'Shocking' Decline In Diversity On Public Boards Ethnic minority public appointments have fallen since 2010
'Shocking' Decline In Diversity On Public Boards
Ethnic minority public appointments have fallen since 2010
Written by Natricia Duncan
MARGINALISATION OF Britain’s black and minority ethnic (BME)
communities appears to be worsening as a fresh report has revealed that
appointments to public boards from this group have fallen to their lowest level
since 2010.
The report, commissioned by Labour and Co-operative MP for Feltham
and Heston, Seema Malhotra, shows that only 59 people from an ethnic minority
background were appointed last year, representing 5.5 per cent of the total
number of appointments – a 1.5 per cent drop from 2010.
The report examined the number of high-level recruitments in
departments and public bodies, including the Metropolitan Police and Department
for Education.
Malhotra described the figures as “shocking” pointing out that the
numbers should be closer to 14 per cent which would be reflection of the UK.
In a Guardian article she insisted the problem is
“getting worse, not better” and blamed Tory policies for the decline in
BME appointments.
She said: “The Tories' enthusiasm for scrapping performance
targets included the cross-Whitehall target for diversity at the top of our
public services.
“The targets were there for a reason: under-representation of
ethnic minorities was not just an equality matter, but a matter of public
concern.”
Malhotra has called on the government to “urgently review its
appointments process.”
She told The Voice that the situation was cause for
concern since the approach to recruitment at that level was unique in that jobs
were not always advertised and said training and mentoring should be offered to
ethnic minorities.
The MP added: “I have worked with headhunters and what is clear is
that there needs to be more outreach.”
Former mayor of Lambeth and chief executive of Hammersmith and
Fulham Volunteer Centre, Marion Schumann, called the statistics “shameful.”
She said: “You cannot call this a diverse society where you have
situations like this, where there’s no power.”
But Schumann said she believed the Coalition Government was keen
on promoting diversity and stressed that addressing the problem was not just
the responsibility of the current government.
“All political parties in this country have a role to play,” she
added.
Malhotra has revealed that, as part of Labour’s commitment to
promoting diversity, they will soon be launching the Realising One Nation
consultation.
According to Malholtra, the project will “identify the continuing
barriers to racial equality in Britain and the actions needed from Government
to address them.”
A cabinet office spokesman said: “To get ahead in the global race
this Government is committed to ensuring that we have the very best people
appointed to our public boards.
“We can only be confident that we are attracting the most talented
people to these rich and complex roles, if the appointments process is
transparent and accessible to all.”
He added: “Last year the Government established the Centre for
Public Appointments which is working across Whitehall, as well as with the
private sector, to modernise recruitment practices and attract a more diverse
field of candidates.
"The centre is also developing a plan to support departments
in increasing the diversity of applicants.”
PM 'turning clock back' on equality
“As a non-white person, you are currently twice as likely to
be unemployed as a w hite person in the UK, and progress on ethnic minority
representation in the police has stalled.”
Labour has accused David Cameron of "turning the clock
back" on racial equality as it launched a consultation on plans to boost
the chances of people from ethnic minorities.
The party is seeking ways to combat racism and improve the
representation of people from black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in
public life.
The measures could include changes to the law to allow police to
increase the number of officers recruited from minority groups.
The consultation, which forms part of Labour's policy review, said
the rise in the English Defence League (EDL) and recent Islamophobic attacks
showed "how far we as a society have yet to travel in stamping out
racism".
The document said: "David Cameron's Government is turning the
clock back on racial equality. As a non-white person, you are currently twice
as likely to be unemployed as a w hite person in the UK, and progress on ethnic
minority representation in the police has stalled.
"The Government has set about dismantling the statutory
equality framework, failed to deliver a proper national race equality strategy,
and stood by whilst minority communities are hit harder by a cost of living
crisis.
"The recent rise of the EDL and increase in Islamophobic
attacks underscores both how far we as a society have yet to travel in stamping
out racism as well as new questions of community cohesion which increasing
economic and social inequality will only exacerbate."
The party is "considering options for increasing diversity in
policing, including whether the legal framework needs to be changed to allow
police forces to be able to pursue effective BAME recruitment programmes which
meet their operational needs".
A round 5% of police officers in England and Wales are from an
ethnic minority background, compared to around 14% of the population as a
whole, and just 2.9% of officers at senior ranks are from a BAME group
according to the consultation.
"Some forces have also told us that the current legal
framework within which the police have to operate makes it hard for them to
pursue the pro-active BAME recruitment they want, even though it is important
for their operational requirements," the document said.
"Others have told us they believe the current framework is
flexible enough but more determination by forces is needed. The police want to
become more representative and should be allowed to do so."
Gloria De Piero, the shadow women and equalities minister, said:
"We have come a long way since Labour introduced the Race Relations Act in
1968, but under this Government progress has stalled.
"It is unacceptable that as a non-white person today, you are
twice as likely to be unemployed as the national average in the UK, and
educational attainment is still linked to ethnic background.
"On so many fronts this Government is failing our BAME
communities. We should be supporting entrepreneurship opportunities for ethnic
minority businesses and helping the police to increase recruitment from
minority communities.
"This is why Labour is today launching the Realising One
Nation consultation. We need a new race equalities strategy to address all
these challenges and support stronger community cohesion."
A newly-released poll indicates increasing religious intolerance
against the Muslim community in several European countries, including Germany,
France and the UK.
The survey, conducted by the French polling institute, Ipsos, and
published on October 11, revealed that 63 percent of Germans, 59 percent of
French and 57 percent of the British respondents believe that racial
discrimination against Muslims has been on the rise in their countries during
the past 20 years.
The poll questioned 3,200 adults face-to-face from September
23-26, 2013.
No Room In The
Inn For Minorities - UK Human-Rights Commission Moves To Erase Racial
Discrimination In Renting Sector
Natricia
Duncan, Voice Writer
THE
EQUALITIES and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has vowed to 'stamp out' racial
discrimination in the private renting sector after an undercover investigation
by the BBC found that the issue was prevalent.
The
EHRC said it would be partnering with the property ombudsman and other agencies
to address the problem following a report by a BBC's Inside Out undercover
operation, which exposed 10 estate agents who told a BBC journalist posing as a
landlord that they would not let to African Caribbean people at his request.
A
lettings manager of A to Z Property Services in Dollis Hill, northwest London,
one of the agencies at the centre of the investigation, told the undercover
reporter: "We cannot be shown discriminating against a community. But
obviously we've got our ways around that.
"Ninety
nine per cent of my landlords don't want Afro-Caribbeans or any troublesome
people."
An
EHRC spokesperson said: "It is against the law and totally wrong to
discriminate against people on the basis of their ethnicity.
"We
have received BBC Inside Out's findings and will be talking to the property
ombudsman and the trade bodies for estate agents to see what can be done
urgently to stamp out these unacceptable practices."
discrimination
against black
The
BBC's investigation was prompted by a Runnymede Trust survey which discovered
that more than a quarter of black and Pakistani respondents felt discriminated
against when trying to rent private accommodation.
The
survey found that 29 per cent of black Caribbean, 28 per cent of black African
and 27 per cent of Pakistani respondents believed they had suffered this type
of discrimination.
Only
one per cent of white respondents reported the same feeling. During the
investigation, the BBC staff also went undercover as potential tenants, and
uncovered the ploy by agents to keep black people out of certain properties by
refusing to follow up on their enquiries or telling them that properties were
already gone when they were actually still available.
A
black researcher, posing as a renter, was told a property had been taken, but a
white researcher, also posing as a renter, was offered a viewing of the same
property. The revelations of the report are said to mirror the sentiments of
the "no blacks, no dogs, no Irish" signs that were part of the early
African Caribbean migrants' experience in Britain in the 1950s and '60s.
Clarence Thompson MBE, founder of Presentation Housing Association, which was
established in 1968 to address the housing crisis in the black community, said
the BBC's report was proof that racism was "alive and kicking".
He
said his housing organisation, which was later acquired by Notting Hill Housing
Association, enshrined the principles of equality and provided homes for 15,000
families of mixed diversity.
Thompson
blamed the government for the lack of respect for the hard fought equality
laws. Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal for businesses to refuse to
provide a service based on ethnicity. He said: "It does not surprise me
that the government has failed to take any action or make a statement which
condemns the practice investigated by the BBC into the blocking of
African-heritage tenants by landlords."
shame
them into action
Thompson
added: "We can't expect them to do anything; we've got to shame them into
action. Racism is illegal and their 'silence' on this matter, their lack of
action indicate that they are themselves racist."
Home
Secretary Theresa May's recent bill to address illegal migration has been
described as a gift to "racist landlords." Former Voice journalist
Maurice Mcleod, in a Guardian opinion piece, said: "Last
week, Theresa May announced that, as part of her immigration bill, private
landlords will be required under the threat of a £3,000 fine to ensure that
"illegal immigrants" are not given access to their properties.
"In
her drive to make Britain 'a hostile environment for illegal immigrants', the
home secretary is likely to hand bigoted private landlords, and the compliant
agents they employ, another valuable tool."
The
Labour party has since condemned the actions of the lettings agents in the
BBC's report. Shadow Communities Secretary Hilary Benn told the BBC he
"was shocked" and "deeply upset".
Heidi
Alexander, Labour MP for Lewisham East, told The Voice: "The
discrimination that was evident in last week's documentary about some London
property agents is a stark reminder of just how far we still have to go before
we can claim to have equality for everyone in our country.
"What
we heard and saw some people doing and saying was just plain wrong. Not only do
employers need to get a grip of this situation urgently, potentially taking
disciplinary action against staff, but the Equality and Human Rights Commission
needs to conduct an urgent and thorough review of practices in this sector.
"I'm normally someone who is very proud to call myself a Londoner, but
when I heard the reports last week it made me feel quite ashamed."
A test for racial discrimination in recruitment practice in
British cities
Researchers: Martin Wood
Published: April 2010
Aim
We tested for racial discrimination in recruitment practices and
found that people from ethnic minorities were less likely to be successful with
their applications, even discounting differences such as age and education.
Findings
The level of name-based racial discrimination was found to be high
across all ethnic groups. This is consistent with the high levels of
discrimination found in studies in other countries in recent years.
· To secure a job interview, we had to send out 74% more applications
for ethnic minority candidates compared to white candidates.
· Discrimination affected all minority ethnic groups. Differences
between the minority ethnic groups included in the study (black African, black
Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani/Bangladeshi) were not significant.
· Discrimination was not limited to particular regions or
occupations. Although the numbers in our sample were small, there was
evidence of similar levels of discrimination in all the cities and it was
present across all the occupations included in our study.
· There was essentially no net discrimination where the process of
applying for the job required the use of the employer's own form; there was
more discrimination where application was via a CV. Employer forms are
often designed so that the section containing personal details (including name)
can be detached before the sifting process.
Methodology
We sent sets of equivalent applications to 987 real job vacancies
across the UK under names commonly associated with minority groups. For each
job, we sent three applications with equivalent background and qualifications:
one used a 'white' name and the other two used names associated with different
minority ethnic groups. The names were randomly assigned to the applications at
the last stage to ensure there was no bias across the sample.
David Cameron ‘s racial discrimination policies are
affecting UK ethnic communities. Most of ethnic minority people
have been relying on the voluntary sector jobs. But the funding to
voluntary community groups have been cut at the rate of more
than 75%. 1 in 10 of funding applications from ethnic minority organisations
are approved by funders.
Jobless rate higher among UK ethnic groups
According to the statistics, released by the UK’s Department for
Work and Pensions (DWP) on Wednesday, the rate of unemployment for working age
people from ethnic minority backgrounds was 14 percent in average in the year
to September 2013, compared with 7 percent recorded for white people.
Unemployment among Pakistani/Bangladeshi ethnic groups, black
people and those of mixed race in the UK was 18, 17 and 15 percent respectively
over the same period.
Meanwhile, working-age Pakistani and Bangladeshi women were found
to be the hardest hit group with an unemployment rate of 24 percent.
British Shadow Minister for Employment Stephen Timms described the
figures as “deeply worrying” and accused the coalition government of “failing
to help thousands of young people find work.”
Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress
(TUC), the UK’s national trade union centre, also urged the Tory-led government
to do more to help youngsters from ethnic groups rather than leaving them to
“languish on the dole.”
“The jobs picture may be slowly improving, but these figures
suggest that the recovery and the return to employment are not being
experienced equally across all the UK’s different communities,” she said.
SSM/NN
England's universities should give pupils from poor backgrounds
guaranteed
interviews and lower offers, a key report on social mobility says.
Alan Milburn wants universities to "redouble their
efforts" to give places
to all those with talent and potential.
Diabetes health centre
Diabetes experts say findings underline the need for earlier
screening in
black and other ethnic minority populations
By Peter Russell
WebMD UK Health News
Medically Reviewed by Dr Keith David Barnard
11th September 2012 - British people of South Asian, African and
African
Caribbean descent are significantly more likely to develop
diabetes than
those of the same age in the rest of Europe, a new study has
discovered.
The paper, which appears in the journal Diabetes Care, details how
half of
all people in black and ethnic minority populations will develop
Type 2
diabetes by the time they are 80 - around twice that of the rest
of the
population.
The findings come from the Southall and Brent REvisited (SABRE)
study, which
has followed 4,858 Londoners aged 40-69 of European, South Asian,
African
and African Caribbean descent for over 20 years.
The charity Diabetes UK said the findings show why people from
ethnic
minorities need to be screened for diabetes earlier than those in
the rest
of the population.
Diabetes - a growing problem
More than 2.9 million people in the UK have diabetes - or over 4%
of all
people over 17 in the country. Around 90% of diabetes diagnoses
are for Type
2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
Diabetes UK estimates that about 10% of the NHS budget goes on
treating
diabetes and its complications, which include heart attack, stroke,
blindness, impairment of blood flow to the legs and feet (peripheral
arterial disease) and kidney disease.
It has been known for some time that people of South Asian,
African and
African Caribbean descent are at increased risk of developing
diabetes in
mid-life, but it is not known why this is or whether this extra
risk
continues as people get older.
Researchers from Imperial College London used the SABRE study to
track those
who did not already have diabetes and recorded those that went on
to develop
the disease.
They found that African, African Caribbeans and Europeans tend to
be
diagnosed at around the age of 66 to 67, but that South Asian men
were five
years younger on average when diabetes was diagnosed, meaning that
they are
at even greater risk of complications.
Risk factors
The team found that large waistlines, together with insulin
resistance,
largely explain why ethnic minority women are more likely to
develop
diabetes than British European women. However, this was only a
partial
explanation for the increased risk for men from ethnic minorities.
The
researchers say this suggests other factors are responsible as
well.
Genetic susceptibility may be an obvious explanation for ethnic
differences
in insulin resistance and obesity characteristics, but it
was noted by the
authors that total energy intake is higher compared with British
Europeans
in largely first generation Indian Asian migrants to the UK and in
Indian
Asian children in the UK, so environmental factors also probably
play a
part.
Dr Hélène Wilson, research advisor at the British Heart
Foundation, welcomed
the discovery that diabetes was linked to insulin resistance
together with
certain types of obesity. "This is a very encouraging
discovery because it
underlines the fact that controlling your weight by eating well
and getting
active can have a significant protective effect on your
health," she said in
a statement.
"There's a wealth of existing evidence that keeping the
weight off by eating
a healthy balanced diet and being physically active will reduce
your risk of
heart disease and type 2 diabetes, whatever your ethnic group."
http://www.webmd.boots.com/diabetes/news/20120911/risk-of-diabetes-in-black-
and-minority-ethnic-populations-astonishing
Schools in the UK are among the most socially segregated in the
developed
world, according to a major annual international education report.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
report
warns disadvantaged children are too often concentrated together
in schools.
This applies both to the children of poorly educated parents and
to those of
immigrant families.
The OECD's Andreas Schleicher says this is the "biggest
challenge" for
schools.
The Education at a Glance report from the OECD is the leading
publication of
international education statistics - comparing the performance of
education
systems among developed countries.
More:
This
article was originally published at The
Conversation.The publication contributed the article to Live
Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
It is
a shocking statistic that there were just 85
black professors in UK universities in 2011-12. In stark terms,
this means that there are more higher education institutions than there are black
British, African and Caribbean professors actually teaching in them. The latest
figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency put the
number of UK academic staff from a known ethnic minority at 12.8%.
In
contrast, black and minority ethnic students are well represented. In some
institutions, such as City University, they make up nearly
50% of the student population. Yet even in these universities black academics
are a rarity, particularly those in senior positions.
It is
hard to think of an arena of UK public life where the people are so poorly
represented and served on the basis of their race. Yet this scandalous state of
affairs generates little by way of investigation, censure or legal scrutiny
under the 2010 Equality Act.
The
Metropolitan Police has come under intense scrutiny for a number of years for
its lack of diversity. It was famously labelled as institutionally racist by
the 1998 Macpherson report for its failure to
be representative and adequately serve the black community under its
jurisdiction. In statistical terms, UK universities are as unrepresentative as
the Metropolitan police. Somehow, they have managed to escape intense scrutiny
of their attitudes, practices and procedures relating to the black populations
that they have a duty to educate and serve.
It is
also evident that there is a staggering absence of black people inother leadership positions within the
UK higher education system. This includes vice chancellors, registrars and
other administrators who make the key strategic decisions concerning ethos,
priorities and direction of their institutions.
No Black
British studies
Another
stark feature of UK academia is the absence of any degree courses that
systematically explore the experiences of black people in Britain. In the US,
African American Studies are part and parcel of the academic environment. Many
academic institutions house departments and academic leaders dedicated to the
discipline.
But
in Britain there is not a single institution that has a degree programme in
Black British studies. If one thinks about the plethora of degree programmes
that are offered by UK institutions, it is remarkable that not one of them
offers a programme of teaching and research into the experiences of communities
that have been so important to the shaping of the United Kingdom.
However,
black communities are often the objects of detailed academic scrutiny by UK
academics. In sociology, psychology, politics, history, theology, and numerous
other disciplines, black communities are analysed, assessed, examined,
evaluated and commented upon.
This
analysis of black life, conducted primarily by white academics, often portrays
black communities as dehumanised. Black people are used to illustrate problems
as diverse as educational underachievement, health inequality, and religious
extremism.
In
doing this, universities contribute to an unflattering, stereotypical and false
image of black communities in Britain. The rich complexity and diversity of the
black British experience gets buried under an avalanche of supposedly detailed
and well-established research findings. Equally damaging is that the
communities who are the objects of this research are so rarely empowered by
these findings.
Black
communities still experience exclusion, under-representation and
marginalisation when it comes to the UK’s major institutions. While academics
benefit from research income
and a raised profile
because of their knowledge of black communities, the communities themselves
remain on the margins of academic life.
and a raised profile
because of their knowledge of black communities, the communities themselves
remain on the margins of academic life.
Call to
action
In
order to move black people into the mainstream of British academic life,
fundamental cultural and procedural shifts are required. It needs to be
acknowledged that the British higher education system has institutional
inadequacies. Universities need to take pro-active measures to ensure that
institutions genuinely reflect the diversity of the wider society, both in
terms of personnel at all levels and in relation to curricula and research.
The
introduction of Black British studies courses in British university campuses
could be one positive step on the journey towards a more inclusive higher
education system. But rigorous scrutiny, analysis and action is also needed to
tackle the institutionalised discrimination that is a stain on the reputation
of Britain’s liberal university culture.
.
William Ackah does not work
for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or
organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant
affiliations.
This
article was originally published on The Conversation. Read theoriginal article. The views expressed are those of
the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This
version of the article was originally published on Live Science.
More than 1 in 10 students and workers at the University say they
have felt discriminated against because of their race or ethnic background, a
University think tank report has revealed.
The York Student Think Tank (YSTT) study, commissioned from
November last year, found that 11 per cent of respondents felt they had been
subjected to racial discrimination whilst at the University.
Shockingly, 1 in 4 respondents from outside the EU say they have
felt discriminated against because of their race with more than 1 in 6 from
inside the EU echoing that feeling.
More than 1 in 14 (7%) respondents from the UK said they had felt
subjected to racial discrimination.
Worryingly, 50 per cent of the affected people who said they had
felt discriminated against admitted to seeing others facing discriminatory
treatment.
When asked about the definition of racial discrimination,
respondents said that stereotyping, profiling or differential treatment of
another based on their race, skin colour or ethnic group was most common.
And according to the report, on-campus incidents tend to revolve
around students stereotyping other students based on their nationality, skin
colour and command of English language as well as other indicators of racial
background. Those occurring off-campus were “verbally abusive” in nature,
the report says.
But the report adds that discriminatory acts that occur on-campus
appear to “usually lack malice or a specific target”, adding that they can be
difficult to call out and challenge.
One participant cited the “subtle interactions between people” as
a main cause of the problem, and these may not have been seen as serious enough
by those affected to report it.
According to the study, the visibility of complaint procedures for
reporting racial discrimination incidents appears to be low.
More than 8 in 10 (85%) respondents said that they were not aware
of YUSU’s complaint mechanism while almost 9 in 10 (88%) said they had no idea
of the University’s own procedure.
However, almost 7 in 10 (69%) participants did assume a reporting
procedure existed even if they were not aware how to use them.
One participant said: “I didn’t really feel there was a clear
structure of who to report things to.”
Of the 11 per cent of respondents who said they had been subjected
to racial discrimination, 79 per cent said they did not report it.
Only 1 in 10 respondents said they were “aware and confident” of
using the students’ union and university reporting procedures.
Peter Quinn, the Director of Student Support Services, said that
the Equality and Diversity Office did not have “enough staff” to deal with
reports.
He said: “[The] scope and capacity for getting involved in student
matters isn’t as good as it might be.”
Of those who had encountered racial discrimination, 1 in 8 (12%)
felt that they did not have the opportunity to participate in University life
and contribute towards the campus community, whilst more than 1 in 5 (22%) said
they did not find it easy to connect with students from various racial and
cultural backgrounds.
The report says that the issue of racial discrimination is “far
greater than we previously realised”.
It recommends a number of ways that it believes to be both
“realistic and achievable” in helping to resolve the problem.
Adopting BME representatives onto all college JCRCs/SAs is one
way, the report says, of helping to address the issue.
Its findings also recommend looking at the commissioning of a
consultation into the college system at York, adding that a major trend found
was the “centrality of the college system, not only to the issue of racial
discrimination, but to the wider student experience”.
The report also recommends looking at disclosing support information
to new students earlier and says that there needs to be better visibility of
the Student Support Services online.
Mylo Scurr, the team leader of the consultation, said that
feedback indicates the best way to do this is to “expose students to a wide
variety of cultural diversity” through the college system and college events
that “promote a cohesive community”.
He added: “Our consultation saw that 11% of survey respondents had
encountered racial discrimination. That said, malicious incidents of racism or
racial discrimination on-campus appear to be quite rare.
“The University and YUSU have two key roles in reducing the
incidence of racial discrimination at York. The first of these is exposing
students to a wide variety of cultural diversity that they might not have
experienced prior to University.
“Feedback we received indicated that the best way to do this is
through the college system and college events that promote a cohesive
community. The second role is providing support to students who do encounter
racial discrimination, whether on- or off-campus.
“Awareness of report/complaint mechanisms and support services is
low. Personally I would like to encourage students who have encountered racial
discrimination to report it. Without feedback and information on incidents that
occur there will be little progress in this area – students must drive the
change we want to see.”
805 people took part in the study which was released at a
presentation last Thursday.
Of the University’s 16,000 undergraduate and postgraduate
students, more than 3,500 self-identify as “BME” in the current academic year.
The proportion of those identifying as “BME” has increased
year-on-year since 2007, figures show.
Neil Dhayatker and John Olatunji, the incoming YUSU BME Officers,
said: “This is an excellent and well researched report that highlights the
issues regarding racial discrimination at the university. As newly elected BME
officers, we will seek to implement many of the recommendations provided,
particularly ensuring that all college JCRCs have a BME representative.
“We urge all students to report any incidents of racial
discrimination. It is essential that the university is made aware of any
incidents, so action can be taken. We will certainly seek to review the
complaints/reports mechanisms and will work closely with the university,
especially with the Equality and Diversity Office to ensure progress.”
The University’s Registrar and Secretary David Duncan said: “As
Convenor of the Equality and Diversity Committee, I attended the launch of this
report on Thursday. The results should be seen in the round. On the one
hand, the large majority of students do not agree with the statement that
racial discrimination is a problem on campus, and the large majority of
students from black and minority ethnic backgrounds have not experienced racism
themselves. At the same time, there is a significant minority who used this
survey to express concerns. Many of these relate to everyday experiences such
as feeling excluded from a social group or being the victim of insensitive
comments by other students.
“One of the key issues highlighted by the report concerns
integration of overseas and home students. We have a large population of
international students, many of whom are only in York for a year. We need to do
more to achieve effective integration between the different groups, in
colleges, in clubs and societies and in the classroom.
“The report makes a number of sensible recommendations, all of
which we have said we will act on. These include making our complaints
procedure and support mechanisms more visible to students across campus. In the
meantime, if any student experiences problems and would like to raise them with
the University, they are encouraged to speak to the Equality and Diversity
Office, YUSU, GSA or their college welfare team.”
Recessions increase racial prejudice and inequality in the UK
Periods of high unemployment in the UK see more people admitting
to being racially prejudiced and ethnic minorities disproportionately suffering
in the job market, according to new research from the London School of
Economics and Political Science [1].
The study looks at changes in self-reported racial prejudice over
27 years [2] and finds the proportion of people who said they were at least a
‘little prejudiced’ towards those from other races increased slightly whenever
the economy took a turn for the worse.
The researchers found a particularly big increase in self-reported
prejudice during recessions among the highly-educated. In particular, full-time
employed, middle-aged White men, the group most likely to be employers or
managers in the workplace, show the largest increase in self-reported
prejudice.
In general, highly-educated individuals are less likely to express
racial prejudice than other sections of the population. Nevertheless, the
research highlights how a four percentage point increase in the unemployment
rate - as was seen in the recent Great Recession – matches a 16 percentage
point increase in the proportion of educated, employed White men who admitted
to some racial prejudice. This is after controlling for variables such as age,
education, income and gender.
For White females, the most significant increase in self-reported
racial prejudice during recessions is also for the highly-educated that are
full-time employed and aged 35-64. Researchers estimated a four percentage-point
increase in unemployment increases this group’s racial prejudice by eight
percentage points.
Dr Grace Lordan, the paper’s co-author and lecturer in health
economics at LSE, commented:
“During a recession people who are normally in secure, well-paid
jobs suddenly find their position under threat. Our study suggests that this
increased insecurity may turn into an increase in prejudice towards ‘others’
who could be perceived as competitors.”
More at :
Wealth inequality in the UK – Video
UK
should end their racial campaign against Migrants.
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