The Future Of Multi Ethnic Britain

This is the report of the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain, showing how society is changing, and the policies that have to be put in place. It was launched by the Home Secretary in 1997.

Multi-Ethnic Britain 2000+ provides an encompassing survey of artistic responses to the changes in the British cultural climate in the early years of the 21st century. It traces topical reactions to new forms of racism and religious fundamentalism, to legal as well as 'illegal' immigration, and to the threat of global terror; yet it also highlights new forms of intercultural communication and convivial exchange. Framed by contributions from novelists Patrick Neate and Rajeev Balasubramanyam, Multi-Ethnic Britain 2000+ showcases how artistic representations in literature, film, music and the visual arts reflect and respond to social and political discourses, and how they contribute to our understanding of the current (trans)cultural situation in Britain. The contributions in this volume cover a wide range of writers such as Graham Swift, Ian McEwan, Zadie Smith, Jackie Kay, Nadeem Aslam, Gautam Malkani, Nirpal Dhaliwal and Monica Ali; films ranging from Gurinder Chadha's Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice to Michael Winterbottom's In This World and Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men; paintings and photography by innovative black and Asian British Artists; and dubstep music.

Britain and India are used as case studies to assess the role of political actors and intellectuals opposed to majoritarianism examining how support for identity politics has debilitated resistance to it in both countries.

This paper was prepared as a conference resource and a useful reference tool for participants at a conference on multi-ethnic Britain. This reprinted version contains some small textual revisions. It presents a selection of key facts relevant to consideration of the future of Britain as a multi-ethnic democracy. Chapter 1 introduces the subject of ethnicity in Britain and describes components of the multi-ethnic "good" society. Chapter 2 provides general demographic statistics about black and ethnic minorities throughout Britain, and Chapter 3 considers their involvement in society's political culture. Chapter 4 reviews minority participation in the labor market, and chapter 5 explores minority involvement with issues of law, rights, and criminal justice, as well as the realities of racial harassment. Chapter 6 discusses the multiple deprivations that affect many ethnic minority communities. In Britain, color is a factor in social disadvantage and the inability to achieve full citizenship. (Contains 26 tables, 9 figures, and 25 references.) (SLD)

Global politics are deeply affected by issues surrounding cultural identity. Profound cultural diversity has made national majorities increasingly anxious and democratic governments are under pressure to address those anxieties. Multiculturalism - once heralded as the insignia of a tolerant society - is now blamed for encouraging segregation and harbouring extremism.Pathik Pathak makes a convincing case for a new progressive politics that confronts these concerns. Drawing on fascinating comparisons between Britain and India, he shows how the global Left has been hamstrung by a compulsion for insular identity politics and a stubborn attachment to cultural indifference. He argues that to combat this, cultural identity must be placed at the centre of the political system.Written in a lively style, this book will engage anyone with an interest in the future of our multicultural society.

This important and much acclaimed book rapidly became a classic on first publication. In it, Bhikhu Parekh shows that the Western tradition of political philosophy has very limited theoretical resources to cope with cultural diversity. He then discusses how it can be revised and what new conceptual tools are needed. The core of the book addresses the important theoretical questions raised by contemporary multicultural society, especially the nature and limits of intercultural equality and fairness, national identity, citizenship, and cross-cultural political discourse. The new second edition includes a substantial additional chapter addressing key issues.