A new book examined the contemporary patterning of identities based on class and community, gender and generation, 'race', faith and ethnicity, and derived from popular culture. The contributors explored debates about social change, individualization, and the re-making of social class. They considered the evidence for new 'convivial multicultures' in ethnically diverse urban metropolitan centres, and the manifestations of more 'fragile' white identities in the provinces.
Source: Margaret Wetherell (ed.), Identity in the 21st Century: New trends in changing times, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
A new book examined the evolution of anti-racial discrimination law from a socio-legal perspective, focusing primarily on Great Britain and Germany.
Source: Iyiola Solanke, Making Anti-Racial Discrimination Law: A comparative history of social action and anti-racial discrimination law, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Sep
A report examined identity and sense of belonging to Britain, based on the 2007-08 Citizenship Survey data. It considered whether or not people felt that there was a conflict between national and religious identities, and whether it was possible to belong to Britain and maintain separate cultural or religious identities.
Source: 2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Identity and Values Topic Report, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Report | DCLG press release | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Aug
A paper suggested guidelines for developing policy and debate on racial and cultural diversity, and the requirements of a common citizenship.
Source: Mike Waite, Combining Diversity with Common Citizenship, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (01904 627810)
Links: Paper | Guardian report
Date: 2009-May
An article examined recent government policy and proposals relating to immigration and citizenship, and the ways in which these policies were presented as means of securing allegiance and integration. Policy proposals in the 2008 Green Paper threatened migrants' employment opportunities, and risked creating barriers to participation and undermining social cohesion. They placed unrealistic demands on aspirant citizens.
Source: Audrey Osler, 'Testing citizenship and allegiance', Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, Volume 4 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Feb
A new book examined contemporary claims about race and migration, such as those relating to levels of immigration, the contribution of immigrants, minority self-segregation, ghettoization, and the future diversity of the population. It said that myths about race and migration were the real threat to an integrated society, rather than diversity and mobility themselves.
Source: Nissa Finney and Ludi Simpson, 'Sleepwalking to Segregation'? Challenging myths about race and migration, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | Manchester University press release
Date: 2009-Jan