Revisiting the “parallel lives” thesis: Neighbourhood attachment and residential integration of ethnic minorities in England

Abstract

Recent debates about the failures of multiculturalism have questioned whether ethnic minorities gradually integrate into the British society or instead lead “parallel lives” in segregated communities. Using nationally representative data (2011–2012), we contribute to the debate by investigating the associations between ethnic minority neighbourhood attachment and neighbourhood ethnic composition. Our results show that although all ethnic minorities report higher neighbourhood attachment than White British as local share of coethnics increases, the associations are not significant. However, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Indians do report significantly weaker neighbourhood attachment than do White British as the local share of White British increases. Importantly, we find that these patterns are particularly pronounced for second‐generation Pakistanis and Bangladeshis as compared with their first‐generation counterparts. These findings suggest that ethnic residential mixing does not automatically imply residential integration and there may be a risk of increasing ethnic segregation among the younger generations of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

Beyond neighbouring: Migrants' place attachment to their host cities in China

“…This implies that, regarding attachment to the city, mixed residential patterns are better than segregated migrant enclaves. This is in stark contrast to general international migration studies and previous neighbourhood research findings (Dekker & Bolt, 2005; Livingston et al, 2010; Putnam, 2007; Wang & Ramsden, 2018). They argued that a neighbourhood composed of diverse ethnicity tends to “hunker down” with lower trust and rarer community cooperation (Putnam, 2007; Stolle, Soroka, & Johnston, 2008), which may cause a weaker sense of attachment (Górny & Toruńczyk‐Ruiz, 2014).…”

Parental Correlates of Outdoor Play in Boys and Girls Aged 0 to 12—A Systematic Review

“…Studies found that women of a minority ethnicity are less physically active than women of majority ethnicity [73], thereby infrequently acting as a physically active role model for their children by supporting PA and outdoor play. Additionally, ethnic minority groups more likely live in deprived residential areas [74]. Researchers confirmed that mothers living in a poor neighborhood reported more fears of children’s outdoor play than those from non-deprived residential areas [75].…”

Exploring Generational Differences of British Ethnic Minorities in Smoking Behavior, Frequency of Alcohol Consumption, and Dietary Style

“…For Bangladeshis and Black Africans, there is little evidence for generational changes in smoking behavior. One possible explanation could be that both groups may be well protected by their ethnic communities from adopting unhealthy behavior or lifestyles in the host society [9].…”

“…In contrast, the cultures of many migrant-receiving countries such as Britain often emphasize individualism, self-expression, and self-actualization, and are thus more tolerant towards different lifestyles including tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and substance use [8]. As first-generation British immigrants grew up and were socialized in their country of origin, their home country cultures could, to some extent, protect them against the host society’s deviant and unhealthy lifestyles [9]. For example, many British first-generation immigrants, especially Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, tend to cluster and concentrate in urban ethnic enclaves.…”

“…For example, many British first-generation immigrants, especially Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, tend to cluster and concentrate in urban ethnic enclaves. The distinctive norms within cohesive ethnic enclaves can facilitate the socialization of norms and exert social control over behavior in ways that accord with those of the home country, therefore preventing them from adopting deviant and unhealthy lifestyles from the host society [9].…”