Diverse Culture & Society (Edexcel A Level Geography)

Uneven Demographic & Cultural Patterns

• Rural and urban places experience cultural differences due to:

  • Internal migration

  • International migration

• Significant internal movement of people has created uneven demographic and cultural patterns across the UK, as it has:

  • Changed the total number of people living in an area

  • Altered the structure of an area’s population

The North-South drift

The UK experienced a major internal migration, known as the North-South drift

• Since deindustrialisation began, an estimated three million workers have migrated toward the southern areas of the UK

• Internal migrants tend to be:

  • Young, mostly under 35

  • Relatively skilled and more educated e.g. university qualifications

  • Seeking employment opportunities in more prosperous areas of the UK

• As most internal migrants are young, it creates a lower average age in the area they are migrating to

Suburbanisation

• Suburbanisation has also changed the demographic and cultural patterns in places

• The majority of people moving out to the suburbs and beyond are retired people and young families, who want to live in quieter, more affordable living space

• As more homes become available, the inner-city areas experience an influx of immigrant ethnic groups (some of whom arrived after the Second World War) 

  • A more culturally diverse population is created e.g. London has a diverse population with a mix of British, Indian, African, Chinese and Caribbean cultures

London and the south-east

• The south-east receives most of the UK’s internal migrants, who are mainly young workers

• This internal migration creates regional disparities in the UK:

  • More than one in five people living in Inner London (23.1%) are between 25 and 34 years old, compared to the rest of England (12.7%) (2023)

  • 59 percent of London’s working-age population held a high-level qualification (NVQ4 or higher), compared to the rest of England (43%) (2020)

• Despite over 218,000 domestic migrants moving to London in 2020, net migration was negative as more people moved away from London (320,000)

  • The majority of the people leaving London were aged  25-44 years old and 0-17 years old 

  • Most of these people moved to the commuter belts around London, as house prices are cheaper and there is more space to raise a family 

International Migration & Impact on Culture & Society

• International migration has had a significant impact on the culture and society of the UK over the last 70 years

• The main international migration flows into the UK include

  • More than 500,000 Poles migrated to the UK between 2004 and 2007

  • Post-colonial migrants from former colonies (e.g. The Indian sub-continent and the West Indies), from the 1950s on wards, to help with labour shortages after the Second World War

  • Immigrants from the European Union from the 1990s due to the free movement of workers agreement

2021 Census information

• One in six residents of England and Wales were born outside the UK, an increase of 2.5 million migrants over 10 years to 10 million 

• White British account for 81.7% of the population, a decrease of 5.4% from the 2011 census

• The Asian/Asian British population has increased the most across the non-white ethnic groups, increasing by 2.4% to 9.3% (from 2011)

• Of the top 20 Local Authorities (England and Wales) with the highest proportion of non-UK born residents, 18 were located in London including:

  • Brent (56.1%)

  • Westminster (55.6%) 

  • Kensington and Chelsea (53.9%)

• 70% of residents born outside the UK were aged 26-64, compared to 48% of the UK born

• The distribution of immigrants is unevenly spread across England and Wales

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The distribution of non-UK born residents across England and Wales

The impact of immigration on the UK’s culture and society

• International immigration is driving population growth

  • In 2022, UK net migration reached 745,000, the highest figure ever recorded according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS)

    • The majority of migrants were non-EU nationals e.g. India

  • Net migration accounts for 60% of population growth, especially in England

    • This growth puts pressure on services, housing and infrastructure

  • In the absence of net migration, Scotland will experience a population decline by 2043

• The UK has an ageing population, putting pressure on social and health care, and government spending e.g. pensions

  • Young, working immigrants can fill job shortages in health and social care, and boost government finances by paying tax

• The UK has a greater cultural diversity due to the influence of immigration

  • Music - the use of Jamaican beats in popular music e.g. ska and grime

  • Sport - the number of foreign footballers in the Premier League

  • Food - the food introduced by migrants has become part of the UK e.g. doner kebabs, sweet and sour pork, chilli and bagels

  • Business - 39% of the UK’s fastest-growing start-up companies have at least one immigrant co-founder e.g. Will Shu, an immigrant from the USA, launched Deliveroo

Migration from the Indian sub-continent and the West Indies

• After World War II there were labour shortages, especially in the transport network and the newly created NHS

• To increase the workforce the UK government promoted immigration from:

  • Former British colonies e.g. the Caribbean 

  • The former Indian Empire e.g. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

• Over 3 million immigrants arrived in the UK between the 1940s and the 1970s

• The main push factors for the migrants were: 

  • High unemployment and a poor quality of life e.g. the Caribbean 

  • Violence and conflict e.g. India and Pakistan, and Nigeria

• The majority of migrants settled in major cities with plenty of job opportunities, such as London, Birmingham and Manchester

• The wages were poor, so immigrants could only afford accommodation in the most deprived inner-city areas

  • This residential pattern still exists as families (second-generation migrants) tend to live near the first-generation migrants

• The influx of non-white migrants into cities led to rising hostility from the white-working class population, resulting in rioting e.g. the 1958 Notting Hill riots

• The government tightened the immigration policy in response to the opposition to post-war immigration:

  • In 1962, the Commonwealth Immigration Act removed the automatic right of Commonwealth citizens to live and work in the UK

• The government is the main player in immigration; it acts as a ‘gatekeeper’ by controlling and allowing migration flows

UK Immigration from the West Indies and the Indian Empire

Migration from the European Union

• Immigration from the EU to the UK fell sharply after the Brexit referendum

   

International Migrants & Rural Areas

• Some international migrants opt to live or work in rural areas (e.g. Boston in Lincolnshire) due to:

  • The migrant’s background, such as living in a village environment in their own country

  • Employment opportunities in the agricultural sector

  • Labour shortages e.g. the fishing and fish processing industry in Shetland using Polish workers to help fulfil the economic potential of the area

Eastern European immigrants in Boston

• Boston has seen an influx of Eastern European immigrants since the expansion of the EU in 2004

• Currently, 24% of Boston’s population was born outside of the UK, with the majority of migrants originating from Eastern Europe e.g. Poland, Romania and Latvia

  • In 2011, 16% were from Eastern Europe

  • In 2004, 0% were from Eastern Europe

• The rapid demographic change can put pressure on:

  • The housing market leading to higher house prices

  • Education and healthcare, with further problems created by the language barrier

  • Some locals will resent the ‘outsiders’ and their impact on the traditional rural area

• The migrants are attracted to this ‘rural’ market town:

  • Plenty of agricultural jobs are available in the surrounding countryside as the local people avoid this ‘picking, packing and plucking’ work

  • The migrants earn more money compared to their home country, despite working long hours

  •  A lower cost of living in rural areas compared to urban areas e.g. housing, so many migrants stay long-term

  • A changing culture makes the migrants feel more at home and boosts the local economy

    • A Lithuanian supermarket and cake shop

    • A Polish restaurant and pub

    • Several European-labelled stores

• The immigrant workers are exploited with long working hours and poor pay, but there is no trade union protection