Cultural Diversity Flashcards
Overview
Cultural diversity refers to the existence of a variety of
cultural or ethnic groups within a society. Culture can
relate to nationality, race, age and traditions. Immigration
is a key influence. Urban areas, especially large cities, are
places where cultural diversity tends to flourish. Cities
like London, New York and Amsterdam have received
migrants from all over the world and this has led to
the creation of multicultural urban societies. London
is considered to be one of the most diverse cities in the
world. More than 300 languages are spoken by the people
of London, and the city has at least 50 non-indigenous
communities with populations of 10,000 or more.
Globalisation
Globalisation has increased movement around the world
and it is now common to find people from different
parts of the world living in major urban areas. The term
diaspora is commonly used to describe a large group
of people with a similar heritage or homeland who have
settled elsewhere in the world. In some global cities,
these diasporas make up a larger proportion of the
population than the indigenous residents. The United
Arab Emirates state of Dubai is one such example.
The majority of the city’s population is made up of expatriates. 2/3 are Asian
Reason for greater cultural diversity
Cultural diversity results largely from immigration
and immigrants are more likely to choose to live
in urban areas. There are a number of reasons for this:
• cities tend to offer a greater range of employment
opportunities
• cities are the first point of entry into the country for
many immigrants
cities tend to house earlier immigrant groups with
the same ethnicity
• established cultural diversity in cities means there
are specialist shops and religious centres located
there
• urban populations tend to be more tolerant of
immigrants.
Benefits
Cultural diversity brings many benefits to an urban
society. The most commonly cited advantages relate to
the greater exposure people get to different foods, music,
language and religion. Events such as the Notting Hill
Carnival in London and Mela in Newcastle have become
part of the British calendar and serve to illustrate an
acceptance of and interest in different cultures.
Issues
Cultural diversity can put extra pressure on already
stretched urban services. Where language differences
exist, local authorities may need to provide English
lessons or bilingual literature. Hospitals may need to
cater for specific requirements and schools may alter their
curricula and holiday patterns to cater for different ethnic
groups. Variations in educational attainment have also
been noted and it is the responsibility of local authorities
to ensure that all children have the same opportunities.
Many countries have adopted a multicultural policy to
protect and celebrate cultural diversity but some argue
that at an urban level, this can encourage culturally and
spatially distinct communities leading parallel lives.
This is known as segregation and there is evidence of
this in cities around the world. In Dubai, for example,
British migrant workers tend to live in expat (sometimes
gated) communities and integrate little with local
society. London has also witnessed an influx of very
wealthy immigrants in recent years and these have
tended to cluster together. The more affluent boroughs
of Mayfair and Knightsbridge are home to a multitude of
millionaires from the Middle East and the former Soviet
Union and the price of housing in these areas now far
exceeds the reach of even wealthy British people.
Social segregation
In some European and North American cities, different
ethnic communities have become isolated from wider society as they have maintained their own language
and beliefs and limited their interaction with others.
Local schools can sometimes become dominated by
a particular group and this can lead to suspicion and
hostility as younger people from different backgrounds
do not get to know each other.
In American cities, the term ghetto has been used
to describe an area of a city where the population is
almost exclusively made up of an ethnic or cultural minority. As in many European cities, these are often
located in the poorer parts of the city, which wealthier
residents have left and where unemployment rates
are high.
The place study on Brick Lane and Spitalfields in
Chapter 8 highlights the large concentration of people
of Bangladeshi descent in East London. There are
geographical patterns for other ethnic groups in the
capital too
Self segregation
Migrants seek support and security of living near friends and relatives within ethnic community
Provision of specialist facilities such as places of worship and food shops
Protection against abuse and attacks
Maintenance of culture and language
External factors
Have been a source of cheap labour forcing them into cheap housing
Have been discriminated against in access to local authority housing
Hostility from population
