Segregation & Change Over Time (Edexcel AS Geography): Revision Note
Exam code: 8GE0
International Migrants & Segregation
International migrants tend to cluster in distinctive places across cities (known as enclaves)
The degree of segregation is closely linked to economic and social factors, including:
Income
Employment
Health
Education
Ethnicity
The level of ethnic segregation varies and changes over time due to the economic and social indicators
Indicators Linked to Ethnic Segregation
Economic indicators | Social indicators |
|---|---|
|
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Ethnic & Cultural Characteristics of Urban Areas
Changes in the urban landscape occur when an area has a high concentration of ethnic groups, including the introduction of the following:
Places of worship
Restaurants - ethnic cuisines
Grocery stores - ethnic foods
Clothes shops – traditional clothing
Social clubs and community building
Cultural festivals and ceremonies
Cinemas showing ethnic films
Non-English signs and advertising
The diverse living spaces incorporate social characteristics that reflect the dominant ethnicity and culture, e.g. The concentration of South Asian people in Rusholme (Manchester) is reflected in the abundance of curry houses and South Asian supermarkets along its Curry Mile
Southall, part of the borough of Ealing (West London), contains the largest Asian community in London and has experienced changes in its urban landscape to reflect this dominant ethnic group:
The majority of shops on the main road of Southall (The Broadway) cater to the Indian and Pakistani community
Varied places of worship, including churches, and mosques. There are also ten gurdwara temples to serve the 20,000 Sikhs living in the area
Southall tube station displays signs in English and Punjabi
A Southall radio station (Desi Radio) broadcasts in the Punjabi language and plays Bhangra music
Worked Example
Explain how cultural diversity can change the built environment of an urban place
[4 marks]
Aim to provide two ways cultural diversity can change the built environment, then either extend that point or provide an example with detail
Answer:
As migrants from different ethnic and cultural groups move into an urban area, the urban landscape will change to cater to the migrant’s needs, such as the building of places of worship or signs written in the language of the migrants. For example, signs in the Southall tube station are written in Punjabi, where over 20,000 Indians live. Entrepreneurial migrants will set up new shops and businesses in the area to reflect the food and clothing from the migrant’s home environment. The migration of South Asian people into Rusholme (Manchester) in the 1950s led to the development of the Curry Mile, where there is an abundance of curry houses and South Asian supermarkets.
Changes in Perceptions & Experiences
Communities evolve economically and culturally as new attitudes and values are introduced into an area
This can change the intergenerational experiences and perceptions of living spaces
Not all intergenerational migrants experience this positive integration as UK
Statistics show that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people:
Are twice as likely to be unemployed as white people
Are more than twice as likely as white people to experience extreme poverty
The average health of BAME 60-year-olds is similar to that of a white British 80-year-old
The number of Muslim children living in overcrowded housing is more than four times the national average
Worked Example
Explain the factors that may result in ethnically segregated communities
[6 marks]
Either develop two factors in greater detail, using examples to illustrate your ideas, or include a range of factors
It is beneficial to incorporate historical perspectives in this answer, but as a geographer, you also need to offer an up-to-date comment too
Answer:
When first-generation immigrants move to an area, they are initially attracted to urban areas of low-cost housing, as they often have little money and are in search of employment. These areas are usually located in the inner city, which leads to social clustering as migrants feel safer and more secure living in a place with other people who have shared characteristics. This need for safety is also exacerbated by the prejudice and discrimination the migrants may experience when they first arrive, such as the attacks on the Caribbean community that led to the Notting Hill riots in 1958. The need for safety and low-cost housing results in more ethnically segregated communities.
The social clustering of migrants can also increase ethnic segregation. For example, Southall, in West London, currently contains the largest Asian community in London. Over time, its urban landscape has changed to reflect this ethnic group. Now, the majority of shops (clothes, food and restaurants) on the main road of Southall cater to the Indian and Pakistani communities, and ten gurdwara temples were established to serve the 20,000 Sikhs living in the area. As a result, middle-income groups may leave an area (perhaps due to prejudice, racism or tension) and leave behind a particular ethnic group, creating further segregation. In 2011, only 6.3% of Southall Broadway’s residents were White British.
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