Muslim segregation: investigating the claims

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Muslim segregation investigating the claims

• Barnet, 17th November 2008
• Ludi Simpson
• University of Manchester

www.ccsr.ac.uk
www.ccsr.ac.uk/research/mr
pd
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A litany

• Immigrants are a burden,
• taking jobs and resources,
• living piled together in segregated areas
• segregation prevents integration,
• clashes with British culture,
• heightens tension and breeds violence

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Conclusion

• The litany of race, migration and segregation
  claims themselves stoke fear and create cultural
  division where there needs to be respect and
  discussion.
• Structure
• Claims followed by evidence

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Minorities do not want to integrate

• We have focused on the very worrying drift
  towards self-segregation, the necessity of
  arresting and reversing this process. The
  Bradford District has witnessed growing division
  among its population along race, ethnic,
  religious and social class lines and now finds
  itself in the grip of fear.
• Herman Ouseley Pride and Prejudice, Bradford
  2001

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Minorities dont want to integrate?

• Is there an increase in same-ethnicity friendship
  groups?
• Is there desire for residential segregation?
• Are cities gripped by fear?
• Is school choice creating segregation?
• Does segregation breed terrorism?

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Is there an increase in same-ethnicity friendship
groups?

• Alarmingly, we showed that young people from
  ethnic minorities were twice as likely to have a
  circle of pals exclusively from their own
  community as were older ethnic minority folk
  younger Britons appear to be integrating less
  well than their parents.
• What the figures tell us about the behaviour of
  ethnic minority Britons is even bleaker. This
  year the figures show a marked turn for the
  worse.
• The 47 of ethnic minority Britons who last year
  said that most or all of their friends were white
  has now shrunk to 37 and the proportion who
  have mainly or exclusively ethnic minority
  friends has grown from 31 to 37. This is way
  beyond any statistical fluctuation.
• Trevor Phillips, 2005, then head of Commission
  for Racial Equality
• based on YouGov polls 816 minority Britons in
  2004 (470 in 2005)

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Citizenship Survey

• It is in fact the Whites who are by far the most
  likely to have friends only from their own race
  that is other Whites.
• Given the much larger number of Whites in
  Britain, and the geographical concentration of
  ethnic minorities in large conurbations, many
  Whites will not have opportunity to meet ethnic
  minorities.
• However, the very high proportions of the ethnic
  minorities who report having some friends from
  other races are quite striking.
• Heath and Li, 2008

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Demographics of friendship groups
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Is there desire for residential segregation?

• The kindest claims of isolationism paint a
  picture of minorities feeling content but in fact
  marooned in separated residential areas, unaware
  of the detrimental consequences for themselves
  and for integration.
• chronic cultural conflict (Phillips)
• parallel lives (Cantle)

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Oldham and Rochdale report

• The housing aspirations and expectations of
  White and Asian young people are remarkably
  similar. High priority is placed on safe
  neighbourhoods with a good environment, an
  absence of anti-social behaviour and proximity to
  other family members and friends which were
  not expressed in racial terms
• Simpson, Phillips and Ahmed, 2007

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Attitude to mixed areas

• Your lifes a lot more richer because you
  obviously learn things that you just wouldnt in
  predominantly Asian areas (Rochdale young woman)
• We dont have a problem moving into a White
  area, we can speak the language (Oldham young
  man)
• As you earn more you want to move into better
  area, but will always look for an ethnic or Asian
  mix (Bradford man)
• Everything is here, our culture, our shops,
  mosque ... and the best thing about this area no
  racism (Bradford older man)

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Are cities gripped by fear?

• British Social Attitudes survey 1983-1996
• White people more accepting of minorities with
  higher social status, and racial inter-marriage
• Acceptance greatest among most educated
• Tolerance of veil greater in UK than other.
• Intolerance and fears are greatest in White areas

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Is school choice creating segregation?

• Revealed UK schools dividing on race lines
  A remarkable picture of how Britain is
  sleepwalking to US-style segregation A
  majority of pupils in many areas of the country
  have little contact with children from different
  ethnic backgrounds, even though they live in
  close proximity
• Observer main story, 27 May 2007
• Schools are becoming more segregated than the
  areas they sit in
• Trevor Phillips, 2008

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DCSF segregation (ID) in England and Wales
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Does segregation breed terrorism?

• Suicide bombers with Yorkshire accents our
  challenge is to engage with and encourage the
  debate within the Muslim community.
• Baroness Valerie Amos, 2006
• The real suicide bomb is multiculturalism
• Mark Steyn, Daily Telegraph
• Neighbourhood profiling of ethnic composition for
  its potential to produce extremists and
  supporters for al-Quaida
• ACPOs counter terrorism strategy

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Other myths

• Growing ghettos?
• Cant find them unless defined as growing
  diversity of population
• Minority white areas are diverse areas, and exist
  now
• First local authority outside London to be
  plural Leicester c.2019.
• Too much immigration?
• Not exceptional in the world
• Not an economic or tax burden
• Britain not overcrowded due to immigration
• Ethnicity has always been measured?
• Historical, statistical, political review

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Conclusion

• The litany of race, migration and segregation
  claims themselves stoke fear and create cultural
  division where there needs to be respect and
  discussion.
• The claims are not based on evidence, indeed the
  evidence shows them to be myths
• Evidence is more positive more mixing,
  acceptance, diversity
• Britishness is not only an official formula, but
  is created by our own behaviour