Black Africans in the UK: Integration or Segregation?

1. Lavinia Mitton & Peter Aspinall University of Kent Black Africans in the UK: Integration or Segregation?

2. Our research questions • ‘What are the trends in integration of Black Africans in British society?’ • ‘Are we likely to witness greater polarisation between the Black African and white communities?’ Need to develop indicators that can allow government to evaluate policy

3. Why we chose ‘Black Africans’ • Growing size • More than doubled in size, 1991-2001 • Most of its growth (c 80%) due to migration • Natural change now important (high fertility rates) • Projected increase, London, ~32% (2001-11) & ~14% (2011-2021) • Diversity - How do patterns differ between Black African sub-groups? • Ethnicity • Context of migration • Language • Religion • National origins • Length of time in UK • Demography • Socio-economic position

4. Why we chose ‘Black Africans’ cont. • Neglected group in the literature: weak evidence base • Mix of migrants & 2nd generation - a good candidate for research on integration / segregation • Topic builds on research already undertaken on ‘Black African’ group (in journals Public Health & Ethnicity & Health)

5. Issues in operationalising the research • Relatively small group overall (485,000, 2001) • Skewed in terms of age - predominantly youthful • Literature review: e.g. US and Canada data, but data limited. • Fluidity in terms of ethnic identification (Platt et al., 2005) • Only a third born in UK • Substantial diversity of recent migrants (Angola, Dem. Rep. Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Zimbabwe) • Cohort of entry / social & economic context of entry to UK likely to be important • Geographically concentrated (80% in London)

6. Components of the research: context • Review of literature on integration / assimilation models: shortcomings of classic theory, sub-models, new theories • Review of studies of ‘Black Africans’ in UK & African migrants in USA • Descriptive analyses of the ‘Black African’ group: diversity in patterns and outcomes (areas of residence, first language of school pupils, educational attainment, etc.), including mapping exercises • Exploration of concealed heterogeneity (limiting long-term illness / general health: ethnicity by country of birth, etc.)

7. Refinement of research questions • What candidate indicators can we derive to measure levels of integration & segregation of the ‘Black African’ group in Britain? • Are there data that will enable us to look at trends over, say, the last two decades? • Can indicators be developed from routinely collected data that will be of utility to government in evaluating policies on integration, social cohesion et al.?

8. Some possible data sources • Census 1991/2001, with links to deprivation score. Censuses: standard tables, special migration statistics, customised tables, SARs – domains: ethnicity, country of birth, religion, address 1 year ago, etc.; utility: residential segregation, migration, economic activity, qualifications, housing tenure • LFS, GHS (pooled data) – domains: ethnicity, country of birth and time of arrival in the UK (LFS – where the respondent was living 12 months previously but drawbacks, including requirement that a person be in the country for at least 6 months)

9. Some possible data sources cont. • Health Survey for England (HSE) 2004; 2006 HSE (including London Boost* access agreed via LHO) – domains: ethnicity, language, country of birth; utility: household characteristics (such as linguistic isolation), generic health status • Pupil Level Annual School Censuses (PLASC) (now ‘School Census’) – domains: ethnicity, pupil’s first language (last 2 censuses); utility: educational attainment; mapping diversity

10. Some possible data sources cont. • Other possible sources on language (Home Office Citizenship Survey, 2001 & 2003; NATSAL 2000; Millennium Cohort Study; Lambeth PCT population profiling data • Birth registrations – domain: mother’s country of birth; utility: mapping diversity • Home Office asylum statistics • HESA (higher education statistics): ethnic group, country of domicile; • LSC:ethnic group

11. Candidate indicators of integration / segregation: (1) Residential segregation 1991-2001 Residential segregation can lead to social exclusion but can also be a source of human capital and community support. Review of media stereotypes (‘self segregation’ et al.) • Good evidence base on measurement methods (Simpson 2004, 2007) • Focus on natural increase / migration components • Where do ‘Black Africans’ live? (those born in / outside the UK & with previous address abroad) • Where do new migrants go to and where do they go when they move? • Where do the ‘Mixed: White & Black African’ group live? • Why do Black Africans move at such high rates? • Who are the ‘movers’ (what are their characteristics)? • Some refocussing may be needed in view of Finney & Simpson’s work (2007) • Source:1991 & 2001 Censuses, incl. question on usual address 1 year ago

12. Candidate indicators of integration / segregation: (2) English language ability • Ideal measure is ability in English for all household members: to derive measure of linguistic isolation • HSE only source that provides household data but for 16+ age group only • Likely strong relationship with country origins (e.g. Somalis) & cohort of entry to UK • May be a relationship with own group ethnic density • Source: PLASC data (for 2007 & 08) may permit derivation of maps of home language use (but not ability in English)

13. Candidate indicators of integration / segregation: (3) Housing tenure • Over the last few years Black Africans have had the lowest levels of owner-occupation & the second highest levels of social sector housing. • In the USA, too, African migrants have the lowest rates of home ownership. • Is this linked to the high percentage of movers (also found in the USA)? • Is it a measure of rootedness in the host country, culturally-based preferences, reflection of financial resources, barriers in the housing market? • An analysis of the data on movers may provide insights (and reasons will also be sought in the wider evidence base) • Source: Census and HSE to model significance of variables

14. Candidate indicators of integration / segregation: (4) Other possible indicators • Inter-ethnic unions (using 1991 and 2001 Census SARs): types of union, social class positions, relationship to ‘Black African’ ethnic density patterns • Child-bearing inside / outside marriage (may not be related to integration / segregation but used as such in USA studies) • Postponement of marriage (as above) • Educational attainment: data available in PLASC / Pupil Database for ‘Black Africans’ and (more limited) on Somalis, Dem. Rep. Congo, etc. pupils over several years; may be a relationship with own group ethnic density • Time spent in schooling / progression to further / higher education • Participation in social institutions (scope for exploitation of data in 2003 & 2005 Home Office Citizenship surveys) • [Employment has been comprehensively investigated by other researchers]