Diversity between and within Minority Ethnic Groups - Essay Example

Diversity between and within Minority Ethnic Groups Ethnic minority groups would comprise those of Asian origin including Indians, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Asian, those of black origin including black Caribbean, black African and other black and those of Chinese origin (www.statistics.gov.uk). All these groups are differentiated between and within themselves by various attributes. Description by those attributes for a member of a minority group may make things better or worse for them. These differences can potentially be used for the better of those concerned or otherwise. Laws formulated to address issues of discrimination on racial or ethnic lives have not been able to efficiently iron out details about ethno-religious matters, gender and ethnicity, ethno-politico issues and other such gray areas. Members of these minority groups have had to endure their situation or fight like the black feminists did. This paper aims to discuss an array issues that touch on this issue of differences between and within ethnic minority groups. Looking at self-employement sector in Britain for example the self-employment rate is 14.6 percent for non-whites compared to 12.3 percent for whites. However beneath this statistics are the glaring differences between the groups. The self-employment rate for black Carribeans is 5.8 percent while that for Chinese is 26.6 percent (Kenneth and Drinkwater, 1). Factors that could create these differences would include social support from one’s community to facilitate a self-sustaining economic environment, effects of religion or access to informal sources of capital and manpower from the family ties or members of the ethnic community (Kenneth and Drinkwater, 1). Cultural endowments too determine such kinds of trends since it does determine one’s attitude towards entrepreneurship. It also has a bearing on consumer behaviour and how much of a good is ordered (Rafiq, 46). Some of these consumer behaviours become so pronounced as to qualify some goods being referred to as ethnic goods. When a good number of members of a certain ethnic group live together in one neighbourhood, a protected market scenario arises. The shop owners are able to maintain a monopoly of sorts within the neighbourhood and the members give support by being loyal to these businesses. The shop owners are keener to provide goods and services that meet the members’ preferences. Religious goods are particularly a favourite. So are goods from the ethnic group’s country of origin. Religion is another strong influence. Rafiq, (50-55) argues that in some religious circles, entrepreneurship is viewed favourably. This can be said to be true among the Muslim and Sikh communities. The explanation for this could be the fact that most prominent people in these religions were businessmen. Among the Hindus there are special classes of people who specialize in business activities. Another logical factor would possibly by the immigrant status. A good number of ethnic minority members are immigrants. Self-employment being a faster way of starting to earn income they are inclined more to it than the formal paid labor market which faces issues of discrimination. The longer one has resided in the host country it would be logical to think that the more likely they are to engage in self-employment. First they have created a relative pool of wide networks with which to do business, secondly they are familiar with the legislation affecting conducting business and finally, they are more likely to have studied and appreciated the consumer patterns, behaviours, tastes and preferences. There exist differences in the health status between different ethnic groups. Data from the 2004 Health Survey from England shows that 15 percent of Bangladesh men reported their health to be “bad” or “very bad”, relative to 6 percent of men in the entire population. It also does reveal that men from black African and Chinese groups record better health than the mean. Coronary heart disease among south Asians is five times higher than the average population. These differences are attributed to difference in socio-economic status. It is important to note though that within an ethnic group not all people are socio-economically disadvantaged but an average of the majority of the group is taken as representative (www.kingsfund.org.uk. London, 2006). Access to health care services is also not culturally relevant. As a result some ethnic minority groups tend to seek alternative medicine or not bother at all. Else they seek culturally relevant diagnosis and prescription from health experts of their own ethnic group. The only problem here is these experts of the minority groups are few in number (Mason, 94 – 97). Housing is a factor that affects the different groups variously. Harrison ad Philips (46) brings out the persistence of discriminatory attitude among housing and estate agents towards minority groups. The discriminated against groups whether in terms of being allowed tenancy or in housing insurance or mortgages, avoid the neighbourhoods affected. The London area has proven a more favored habitation by the minority group. Depending on the housing capital possessed by a certain minority group, different housing arrangements are likely to be made. Those living in upmarket suburb or in cosmopolitans like London have access to a greater reservoir of information regarding housing. Their housing decisions will therefore be more informed and will reflect a more suitable selection. This is in comparison to ethnic minority groups who live in ghetto areas and other down graded neighbourhoods. Here information is very limited about housing options, the alternatives available for acquiring housing capital and access to affordable insurance arrangements. The question of gender vs. racism is another complex but real arena of discussion as concerns black and other minority ethnic groups. When one is labelled as female (hence gendered) and black for example (hence raced) they suffer “twice”. They are discriminated on two fronts. Escaping racism is not a guarantee that one will escape sexism. Treatment with equality for being a woman is not a guarantee that one will not be treated in a racist manner. In the institutionalizing of laws to deal with equality on racial lines, the fact that women of ethnic minority groups have special needs is ignored. The makers of policies and laws regarding racism were essentially men. They made assumptions that were male-directed, handling the raced groups as homogenous both men and women. This led to the rise of the black feminist. (Carby, 67-70) points the phenomena of being prejudiced thrice by being gendered, raced and classed. She points the role of the ethnic feminist as being to explore the dimensions of these prejudices. “What we will do is to offer ways in which the ‘triple’ oppression of gender, race and class can be understood and its specificity…” (Carby, 68). Stereotypes exist about most of the ethnic minority groups. Asian girls for example are being believed to be forcefully married-off within no time after leaving school. As a result, job and internship placement offices are not keen to give them chances of interviews. “The common-sense logic of this racism dictates that a career for Asian girls is thought to be a waste of time” (Carby, 70). Within the school setting, they are stereotyped with weakness, passivity, introversion and sheepish submission. They are expected to submit to oppression without standing up for their rights. Ethnic feminism is thus seen as the vehicle that would more confidently be able to tackle the problem of racism paced with sexism. Any behaviour or tendency that is generally against the general society norms and values in the context of an ethnic minority group only aggravates the discrimination experienced by the participant. Os is the case with gay men and lesbian women in the British society. Skellington, R. (215) explores this further. The race and ethnic dimensions have not features much in the discussions of these anti-social behaviours. He points out to the fact that gay images are principally portrayed by white and middle-class men. There’s the absence of ethnic minority images of gay or lesbian people. As a result both the members of the community as well as other races see it as outrageously absurd to be black or other ethnic groups and be gay or lesbian. Even within the gay and lesbian world in Britain attitudes are properly raced. Another factor in the discussion of ethnic homosexuals is the central role played by religion and family. Ethnic communities are by default deeply religious and hold family values in high regard. With all religious books speaking against homosexuality, the youth of an ethnic group stands a lesser possibility of turning gay. Among the Asian communities most marriages are arranged. The model of romantic relationships painted in the children and youth of this ethnic majority groups therefore is one between a male and a female. Possibilities for thinking otherwise are thus limited. The British family is also painted as one formed by a man and woman. With an increasing number of inter-marriages between ethnic minority groups and British citizens however the traditional values and stereotypes associated with the minorities are slowly being watered down. As a result more homosexuals are springing up within ethnic minority groups and joining gay and lesbian clubs. This raises a question: As these clubs become more organized and institutionalized will racist treatment of ethnic homosexuals become a thing of the past? If so, this might push up these groups as an ethnic minority on their own (Edwards, 113). There are differences in the achievement levels in education between the different ethnic minority groups. Various arguments have been advanced in an effort to explain these variations. One of them is the family life. Some communities have been known to be more supportive of the education of their young ones. Comparatively for example, Asian families score more highly than Afro-Caribbean parents. As well communities, which adopt English as a second language, have been seen as experiencing lower scores especially in exams compared to first language English speakers. Taunting and stereotyping by school authorities including instructors is another factor. White and Asian pupils are likely to be labelled as possessing a higher IQ and capable of good academic performance as compared to Black British and black Caribbean pupils. In effect the kids may end up fitting into the mould of the stereotype and actually not perform well. They reduce the value they place on education knowing after all they are not likely to perform well. Where little emphasis is placed on the importance of education the children are likely to become truant and exhibit disciplinary problems at school. With most time spent solving this issues these children are less likely to perform well. It is also noted that ethnic minority learners have a higher stay-on rate than most white learners. Of those who continued nearly half said they had chosen to continue to make I to university and about one fifth said it was better than being out and unemployed (Haggel and Shaw, qtd. In Mason, 59) it is also likely that ethnic minority. They also claim that Caribbean students are most likely to say they are staying on because it is better than being unemployed and Asian students more likely than white students. Owen et al notes that the Caribbean ethnic group especially is more likely to drop out of school at the age of sixteen and pick up their studies at further education at a later date (qtd. In Mason, 59). In the higher education, all ethnic minority groups have increased their share of admissions recently except the Carribeans (Mason, 60), 50% of the ethnic minority as a whole are more likely to be successful in gaining entry to universities compared to white students. More than twice the number of eighteen to twenty-four year old African, Chinese, Indian and Asian students enters institutions of higher learning than white students (Connor et al 11). Gender disparities are also observed in the realm of education. Caribbean men and Bangladesh women are under-represented in admission to university. More than half of Caribbean women students are over twenty-four years old (Pathak 2000 qtd. In Mason 60) meaning compared to other minorities they enroll older students. As they continue learning their qualification levels vary. Caribbean, Pakistan and Bangladesh ethnic groups have lower average qualifications than white people. On the other hand Indian, African Asian, Chinese and African ethnic groups are more likely than their white peers to possess higher qualifications (Mason, 53). The more a minority group recognizes the need for high qualifications for entry into preferred jobs, the more likely they are to pursuing education to considerable levels of achievement. Minority groups that adhere to and ascribe to the practices of a given religious groups or sect are likely to face discrimination of a kind. As much as within minority group, there exist different religious loyalties; generalizations are made about the groups. Most of the Arab descendants are assumed to be Muslim. Bangladesh and Pakistan groups are likely to be taken as Muslims. Most African oriented people are classified as Christians, Indian origin taken as Hindus. These assumptions operate across the board (Koningsveld et al, 72). Muslims are generally treated with suspicion as being terrorists. This happens from white Britons as well as from members of other minority groups. The likelihood that a Black Briton or a person of Chinese descent will feel insecure around an Asian in a traditional long dress and a full beard is quite high. Practices like halal slaughter, separation of genders for health care and five times daily prayer (preceded by washing of the hands, face, legs and nostrils) also lead to unfavourable consideration of the Muslims (true or stereotyped) by other people. Pilkington, A. (72-85) also adds that another reason for discrimination religious groups is in regard to cultural practice or ritualistic activities. Among the Muslims, failure to support the education of women creates an unfavourable view of them. While Muslims might argue these practices help to propagate strong family values, the cost they have to pay is that of discrimination. Within religious groups are diverse sub-groups and individuals. Both secularists and fundamentalists will be found within the same religious groups. A high likelihood exists for the adherist to scorn the secularists and vice versa. Most members take those who fail to practice the religion of their majority as rebels. The exorcised members find themselves in a conflicting dilemma. This is because outside of their ethnic and religious context there are likely to receive and embrace from the secular world, which feels judged by stiff religious practice. These people thus realize an acceptance from people who in normal circumstances should discriminate against them for their ethnicity and discrimination from the people they feel most close to ethnically speaking. Within the Christian religion for example there are innumerable sects and denominations each with its own doctrinal principles, beliefs and practices. With over two hundred different Christian denominations their interpretations of the faith also differ in astounding ways (Mason 137-140). Africans who practice traditional religious also consider themselves Christians. Mainstream churches have an issue that with those religions engaging in activities the mainstream consider backward and demoting. Each denomination has a tendency of interpreting those aspects of the other that are incongruent with their own as being anti-Christian. Irrespective of one’s ethnic association therefore being of certain religious affiliation earns you some form of discrimination from within your own ethnic community or from without it. Again, the different religious prejudice against each other whether it is for members of an ethnic minority group or not Christians are pitched against Muslims, Hindus against Sikhs and each against all the others. Conversion to a religion is a thing all religions seek to do to other people regardless of their ethnic identity. As with all other dimensions of discrimination being of an ethnic minority groups and different religion at the same time earns one “double” suffering. Evidently as much as ethnic minority groups have things in common in their classification yet there are various diversities both between the groups and within the groups. These differences cross-cut or make the situation worse depending on how favourable a third party (employer, law enforcement authority, neighbour, school administrator) thinks the difference is. Works Cited Carby, V. Harzel. Cultures in Babylon: Black Britain and African America. Verso. 1999. Clark, Kenneth and Stephen Drinkwater. Pushed out or pulled in? Self-employment among Ethnic minorities in England and Wales. Manchester: University Press year. Connor, Hellen, Tyers Claire, Dans Sara, Tackey Nii Djan. Minority Ethnic Students in Higher Education: Interim Report. Institute for Employment Studies. 2003. Edwards, Tim. Erotics and Politics: Gay male Sexuality, Masculinity and Feminism. Routledge Publishing. 1994. Koningsveld, S. Pieter, Shalid, W.A.R. Muslims in the Margin: Political responses to the presence of Islam in Western Europe. Mason, D. (2000) Race and Ethnicity in Modern Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2nd edition). Mason, David. Explaining Ethnic Differences: Changing patterns of disadvantage in Britain. The Policy Press: 2003. Pilkington, A. (2002) Racial Disadvantage and Ethnic Diversity in Britain, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Rafiq, M. Ethnicity and Enterprise: A comparison of Muslim and non-Muslim owned Asian businesses in Britain. New Community: 1992 Skellington, R. (1996) ‘Race’ in Britain Today, London: Sage (2nd edition). NAIROBI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL NBNHFNHH HHBHRHRG OF KHNFHGGH HNFFH RN Read More