Managing Cultural Diversity (AQA A Level Geography)

Social Strategies

• Cultural diversity is not a new concept and the UK has been considered a culturally diverse country for a long time, however, there is notion that diversity is something to be fixed rather than embraced

• Some of the strategies to encourage social and cultural integration have included:

• New developments to include social and accessible housing, thereby, reducing division between rich and poor, however, this can also lead to social polarisation and resentment

• Community support to help ease racial tensions through group projects

• Arts and creative industries provides a shared space for exchanged and integration of cultures

• Sports are shared spaces where equality between participants is shown - Olympic games or football 

• Government encouragement to participate in political matters, e.g. sending letters and text messages encouraging them to vote, ensuring that minority groups have opportunities to influence decision-making

• Governmental laws, e.g. to prevent companies discriminating against employees on the basis of race and gender

• Self-help schemes whereby governments (LDEs) help people by providing basic water and electricity supplies, the family then builds their own house from materials provided

• Businesses promoting and supporting mentoring schemes to help recent immigrants and their families to adjust to life in the UK - access to English language classes to help employees connect and integrate with co-workers but also customers

Economic Strategies

• Strategies to reduce poverty and economic inequalities in urban areas include:

• Improving transport systems making access to jobs easier for the urban poor

• Building of affordable housing to help poorer people the ability to buy property

• Minimum wages can help to balance wage inequalities between the poor and rich, providing it is a living wage

• Government subsidies for new companies, increasing local employment opportunities

• Some LDE cities have introduced upgrading programmes for slum settlements

• Private and government investments in infrastructure - road-building, sanitation, drainage and water supply - helps to increase the quality of the informal housing