Inequalities Based on Ethnicity | Sociology for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

What is ethnicity?

• Ethnicity refers to a social group united by shared characteristics such as language, religion, or cultural traditions, forming a collective identity.
• An ethnic minority is a group whose ethnicity differs from the majority population.
• Ethnicity influences individuals’ and groups’ life chances and access to power.
• The UK is a culturally diverse nation, hosting various minority ethnic groups, including those of Irish, Polish, Indian, and African-Caribbean descent.

Race and its implications

• The term "race" is used variably, often to categorize people into "racial groups" based on physical traits.
• Historically, the notion of racial superiority was used to justify the oppression of certain groups, such as during 19th-century European colonization of Africa and Asia.
• Sociologists argue that racial differences, like gender differences, are socially constructed rather than biologically determined.
• They recognize the existence of racism and prejudice, where prejudice involves prejudging individuals or groups, and racism entails treating people less favorably due to their ethnicity.

Ethnicity & power

• According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 13% of the UK population in 2015 belonged to minority ethnic groups.
• Despite this, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in positions of political power and decision-making.
• Following the 2015 General Election, 41 MPs were from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• In 2015, only 7% of senior civil servants and 3.4% of senior police officers were from minority ethnic groups.
• In 2022, Rishi Sunak became the first British Asian prime minister.
• After the 2024 General Election, the UK Parliament became its most diverse, with 87 MPs from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• Ethnic minorities are also underrepresented in the judiciary in England and Wales. In April 2016, 5% of court judges who declared their identity were Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic (BAME), though 8% of judges under 40 were BAME compared to 3% of those 60 or older.

Addressing inequality based on ethnicity

Over the past 50 years, efforts to tackle ethnic inequality in education, employment, and criminal justice include:

• Legislation: The Race Relations Act of 1976 outlawed victimization, indirect discrimination, and direct discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 seeks to protect against unfair treatment and promote equality.
• Equality and Human Rights Commission: This national body works to eliminate discrimination and foster equal opportunities.
• Recognition of institutional racism: The 1999 Macpherson Report highlighted institutional racism in organizations like the Metropolitan Police. However, reports from the Runnymede Trust and Amnesty International UK in 2024 suggest that unaddressed institutional racism contributes to racist violence in the UK.
• Equal opportunities policies: Workplaces and educational institutions implement policies to promote diversity and equality.

Ethnicity & inequalities at work

Some argue that ethnic inequalities have diminished over the past 50 years, citing increased representation of ethnic minorities in politics, arts, and media.

However, significant disparities persist in critical areas like employment, education, and the criminal justice system:

• Asian and Black Caribbean individuals face higher unemployment rates than white individuals in the UK.
• Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and women are less likely to secure professional or managerial roles compared to their white British counterparts.
• Chinese and Indian groups, however, have similar opportunities as white British individuals for professional and managerial positions.

Explanations for ethnic inequalities at work

• Discrimination in the labor market: Prejudice and discrimination persist in workplaces, and enforcing equality laws remains challenging, negatively impacting certain ethnic groups’ life chances and quality of life.
• Minority ethnic groups and the underclass: New Right perspectives, such as those of Charles Murray (1984), suggest some ethnic minority members form an underclass—a group of unemployed youth uninterested in work, linked to welfare dependency. Murray associated African Americans and Hispanics with this underclass in the US.
• Marxist approaches: Marxists argue that racism and sexism are inherent to capitalism. Ethnic minorities and working-class women form a reserve labor force, hired during economic booms and dismissed during recessions, keeping wages low as workers fear replacement.