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Colonial immigrants in a British city: A class analysis
Colonial Immigrants in a British City (1979) analyses the relationship between West Indian and Asian immigrants and the class structure of a British city. Based on a four-year research project in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, the book is a study of race and community relations – political, social, economic and personal – in a major centre of immigrant settlement. It considers the relationship between housing class and class formations and consciousness in other sectors of allocation, such as employment and education. It includes a consideration of the changing political climate on race relations between 1950 and 1976.
‘Race’,1 ethnicity and housing decisions: Rational choice theory and the choice-constraints debate
Applications of rational choice theory in the sociological literature on ‘race’ and ethnicity are relatively scarce, and have tended to be implicit rather than explicit. They have been confined largely to the work of ethnographers and social anthropologists, and have been showcased in edited volumes such as Watson (1977) and Wallman (1979). In a more theoretical vein, there are the significant contributions of Banton (1983) and Hechter (1986). Over the past decade, the approach has to all intents and purposes disappeared, in terms of macro-sociological work at least, although vestiges of it remain in particular substantive areas, as we shall see. Even its strongest adherents, such as Hechter (1986: 265), have expressed some serious misgivings about its usefulness.
The Role of the State in School Reform: Responding to Increasing Ethnic Diversity in Britain
The British government has instituted a wide range of educational reforms to tackle ethnic inequality. This article argues that over the past half century most of these have been driven by immediate political considerations and have failed to incorporate a broader, historical perspective. This has invariably led to short-term, and short cut, solutions to long-term, deeply entrenched problems that, in reality, transcend the world of education. The article evaluates all the major reform programs, ranging from assimilationism to multicultural education to anti-racist education. It concludes with discussion of the merits/demerits of faith schools and the use of school reorganization as a means of tackling ethnic segregation.
From single to multidimensional policy approaches to equalities: The example of contract compliance
The aim of this chapter is to examine multidimensional approaches to equality from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, policy, and practice. In particular, it examines the e?cacy of a certain mode of interventionism. First, however, we need to clarify what we mean by multidimensionality. Schiek rightly points out that the term is open to some confusion in that it may, for example, refer to di?erent conceptions of equality or to di?erent sets of grounds speci?ed in order 'to achieve equality for multi-faceted human beings in social reality'.1
‘Race’, housing and the city
The analysis which follows stems from a growing concern at the apparent inability of the literature, both beyond the discipline and within it, to provide a convincing theorisation of the structural position of Britain’s minority populations within the housing market. Given that large-scale post-war migration from Africa, the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent began in the 1950s, and that significant numbers of black citizens had settled in Britain many decades earlier (Fryer 1984; Hiro 1991; May and Cohen 1974), this is somewhat surprising. Within the obvious confines of such a brief chapter, I shall endeavour to sketch out the basis for a re-evaluation of existing debates, and demonstrate how newly available empirical data can provide insights into the value (or otherwise) of various substantive theoretical positions.
Ethnicity, socio-cultural change, and housing needs
Polyethnic societies present some key implications for planners. Discrimination against, and harassment of, minorities is worryingly universal, and planning professions in all societies need to recognize and address these issues. Planning practice needs to reflect an awareness of the implications of difference while incorporating an understanding of processes of social change in relation to minority and migrant groups, specifically, changes in household size and/or structure and orientation toward the housing market. The core empirical data of the paper comes from the 1991 Census of Population and a major study of housing needs in a large district in northern England. Although focused substantively on British debates and data, most of the concerns addressed in this paper have an element of universality.
Housing inequality and 'race': Some critical reflections on the concept of 'social exclusion'
This article focuses on explanations of housing inequality in relation to key social divisions such as 'race' and ethnicity. Much of the recent debate about these issues, both in the academic literature and in the sphere of politics (especially within the European Union) has been framed in terms of 'social exclusion'. It is argued that the term is used in a number of distinct senses, which leads to considerable confusion at a conceptual level and obscures rather than clarifies key theoretical issues. Its use also leads to oversimplified accounts of complex processes, and can in extremis lead to the pathologization of communities. In the latter case, its dangers mirror those of related concepts such as the 'underclass'. Illuminating the theoretical arguments in the current literature by reference to British data, the article concludes that the 'paradigm of social exclusion' should be jettisoned by social scientists in favour of a return to a serious analysis of social divisions within a context of debates about structure and agency.
Race', housing and social exclusion
The paper begins with an overview of the ways in which the concept of 'social exclusion' has been employed in both academic and political and media discourse. In the context of 'race' and housing, the term is most often seen in debates about inequalities between majority and minority communities. These inequalities form the basis of the next two sections of the paper: the first dealing with the national evidence, the second with a case study of Bradford District. The paper then looks at how the academic literature has traditionally theorised these inequalities, and asks whether the exclusion paradigm adds anything of value to these debates. It is concluded that whilst the concept may well be of use in drawing attention in policy circles to questions of inequality, it is rather less worthwhile in the context of sociological debates. It has tended to be used in numerous disparate senses thus potentially obscuring (rather then clarifying) issues, is little more than a descriptive label, and has lent itself to a form of sloganeering which may stifle rather than encourage debate.
Planning for diversity and change: Implications of a polyethnic society
With a few notable exceptions planning analysts have been rather slower to recognise the very difficult issues raised by a polyethnic community. Much of the recent literature has tended to focus on 'excluded' individuals and communities, or even 'excluded' neighbourhoods. This paper will argue that it is vitally important for the future of our urban areas to address the policy and practice dimensions of both inequality and difference. The purpose of the present article is to provoke debate, and to dispel some popular myths and stereotypes which plague much of current policy making and implementation. Owing to its brevity, it will not be possible to delve into some of the more complex nuances. It will, however, point out where the key questions arise, and where to look for possible solutions. As such, it is intended as a contribution to the debate about cultural and ethnicity-sensitive service delivery. In order to sharpen the analysis, it focuses in particular on one set of interrelated issues: namely, housing policy and household projections.
‘Britain’ and ‘Europe’: An exploration of conceptual confusions
The data on which this paper is based comes from an international study of ‘Perceptions of Europe’ sponsored in 1990 by the Polish Association for the Club of Rome in Warsaw. In all, twelve countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, Europe, and Australia participated. © 1992, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
The debate between Michael Banton and John Rex: a re-evaluation
Michael Banton's paper provides fascinating insights into his long-running intellectual disagreements with John Rex, the other major post-war figure in the sociology of ‘race relations’. Published work and personal recollections are supplemented by a series of communications by letter to flesh out the precise nature of these debates. They reveal differing views on the ontological status of ‘race’, race relations and racism, as well as a number of criticisms of Rex's work. He argues that Rex was wrong to put so much faith in the ability of classical sociology to address these concerns, and that there was a disjuncture between theory, methods and substance in his empirical work. There is also a suggestion that Rex played down the significance of racism. The greatest difference between them, however, lay in their divergent views on the role of sociology and the sociologist.
Reflections on Race, Community and Conflict: A Study of Sparkbrook
There are few sociology texts that acquire truly seminal status. This brief paper, however, reflects on one of the most celebrated and often cited works in British urban sociology. It seeks to explain: (1) the book's initial impact on debates and research in the field of ‘race and ethnic relations’; (2) the key controversies sparked by its theoretical positioning; and (3) why, and in what ways, it remains of relevance almost half a century after it was written. It concludes that there are two reasons for its continued appeal and significance. First, it placed housing firmly at the centre of debates about the position of Britain's migrant communities; second, it illustrates the potential of sociological research. At a time when controversies rage about ‘impact’, here is a work that not only contributed to our theoretical understanding of contemporary society, but also illustrated the value of ‘public sociology’ by engaging with the polity to bring about social change.
Promoting social cohesion: Implications for policy and evaluation
This book makes a forthright case for a shift in policy focus from 'community cohesion' to the broader notion of social cohesion, and is distinctive and innovative in its focus on evaluation. It constitutes an extremely valuable source both for practitioners involved in social cohesion interventions and for researchers and students studying theory-based evaluation and the policy areas highlighted (housing, intergenerational issues, the recession, education, communications, community development).