
assimilate; limited evidence that they
actually do in the UK.
 Ethnic inequality can be specific to
particular areas/regions, rather than
entire societies.

Evaluation

The perspective also assumes that
subsequent generations will experience
fewer problems...

...But Heath & Li Cheung found that the
ethnic penalty does not just apply to
first generation immigrants...
New Right Realism

Closely linked to functionalist views

Believe in encouraging/enforcing
assimilation of ethnic minority groups
e.g. legislation to make learning the
English language compulsory for
minority groups.
NEW RIGHT: ‘Losing Ground’ Charles
Murray (1984)

African-Americans constitute a black
underclass defined by their cultural
attitudes e.g.
 Unwillingness to work
 Criminality
 Irresponsible parenting
These sorts of views remain popular among
the right wing but are accused
of creating conflict...
Cox (1948)

Racial differences – and racism itself –
are the creation of the economic system
(capitalism).

It creates divisions and
justifies paying/treating
some groups less well
than others.
Slavery is the ultimate example of how racism and
racial divisions can serve capitalism – by justifying
the provision of free labour!
Castles & Kosack (1973)

Ethnic minorities are part of the reserve
army of labour.

They are also used to ‘divide’ the
working classes. For example...
I think immigration is a good thing...
I’m not being racist, but you know that
immigrants are taking your jobs, right?
What? Really?
Yep. And they’re doing the same jobs for
half the price...
That doesn’t seem fair
on them...
It is, because they’re lazy, and criminal,
and don’t raise their kids very well, and
they look and speak and act a bit
differently to us...
Right, well let us do those jobs
instead, then...
I’d love to, but you see, these
immigrants are so much cheaper...
I now hate all immigrants...
Castles & Kosack (1973)

Also believed that ethnic minorities
provided a convenient scapegoat for
the problems of capitalism...
(Which study best demonstrates this?)
Miles (1980)
(Neo-Marxist)
Ethnic minorities are part of racialized
class fractions.
 This means that they occupy the same
class structure as everyone else...but are
treated differently because of their ethnicity.
 Miles argues that racism prevents them
being fully accepted by the white middle
classes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA8Y_kGx7Ls
Gilroy (1987)
“There ain’t no Black in the Union Jack”
Black people, even if born in Britain, are seen
as culturally different and as undermining the
cultural unity that had made Britain strong in the
past.
Evaluation

Recognises the persistence of racism in
society

Assumes the reason for racism is
economic (economic
determinism/reductionism)

Assumes racism will disappear with
communism?
Parkin (1968)
Ethnic groups are negatively privileged
status groups:
 The lower status of ethnic minorities
affects their market situation or class.
Social closure keeps minority groups out
of authority positions.


A glass ceiling…
...or a concrete ceiling?
Dual Labour Market theory
(Barron & Norris; 1967)

Minority groups placed in the Secondary
Labour market; life chances and market
position weaker than their white
colleagues.
Rex & Tomlinson (1979)

Racism places ethnic minorities in a
separate class position under the
working class (Rex calls this a ‘black
underclass’):
 Economically disadvantaged in employment,
housing and education
 Marginalised and lacking in power
Evaluation
The Weberian view does not
differentiate between different ethnic
groups...
 ...It also overlaps with Marxist ideas,
though with big differences in terms of
the class position of ethnic minorities.

Postmodernism
Super-diversity
 Not all ethnic groups – or individuals
within ethnic groups – experience the
same advantages and disadvantages.
 Modood is critical of the portrayal of
ethnic minority groups as victims.
 Hybrid identities
 Code-switching

Assessment

Outline and assess the view that ethnic
minorities constitute a black underclass
in contemporary Britain (40 marks)