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Ethnic and cultural diversity

The UK has long been culturally and ethnically diverse. Ethnic minorities make up 8% of the population but this percentage varies widely across the country – 45% in London and less than 4% in the South West. [1] However, globalisation and international migration (See global population movement) have led to an increase in ethnic and cultural diversity in the UK, particularly as recent migrants are from different countries to previous ‘waves’. The impact of this movement on the UK has led to the emergence of a new concept – ‘super diversity’. It conveys the idea that diversity is itself diversifying is increasingly complex. Many consider managing diversity to be one of the central challenges of the 21^st century. 

What are the implications?

• Individuals increasingly have a variety of affiliations, defining themselves through multiple and overlapping criteria such as ethnicity, religion, kinships, regional and/or local identities.
• This means some level of commonality between people is more likely.
• There may be an increase in religious affiliation and spirituality as there are higher levels of religious practice amongst ethnic groups.
• An increased government emphasis on integration and social cohesion and more recently on ‘Britishness', emphasising shared values rather than multiculturalism and diversity.
• This is partly because some believe previous policies may have contributed to social fragmentation and polarised communities and, partly in response to extremism.
• Organisations that specifically target niche groups may need to reassess whether providing services in this way is still appropriate.
• Local authorities and government may increasingly look to the sector to ‘manage diversity’.
• The recessionhas meant that public concerns over access to public services and perceived competition for resources and jobs from immigrants has risen (see attitudes to immigrants).
• Increase in monitoring requirements from funders to ensure that services reach a diverse range of people.

Moving forward

• Does your organisation have a good understanding of the multiple and overlapping identities of its client groups?
• How can you engage with your beneficiaries to get a better understanding of this?
• Are there any changes that may need to be made to your service provision to respond effectively to the specific needs of different and diverse client groups – for instance providing language support and appropriate food? Could other organisations support you to be more responsive to the needs of a diverse community?
• Would your organisation benefit from a more diverse workforce and trustee board, perhaps bringing in new skills and fresh perspectives?

Want to know more?

Focus on Ethnicity and Religions

Published by: Office for National Statistics

Date:2006

Format: PDF

What is it? An analysis of data collected in the 1991 and 2001 census focusing on ethnicity and religion

How useful is this? Organised into five chapters, this report examines changes in the following areas: population; geographic diversity; households and families; employment and labour market participation.

Other comments: More up-to-date data is available for some sections, eg, the ONS Labour Force Survey

New Complexities of Cohesion in Britain: Super-Diversity, Transnationalism and Civil-Integration 

Published by: Commission on Integration and Cohesion 

Date: 2007

Format: PDF (317KB)

What is it? A report looking in-depth at the characteristics of immigration in the UK and the factors that affect the integration and cohesion of this migration-driven diversity. 

How useful is this? This report examines issues of integration and cohesion from three main perspectives;

Super-diversity - The first section defines super-diversity as a level of complexity in diversity that the UK has never experienced before and provides a good overview, complete with stats and graphs, of the current UK migrant population and continuing trends in immigration.

Transnationalism - The second section looks at how changing technology and reductions in the cost of transnational travel and communication are transforming migrant communities around the world. This is especially useful for those interested in how migrant communities maintain transnational ties to communities outside the UK and how this may affect their integration on both a local and regional level within the UK.

Civil-Integration - The final section looks at principles of civil-integration, examining how social-interactions between immigrants, minorities and the host (majority) population are maintained, promoted or broken. This section is a good read for those interested in the varying theories behind community cohesion and what can be done to promote it within society.

References

1. 2001 UK Census, Office for National Statistics [back]