an article by Sue Easton (University of Leicester, UK) and Gwilym Pryce (University of Sheffield, UK) published in Urban Studies Volume 56 Issue 14 (November 2019)
Abstract
This paper considers the length of stay of home-owners with white British names in the 40% most-deprived census areas of Glasgow, Scotland. We estimate the impact of ethnically ‘other’ name-group inflows through property purchases at the micro-neighbourhood level.
We use a novel longitudinal data set, constructed from the population of home-buyers recorded in all property transaction records from 2003 to 2014, from which we impute ethnicity using name-matching software.
We estimate how the survival time (length of ownership) of home-owners with white British names is affected by in-migration of house-buyers from different ethnic name-groups into the micro-neighbourhood, defined as a 50 m radius around each home.
Results suggest a complex set of associations between ethnically ‘other’ purchasers/in-movers (based on name groups) and duration of home-ownership for white-British named owners. The most consistent finding is for in-moving purchasers with Pakistani (primarily Muslim) names, which tend to have a relatively large accelerant effect on the moving propensity of home-owners who have white British names. This was true in areas of both high and low non-white ethnic population share.
We also find evidence of nonlinearity in this relationship: the accelerant effect diminishes with each additional in-move from purchasers with Pakistani names. The name group with the largest overall accelerant effect was for in-movers with non-white Other names, which were also primarily Muslim in origin, though this effect was less consistent across models.
Showing posts with label diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diversity. Show all posts
Monday, 4 November 2019
Tuesday, 16 July 2019
The gender promotion gap: Evidence from central banking
a column by Laura Hospido, Luc Laeven and Ana Lamo for VOX: CEPR’s Policy Portal
The underrepresentation of women in economics is perhaps nowhere as visible as in central banks.
This column uses anonymised personnel data to analyse the career progression of men and women at the ECB. A wage gap in favour of men emerges within a few years of hiring, with one important driver being the presence of children. Women were also less likely to be promoted to a higher salary band up until 2010, when the ECB issued a statement supporting diversity and took measures to support gender balance.
Following this change, the promotion gap disappears.
Continue reading
The underrepresentation of women in economics is perhaps nowhere as visible as in central banks.
This column uses anonymised personnel data to analyse the career progression of men and women at the ECB. A wage gap in favour of men emerges within a few years of hiring, with one important driver being the presence of children. Women were also less likely to be promoted to a higher salary band up until 2010, when the ECB issued a statement supporting diversity and took measures to support gender balance.
Following this change, the promotion gap disappears.
Continue reading
Friday, 12 July 2019
Culture is digital: Cultural participation, diversity and the digital divide
an article by Sabina Mihelj, Adrian Leguina and John Downey (Loughborough University, UK) published in New Media & Society Volume 21 Issue 7 (July 2019)
Abstract
Digital media are seen as important instruments of increasing participation and diversity in arts and culture.
To examine whether this view is justified, this article draws on two bodies of research that have hitherto remained disconnected: research on cultural participation and research on the digital divide.
Building on these insights, the article examines the Taking Part Survey data on digital media and cultural participation in the United Kingdom between 2005/2006 and 2015/2016, focusing on museums and galleries.
While the results confirm that digital media provide an important means of engaging new audiences, they also show that the engagement with museums and galleries both online and offline remains deeply unequal. Most worryingly, the gaps between the haves and the have-nots are even wider online than in the case of physical visits. Rather than helping increase the diversity of audiences, online access seems to reproduce, if not enlarge, existing inequalities.
Hazel’s comment:
Any thinking person could have told us about this but it is good to have an academic study to confirm that those who are excluded now will remain excluded!
Abstract
Digital media are seen as important instruments of increasing participation and diversity in arts and culture.
To examine whether this view is justified, this article draws on two bodies of research that have hitherto remained disconnected: research on cultural participation and research on the digital divide.
Building on these insights, the article examines the Taking Part Survey data on digital media and cultural participation in the United Kingdom between 2005/2006 and 2015/2016, focusing on museums and galleries.
While the results confirm that digital media provide an important means of engaging new audiences, they also show that the engagement with museums and galleries both online and offline remains deeply unequal. Most worryingly, the gaps between the haves and the have-nots are even wider online than in the case of physical visits. Rather than helping increase the diversity of audiences, online access seems to reproduce, if not enlarge, existing inequalities.
Hazel’s comment:
Any thinking person could have told us about this but it is good to have an academic study to confirm that those who are excluded now will remain excluded!
Monday, 24 June 2019
Positive local externalities of immigration on entrepreneurship: Evidence from the UK East Midlands region
an article by Frederick Wedzerai Nyakudya (Coventry University, UK) published in Local Economy: The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit Volume 34 Issue 3 (May 2019)
Abstract
This article examines the effects of immigration on entrepreneurship, making a distinction between the individual level and the neighbourhood characteristics.
The study combined individual level drawn from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data with neighbourhood level data for the English Index of Multiple Deprivation East Midlands region in the UK and applied a maximum likelihood logit model to test the hypotheses. The empirical evidence suggests that there is no direct link between the internal immigrants and start-ups on the one side; yet, there is direct link between the external immigrants and start-ups on the other side.
However, the findings point to the importance of indirect effect of neighbourhood characteristics, as external immigrants have a significant effect on an individual’s perception of new entrepreneurial opportunities which predicts start-up activity. Their presence in the neighbourhood has a positive monotonic effect on individual entrepreneurship.
Therefore, the critical factor is not that external immigrants come with unique knowledge and skills they utilise in the creation of their own businesses, instead they produce positive local externalities enabling others to start-up businesses.
Abstract
This article examines the effects of immigration on entrepreneurship, making a distinction between the individual level and the neighbourhood characteristics.
The study combined individual level drawn from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data with neighbourhood level data for the English Index of Multiple Deprivation East Midlands region in the UK and applied a maximum likelihood logit model to test the hypotheses. The empirical evidence suggests that there is no direct link between the internal immigrants and start-ups on the one side; yet, there is direct link between the external immigrants and start-ups on the other side.
However, the findings point to the importance of indirect effect of neighbourhood characteristics, as external immigrants have a significant effect on an individual’s perception of new entrepreneurial opportunities which predicts start-up activity. Their presence in the neighbourhood has a positive monotonic effect on individual entrepreneurship.
Therefore, the critical factor is not that external immigrants come with unique knowledge and skills they utilise in the creation of their own businesses, instead they produce positive local externalities enabling others to start-up businesses.
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
“Superdiversity”: a new paradigm for inclusion in a transnational world
an article by Banu Ozkazanc-Pan (University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA; Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA) published in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal Volume 38 Issue 4 (2019)
Abstract
Purpose
Transnational migration has become a defining feature of many societies across the globe. This paper focuses on contributions to diversity theorizing and research available from “superdiversity”, an analytic framework derived from transnational migration studies. “Superdiversity” speaks to the novel social transformations taking place globally and provides new opportunities, albeit with critique, for conceptualizing and studying people, difference and inclusion. The purpose of this paper is to provide innovative ways to rethink hallmark concepts of diversity scholarship by offering new insights about the role of nation-states, the concept of difference and inclusion in the midst of mobility.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper relies upon transnational migration studies as an emergent field of inquiry about societal level changes brought upon by the ongoing movement of people. The social, cultural and political transformations growing out of transnational migration are used to theorize new directions for diversity research in the context of management and organization studies. By relying on “superdiversity” and its mobility-based ontology, epistemology and methodology, the paper proposes new ways to think about and carry out research on difference and inclusion.
Findings
Deploying the analytic framework of “superdiversity,” the paper offers “belonging” as the new conversation on inclusion and proposes mobile methods as a means to study mobile subjects/objects. In addition, it discusses how the ongoing transformative societal changes by way of transnational migration impact the ways in which the author theorizes and carry out diversity research. Questions and concerns around ethics, (in)equality and representation are considered vital to future research in/around diversity.
Originality/value
Extensive changes in societies emerging out of ongoing encounters between/among different kinds of people have taken shape by way of transnational migration. As a result, emergent and novel notions of difference have been forged in a transnational manner across social fields. By examining these transformations, the paper provides new directions and challenges for diversity scholarship in the context of rising societal tensions and rhetoric around difference and “belonging” in nation-states. It also provides alternative considerations for understanding and theorizing inclusion in diversity research.
Abstract
Purpose
Transnational migration has become a defining feature of many societies across the globe. This paper focuses on contributions to diversity theorizing and research available from “superdiversity”, an analytic framework derived from transnational migration studies. “Superdiversity” speaks to the novel social transformations taking place globally and provides new opportunities, albeit with critique, for conceptualizing and studying people, difference and inclusion. The purpose of this paper is to provide innovative ways to rethink hallmark concepts of diversity scholarship by offering new insights about the role of nation-states, the concept of difference and inclusion in the midst of mobility.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper relies upon transnational migration studies as an emergent field of inquiry about societal level changes brought upon by the ongoing movement of people. The social, cultural and political transformations growing out of transnational migration are used to theorize new directions for diversity research in the context of management and organization studies. By relying on “superdiversity” and its mobility-based ontology, epistemology and methodology, the paper proposes new ways to think about and carry out research on difference and inclusion.
Findings
Deploying the analytic framework of “superdiversity,” the paper offers “belonging” as the new conversation on inclusion and proposes mobile methods as a means to study mobile subjects/objects. In addition, it discusses how the ongoing transformative societal changes by way of transnational migration impact the ways in which the author theorizes and carry out diversity research. Questions and concerns around ethics, (in)equality and representation are considered vital to future research in/around diversity.
Originality/value
Extensive changes in societies emerging out of ongoing encounters between/among different kinds of people have taken shape by way of transnational migration. As a result, emergent and novel notions of difference have been forged in a transnational manner across social fields. By examining these transformations, the paper provides new directions and challenges for diversity scholarship in the context of rising societal tensions and rhetoric around difference and “belonging” in nation-states. It also provides alternative considerations for understanding and theorizing inclusion in diversity research.
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
‘Talent-spotting’ or ‘social magic’? Inequality, cultural sorting and constructions of the ideal graduate in elite professions
an article by Nicola Ingram (Lancaster University, UK) and Kim Allen (University of Leeds, UK) published in The Sociological Review Volume 67 Issue 3 (May 2019)
Abstract
Graduate outcomes – including rates of employment and earnings – are marked by persistent inequalities related to social class, as well as gender, ethnicity and institution. Despite national policy agendas related to social mobility and ‘fair access to the professions’, high-status occupations are disproportionately composed of those from socially privileged backgrounds, and evidence suggests that in recent decades many professions have become less socially representative.
This article makes an original contribution to sociological studies of inequalities in graduate transitions and elite reproduction through a distinct focus on the ‘pre-hiring’ practices of graduate employers.
It does this through a critical analysis of the graduate recruitment material of two popular graduate employers. It shows how, despite espousing commitments to diversity and inclusion, constructions of the ‘ideal’ graduate privilege individuals who can mobilise and embody certain valued capitals.
Using Bourdieusian concepts of ‘social magic’ and ‘institutional habitus’, the article argues that more attention must be paid to how graduate employers’ practices constitute tacit processes of social exclusion and thus militate against the achievement of more equitable graduate outcomes and fair access to the ‘top jobs’.
Abstract
Graduate outcomes – including rates of employment and earnings – are marked by persistent inequalities related to social class, as well as gender, ethnicity and institution. Despite national policy agendas related to social mobility and ‘fair access to the professions’, high-status occupations are disproportionately composed of those from socially privileged backgrounds, and evidence suggests that in recent decades many professions have become less socially representative.
This article makes an original contribution to sociological studies of inequalities in graduate transitions and elite reproduction through a distinct focus on the ‘pre-hiring’ practices of graduate employers.
It does this through a critical analysis of the graduate recruitment material of two popular graduate employers. It shows how, despite espousing commitments to diversity and inclusion, constructions of the ‘ideal’ graduate privilege individuals who can mobilise and embody certain valued capitals.
Using Bourdieusian concepts of ‘social magic’ and ‘institutional habitus’, the article argues that more attention must be paid to how graduate employers’ practices constitute tacit processes of social exclusion and thus militate against the achievement of more equitable graduate outcomes and fair access to the ‘top jobs’.
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Transnational solidarity, the refugees and open societies in Europe
Magdalena Nowicka and Dennis Ohm (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany) and Łukasz Krzyżowski (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany; AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland) published in Current Sociology Volume 67 Issue 5 (May 2019)
Abstract
The recent massive arrival of war refugees has challenged Europe’s political unity and fanned the flames of anti-Muslim populism.
Both discourses have been framed in terms of ‘shifting solidarity’ between the European Union member states, their citizens and the refugees. At stake, the article argues, is the delineation of the collectivity linked by the obligation of solidarity.
Drawing on insights from research conducted among Polish-born migrants in Germany about their practices and attitudes towards helping the refugees, and critically engaging with social theory, this article offers a new understanding of transnational solidarity.
Transnational solidarity, it argues, needs to embrace the tension between cosmopolitan and particularistic ideas around belonging. The article suggests defining transnational solidarity as an outcome of socio-culturally and spatio-temporally specific interpretations of the norm of solidarity.
As a heuristic device, transnational solidarity helps us to understand the shifting alliances for and against refugees in Europe.
Abstract
The recent massive arrival of war refugees has challenged Europe’s political unity and fanned the flames of anti-Muslim populism.
Both discourses have been framed in terms of ‘shifting solidarity’ between the European Union member states, their citizens and the refugees. At stake, the article argues, is the delineation of the collectivity linked by the obligation of solidarity.
Drawing on insights from research conducted among Polish-born migrants in Germany about their practices and attitudes towards helping the refugees, and critically engaging with social theory, this article offers a new understanding of transnational solidarity.
Transnational solidarity, it argues, needs to embrace the tension between cosmopolitan and particularistic ideas around belonging. The article suggests defining transnational solidarity as an outcome of socio-culturally and spatio-temporally specific interpretations of the norm of solidarity.
As a heuristic device, transnational solidarity helps us to understand the shifting alliances for and against refugees in Europe.
Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Diversity, economic development and new migrant entrepreneurs
an article by Trevor Jones and Monder Ram (University of Birmingham, UK) and Maria Villares-Varela (University of Southatmpton, UK) published in Urban Studies Volume 56 Issue 5 (April 2019)
Abstract
How do migrant entrepreneurs contribute to economic development? The growing attention to the contribution that migrants make tends to be skewed towards their economic role.
Drawing on interviews with 49 new migrant business owners and 60 workers in the West Midlands, UK, we argue that benefits of diversity should be explored beyond the economic dividend. We engage with key theoretical developments in the fields of migrant entrepreneurship and diversity economics, and show that migrant entrepreneurs are characterised by the polarisation of their performance between high fliers and survival entrepreneurs.
Despite their overall resource poverty, migrant entrepreneurs on the lower level create employment for their locality, cater to community needs and cushion the social incorporation of new communities in British society.
We argue that debates around the benefits of diversity should incorporate not only economic growth, but also its impact on social processes.
Abstract
How do migrant entrepreneurs contribute to economic development? The growing attention to the contribution that migrants make tends to be skewed towards their economic role.
Drawing on interviews with 49 new migrant business owners and 60 workers in the West Midlands, UK, we argue that benefits of diversity should be explored beyond the economic dividend. We engage with key theoretical developments in the fields of migrant entrepreneurship and diversity economics, and show that migrant entrepreneurs are characterised by the polarisation of their performance between high fliers and survival entrepreneurs.
Despite their overall resource poverty, migrant entrepreneurs on the lower level create employment for their locality, cater to community needs and cushion the social incorporation of new communities in British society.
We argue that debates around the benefits of diversity should incorporate not only economic growth, but also its impact on social processes.
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Valuing the bowling alley: Contestations over the preservation of spaces of everyday urban multiculture in London
an article by Emma Jackson (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK) published in The Sociological Review Volume 67 Issue 1 (January 2019)
Abstract
This article builds on ‘the convivial, everyday turn’ by approaching the workings of complex urban spaces of multiculture as entangled with processes of urban change that are infused with judgements and contestations about what is of value.
The article explores the competing value claims made for a leisure space, a London bowling alley, used by a diverse group of people (in terms of dis/ability, ethnicity, gender, class and age) that has been threatened with demolition. It examines how arguments about diversity and inclusivity are deployed in these debates and how official discourses are resisted through the mobilisation of other articulations of social value.
The article argues that the combination of the hollowing out of the concept of diversity and the political and economic context results in a paradox whereby multiculturalism is celebrated as an atmosphere and generator of capital while existing physical spaces of everyday urban multiculture are at best unprotected and at worst not recognised, devalued and demolished.
Abstract
This article builds on ‘the convivial, everyday turn’ by approaching the workings of complex urban spaces of multiculture as entangled with processes of urban change that are infused with judgements and contestations about what is of value.
The article explores the competing value claims made for a leisure space, a London bowling alley, used by a diverse group of people (in terms of dis/ability, ethnicity, gender, class and age) that has been threatened with demolition. It examines how arguments about diversity and inclusivity are deployed in these debates and how official discourses are resisted through the mobilisation of other articulations of social value.
The article argues that the combination of the hollowing out of the concept of diversity and the political and economic context results in a paradox whereby multiculturalism is celebrated as an atmosphere and generator of capital while existing physical spaces of everyday urban multiculture are at best unprotected and at worst not recognised, devalued and demolished.
Friday, 23 November 2018
Cultural discourses and practices of institutionalised diversity in the UK film sector: ‘Just get something black made’
an article by Clive James Nwonka (London School of Economics and Political Science, UK) and Sarita Malik (Brunel University London, UK) published in The Sociological Review Volume 66 Issue 6 (November 2018)
Abstract
‘Diversity’ is an evolving dimension of discursive debates within publicly funded parts of the UK media.
This article considers how representations of racial diversity in cinema were articulated in a particular moment in recent history. It traces the relationship between the broader New Labour neoliberal agenda of the late 1990s and the UK Film Council’s (UKFC) New Cinema Fund, the key funding mechanism for supporting black British cinema at the time.
The authors suggest that the New Cinema Fund’s ‘institutional diversity’ agenda represented a symbolic effort by both the UKFC and UK public service broadcasters to redevelop black British film vis-a-vis a plethora of cultural imperatives oriented around the notion of ‘social inclusion’. The nature of this intervention, it is argued, was strongly influenced by the 1999 Macpherson Report, which identified ‘institutional racism’ within the fabric of the UK’s organisations.
The article examines how such an ‘institutional diversity’ agenda emerged within the production context of a BBC Film/UKFC production, Bullet Boy (2005), thus generating a rearticulated black British cinema that was deeply imbricated in the highly politicised contexts outlined.
Abstract
‘Diversity’ is an evolving dimension of discursive debates within publicly funded parts of the UK media.
This article considers how representations of racial diversity in cinema were articulated in a particular moment in recent history. It traces the relationship between the broader New Labour neoliberal agenda of the late 1990s and the UK Film Council’s (UKFC) New Cinema Fund, the key funding mechanism for supporting black British cinema at the time.
The authors suggest that the New Cinema Fund’s ‘institutional diversity’ agenda represented a symbolic effort by both the UKFC and UK public service broadcasters to redevelop black British film vis-a-vis a plethora of cultural imperatives oriented around the notion of ‘social inclusion’. The nature of this intervention, it is argued, was strongly influenced by the 1999 Macpherson Report, which identified ‘institutional racism’ within the fabric of the UK’s organisations.
The article examines how such an ‘institutional diversity’ agenda emerged within the production context of a BBC Film/UKFC production, Bullet Boy (2005), thus generating a rearticulated black British cinema that was deeply imbricated in the highly politicised contexts outlined.
Wednesday, 7 March 2018
The politicisation of diversity planning in a global city: Lessons from London
an article by Mike Raco and Jamie Kesten (University College London, UK) published in Urban Studies Volume 55 Issue 4 (2018)
Abstract
This paper explores the politics of diversity planning in one of Europe’s most socially and economically divided and globally oriented cities: London.
The analysis draws on Latour’s writings on modes of politicisation to examine the processes and practices that shape contemporary urban governance. It uses the example of diversity planning to examine the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of urban politics.
It shows that on the one hand diversity is represented in pragmatic, consensual and celebratory terms. Under prevailing conditions of contemporary global capitalism, the ‘what’ of diversity has been politicised into an agenda for labour market-building and the attraction of ‘talented’ individuals and foreign investment.
However, at the same time this celebratory rhetoric represents part of a wider effort to deflect political attention away from the socially and economically divisive impacts of global models of economic growth and physical development. There is little discussion of the ways in which planning frameworks, the ‘how’ of diversity policy, are helping to generate new separations in and beyond the city.
Moreover, despite claiming that policy is pragmatic and non-ideological, the paper shows how diversity narratives have become an integral part of broader political projects to orientate the city’s economy towards the needs of a relatively small cluster of powerful economic sectors.
The paper concludes with reflections on the recent impacts of the vote for Brexit and the election of an openly Muslim London Mayor. It also assesses the broader relevance of a Latourian framework for the analysis of contemporary urban politics.
Abstract
This paper explores the politics of diversity planning in one of Europe’s most socially and economically divided and globally oriented cities: London.
The analysis draws on Latour’s writings on modes of politicisation to examine the processes and practices that shape contemporary urban governance. It uses the example of diversity planning to examine the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of urban politics.
It shows that on the one hand diversity is represented in pragmatic, consensual and celebratory terms. Under prevailing conditions of contemporary global capitalism, the ‘what’ of diversity has been politicised into an agenda for labour market-building and the attraction of ‘talented’ individuals and foreign investment.
However, at the same time this celebratory rhetoric represents part of a wider effort to deflect political attention away from the socially and economically divisive impacts of global models of economic growth and physical development. There is little discussion of the ways in which planning frameworks, the ‘how’ of diversity policy, are helping to generate new separations in and beyond the city.
Moreover, despite claiming that policy is pragmatic and non-ideological, the paper shows how diversity narratives have become an integral part of broader political projects to orientate the city’s economy towards the needs of a relatively small cluster of powerful economic sectors.
The paper concludes with reflections on the recent impacts of the vote for Brexit and the election of an openly Muslim London Mayor. It also assesses the broader relevance of a Latourian framework for the analysis of contemporary urban politics.
Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Navigating the difficult: teaching for sustainability, activism, and the recognition of modern slavery
an article by Arlene Plevin (Olympic College, Bremerton, WA, USA) published in Interdisciplinary Environmental Review Volume 18 Number 3/4 (2017)
Abstract
As a goal, sustainability can sometimes be aligned with economic models and seldom considered in terms of all of its components, including modern slavery.
This paper argues that just and flourishing sustainability, that which is for the good of all, incorporates knowledge of modern slavery, the often invisible and unacknowledged abuse of people involved in the production of products and services. The paper encourages teachers to consider the reality of modern slavery and to teach for that, noting that it is an ethical and moral position and essential to just sustainability.
Examining some of the challenges of teaching for modern slavery, the paper works with concepts of activism and hope and offers examples of classroom approaches that can enable students to consider and work with modern slavery on behalf of those who are enslaved.
Abstract
As a goal, sustainability can sometimes be aligned with economic models and seldom considered in terms of all of its components, including modern slavery.
This paper argues that just and flourishing sustainability, that which is for the good of all, incorporates knowledge of modern slavery, the often invisible and unacknowledged abuse of people involved in the production of products and services. The paper encourages teachers to consider the reality of modern slavery and to teach for that, noting that it is an ethical and moral position and essential to just sustainability.
Examining some of the challenges of teaching for modern slavery, the paper works with concepts of activism and hope and offers examples of classroom approaches that can enable students to consider and work with modern slavery on behalf of those who are enslaved.
Monday, 4 December 2017
Population diversity as a crucial source of long-term prosperity in the US
a column by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose and Viola von Berlepsch for Vox: CEPR’s Policy Portal
Research on the economic impact of migration on hosts and the migrants themselves has tended to focus on the short term. This column traces the economic impact of population diversity in the US resulting from the Age of Mass Migration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. High levels of population fractionalisation have had a strong, positive influence on economic development, while high levels of polarisation have undermined development. Despite a stronger effect on income levels in the first 30 years following the initial migration shock, the relationships are found to be extremely long-lasting.
Continue reading
Research on the economic impact of migration on hosts and the migrants themselves has tended to focus on the short term. This column traces the economic impact of population diversity in the US resulting from the Age of Mass Migration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. High levels of population fractionalisation have had a strong, positive influence on economic development, while high levels of polarisation have undermined development. Despite a stronger effect on income levels in the first 30 years following the initial migration shock, the relationships are found to be extremely long-lasting.
Continue reading
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Younger supervisors, older subordinates: An organizational-level study of age differences, emotions, and performance
an article by Florian Kunze (University of Konstanz, Germany) and Jochen I. Menges (WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, Düsseldorf, Germany)
published in Journal of Organizational Behavior
Volume 38 Issue 4 (May 2017)
Summary
Younger employees are often promoted into supervisory positions in which they then manage older subordinates. Do companies benefit or suffer when supervisors and subordinates have inverse age differences? In this study, we examine how average age differences between younger supervisors and older subordinates are linked to the emotions that prevail in the workforce, and to company performance.
We propose that the average age differences determine how frequently older subordinates and their coworkers experience negative emotions, and that these emotion frequency levels in turn relate to company performance. The indirect relationship between age differences and performance occurs only if subordinates express their feelings toward their supervisor, but the association is neutralized if emotions are suppressed.
We find consistent evidence for this theoretical model in a study of 61 companies with multiple respondents.
Summary
Younger employees are often promoted into supervisory positions in which they then manage older subordinates. Do companies benefit or suffer when supervisors and subordinates have inverse age differences? In this study, we examine how average age differences between younger supervisors and older subordinates are linked to the emotions that prevail in the workforce, and to company performance.
We propose that the average age differences determine how frequently older subordinates and their coworkers experience negative emotions, and that these emotion frequency levels in turn relate to company performance. The indirect relationship between age differences and performance occurs only if subordinates express their feelings toward their supervisor, but the association is neutralized if emotions are suppressed.
We find consistent evidence for this theoretical model in a study of 61 companies with multiple respondents.
Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Diversity Matters
AGCAS Diversity Matters, produced in collaboration with GTI Media, is targeted primarily at graduate jobseekers but will be useful to anybody interested in employment and diversity, whether as someone directly affected by the issues it addresses or in a professional capacity. Areas covered include how to find diversity-positive employers, how and when to disclose, and your rights under the law.
Updated material:
AGCAS publications
Don't forget to check the Publications page for details of where content jointly produced by AGCAS and our partners can be found on the TARGETjobs, TARGETpostgrad and Prospects websites.
an AGCAS blog post from July 2017
Updated material:
AGCAS publications
Don't forget to check the Publications page for details of where content jointly produced by AGCAS and our partners can be found on the TARGETjobs, TARGETpostgrad and Prospects websites.
an AGCAS blog post from July 2017
Friday, 17 March 2017
Where gender equality remains a myth, minority representation of women in architecture
an article by Graham Cole (Halifax, UK) published in Human Resource Management International Digest Volume 25 Issue 2 (2017)
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
Achieving equal opportunity for all was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the European Union (EU) in the mid-twentieth century.
In its different guises since then, the constitution has issued various directives pertaining to the issue. Member nations are thus expected to comply with the principles outlined in them.
Key to this arrangement is that countries are empowered to choose their own way of meeting equality objectives. Where gender equality in the context of work is concerned, it appears that progress has been minimal at best.
One might argue that paying lip service to EU Directives is as good as it gets in many cases.
The number of professions which are still firmly male-dominated is ample testimony to such notions.
Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
Achieving equal opportunity for all was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the European Union (EU) in the mid-twentieth century.
In its different guises since then, the constitution has issued various directives pertaining to the issue. Member nations are thus expected to comply with the principles outlined in them.
Key to this arrangement is that countries are empowered to choose their own way of meeting equality objectives. Where gender equality in the context of work is concerned, it appears that progress has been minimal at best.
One might argue that paying lip service to EU Directives is as good as it gets in many cases.
The number of professions which are still firmly male-dominated is ample testimony to such notions.
Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Friday, 27 January 2017
The Changing Geographies of Ethnic Diversity in England and Wales, 1991–2011
an article by Gemma Catney (School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK) published in
Population, Space and Place
Volume 22 Issue 8 (November 2016)
Abstract
While ethnic diversity is traditionally an urban characteristic, new spaces of diversity are emerging. This challenges our current understandings of the geographies of ethnic diversity and forces us to consider the more intricate spatial patterns and processes of ethnic group population change.
Ethnic diversity, now a key feature of contemporary society in Britain, is an issue of public, policy, political, and academic interest; the 2011 Census provided an opportunity to update our knowledge of how diversity has grown, and in what ways.
This paper explores the new geographies of ethnic diversity in England and Wales, mapping the evolving landscape of diversity over two decades. The paper makes use of measures of diversity and clustering for small areas (wards) for consistent geographies for 1991–2011, and for the most recent decade using a district level urban–rural area classification.
There is evidence of a spreading out of ethnic diversity from urban centres towards areas traditionally less diverse.
Spatial mixing has increased – the period also saw a growth of minority ethnic groups in areas outside own-group clusters. The increased share of all ethnic groups (White British and minority) in less urban areas challenges claims of ‘White flight’ from diversity.
Increased ethnic diversity is clearly an important feature of contemporary population change, and the coming years are likely to see continued mixing between people and within places – and in new locales.
Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract
While ethnic diversity is traditionally an urban characteristic, new spaces of diversity are emerging. This challenges our current understandings of the geographies of ethnic diversity and forces us to consider the more intricate spatial patterns and processes of ethnic group population change.
Ethnic diversity, now a key feature of contemporary society in Britain, is an issue of public, policy, political, and academic interest; the 2011 Census provided an opportunity to update our knowledge of how diversity has grown, and in what ways.
This paper explores the new geographies of ethnic diversity in England and Wales, mapping the evolving landscape of diversity over two decades. The paper makes use of measures of diversity and clustering for small areas (wards) for consistent geographies for 1991–2011, and for the most recent decade using a district level urban–rural area classification.
There is evidence of a spreading out of ethnic diversity from urban centres towards areas traditionally less diverse.
Spatial mixing has increased – the period also saw a growth of minority ethnic groups in areas outside own-group clusters. The increased share of all ethnic groups (White British and minority) in less urban areas challenges claims of ‘White flight’ from diversity.
Increased ethnic diversity is clearly an important feature of contemporary population change, and the coming years are likely to see continued mixing between people and within places – and in new locales.
Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Friday, 20 January 2017
Understanding the gender and ethnicity attainment gap in UK higher education
an article by D.R.E. Cotton, M. Joyner, R. George and P.A. Cotton (Plymouth University, UK) published in Innovations in Education and Teaching International Volume 53 Issue 5 (2016)
Abstract
In recent years, the success rates of different groups of students in higher education have come under considerable scrutiny, with gender and ethnicity identified as key attributes predicting differential achievement of ‘good degrees’.
A review of previous studies highlights the need for research which looks beyond ‘the deficit model’ to explain the attainment gap. This research used a mixed-methods approach to explore the academic and social experiences of students, as well as lecturers’ views on student achievement, in one UK University.
Findings suggest that there are significant differences in motivation and confidence speaking English for different ethnic groups in this study, and a divergence in attendance and study time by gender – both of which may go some way to helping understand the gaps in attainment. In addition, male and BME students tended to overestimate their likelihood of achieving a good degree outcome, compared to other groups.
Abstract
In recent years, the success rates of different groups of students in higher education have come under considerable scrutiny, with gender and ethnicity identified as key attributes predicting differential achievement of ‘good degrees’.
A review of previous studies highlights the need for research which looks beyond ‘the deficit model’ to explain the attainment gap. This research used a mixed-methods approach to explore the academic and social experiences of students, as well as lecturers’ views on student achievement, in one UK University.
Findings suggest that there are significant differences in motivation and confidence speaking English for different ethnic groups in this study, and a divergence in attendance and study time by gender – both of which may go some way to helping understand the gaps in attainment. In addition, male and BME students tended to overestimate their likelihood of achieving a good degree outcome, compared to other groups.
Monday, 10 August 2015
A qualitative evaluation of non-educational barriers to the élite professions
a report for the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission by Dr Louise Ashley (Royal Holloway University of London), Professor Jo Duberley (University of Birmingham), Professor Hilary Sommerlad (University of Birmingham) and Professor Dora Scholarios (University of Strathclyde) published in June 2015
No abstract is provided.
Overview (first section, footnotes not included)
This report sets out the findings from a qualitative study, focusing on two main areas. The first (Study A) examines the barriers to entry for people from less privileged socioeconomic backgrounds to elite law and accountancy firms, with a particular focus on London. The second (Study B) examines the barriers to entry for people from similar backgrounds to elite financial service firms (including accountancy) located in Scotland.
The study finds that despite their efforts to improve social inclusion over the past ten to fifteen years, these elite firms continue to be heavily dominated at entry level by people from more privileged socioeconomic backgrounds. This can be attributed primarily to a tendency to recruit the majority of new entrants from a narrow group of elite universities, where students are more likely to have attended selective or feepaying schools, and/or come from relatively affluent backgrounds. In addition, elite firms define ‘talent’ according to a number of factors such as drive, resilience, strong communication skills and above all confidence and ‘polish’, which participants in the research acknowledged can be mapped on to middle-class status and socialisation.
Against this backdrop, the key purpose of the study is to explore what more can be done to open access to elite professions. More generally, the study responds to evidence that the dominance of people from more privileged socioeconomic backgrounds within elite professions has become more pronounced over the past thirty years. For example, research from the Cabinet Office shows that recent generations of lawyers and accountants are more likely to come from families with significantly above-average incomes. There is also some evidence that where diverse individuals gain access to the elite professions, their subsequent career progression is affected by social background, though the extent and cause of this challenge has been under-researched to date. As we shall demonstrate, these issues seem particularly acute in the UK’s largest and most prestigious law, accountancy and financial service firms, on which this study is focused.
A key focus of the current study is on talent. Whilst talent is sometimes presented by firms as though it is an unproblematic concept, it is in fact highly ambiguous. Previous research suggests that this ambiguity is a key factor encouraging firms to rely on proxy measures of potential associated with middle-class status, thus accentuating rather than reducing, non-educational barriers to entry and, possibly, career progression. In order to explore this issue, we look here at how talent is identified and defined at entry level by organisations within the elite professions.
In addition, we also address three specific gaps in current knowledge of graduate hiring processes and practices and career progression.
No abstract is provided.
Overview (first section, footnotes not included)
This report sets out the findings from a qualitative study, focusing on two main areas. The first (Study A) examines the barriers to entry for people from less privileged socioeconomic backgrounds to elite law and accountancy firms, with a particular focus on London. The second (Study B) examines the barriers to entry for people from similar backgrounds to elite financial service firms (including accountancy) located in Scotland.
The study finds that despite their efforts to improve social inclusion over the past ten to fifteen years, these elite firms continue to be heavily dominated at entry level by people from more privileged socioeconomic backgrounds. This can be attributed primarily to a tendency to recruit the majority of new entrants from a narrow group of elite universities, where students are more likely to have attended selective or feepaying schools, and/or come from relatively affluent backgrounds. In addition, elite firms define ‘talent’ according to a number of factors such as drive, resilience, strong communication skills and above all confidence and ‘polish’, which participants in the research acknowledged can be mapped on to middle-class status and socialisation.
Against this backdrop, the key purpose of the study is to explore what more can be done to open access to elite professions. More generally, the study responds to evidence that the dominance of people from more privileged socioeconomic backgrounds within elite professions has become more pronounced over the past thirty years. For example, research from the Cabinet Office shows that recent generations of lawyers and accountants are more likely to come from families with significantly above-average incomes. There is also some evidence that where diverse individuals gain access to the elite professions, their subsequent career progression is affected by social background, though the extent and cause of this challenge has been under-researched to date. As we shall demonstrate, these issues seem particularly acute in the UK’s largest and most prestigious law, accountancy and financial service firms, on which this study is focused.
A key focus of the current study is on talent. Whilst talent is sometimes presented by firms as though it is an unproblematic concept, it is in fact highly ambiguous. Previous research suggests that this ambiguity is a key factor encouraging firms to rely on proxy measures of potential associated with middle-class status, thus accentuating rather than reducing, non-educational barriers to entry and, possibly, career progression. In order to explore this issue, we look here at how talent is identified and defined at entry level by organisations within the elite professions.
In addition, we also address three specific gaps in current knowledge of graduate hiring processes and practices and career progression.
- First, we address a lack of transparency about the precise mechanics of the recruitment and selection process, and subsequent promotion decisions. In particular, we ask what non-educational barriers to entry and progression do elite organisations construct? Who are these barriers constructed by? And at what points in the hiring process do these barriers come into play?
- Second, we examine the organisational dynamics behind a lack of diversity on the basis of social background, including factors in support of change, and in favour of the status quo. As part of this, we explore the role played by the business and moral cases for change, and discuss current best practice with respect to social inclusion initiatives.
- Third, we ask what role clients of leading firms may play in building a better case for change? Whilst elite organisations regularly claim that client expectations of their professional advisors are a barrier to diversity, there has been no independent study of the client perspective on social background to date. This is important because in other diversity strands, including gender, the client voice has arguably been important in driving forward at least some progressive change.
Friday, 8 February 2013
‘It's Always English in the Cop Shop’: Accounts of Minority Language Use in the Criminal Justice System in Wales
an article by Iolo Madoc-Jones and Odette Parry (Glyndwr University, Wales) published in The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume 52 Issue 1 (February 2013)
Abstract
European language activists have successfully campaigned for the right to use regional or minority languages in judicial contexts. Despite this, such rights are rarely exercised. This is commonly understood as a function of the unavailability and/or inaccessibility of appropriate language services, so judicial authorities in a range of countries are urged to do more to meet their obligations to meet the needs of minority language speakers.
The article draws on a study of language use in one criminal justice system where the right to use a minority language exists. It uses a discourse analytic approach to explore how first-language Welsh-speaking criminal justice service users account for their choice, and usage, of language, and what purposes these accounts may serve for narrators.
Despite their commitment to the Welsh language, none of the study respondents used Welsh in their most recent episodes in the police station or at court.
Two competing discursive constructions were evident in respondent accounts which served specific objectives for narrators. A ‘down to them’ discursive construction, which drew on wider imperialist discourses, positioned narrators as powerless victims of a system in which they had no choice over language.
This construction legitimised narrators’ claim to Welshness and castigated agencies of the criminal justice system.
Simultaneously, however, narrators deployed ‘up to me’ discursive constructions to demonstrate resistance to the role of victim. This construction positioned narrators as more powerful and as exercising agency and choice in the criminal justice system.
The article thus challenges oversimplified understandings of minority language use and non-use in the criminal justice system.
Abstract
European language activists have successfully campaigned for the right to use regional or minority languages in judicial contexts. Despite this, such rights are rarely exercised. This is commonly understood as a function of the unavailability and/or inaccessibility of appropriate language services, so judicial authorities in a range of countries are urged to do more to meet their obligations to meet the needs of minority language speakers.
The article draws on a study of language use in one criminal justice system where the right to use a minority language exists. It uses a discourse analytic approach to explore how first-language Welsh-speaking criminal justice service users account for their choice, and usage, of language, and what purposes these accounts may serve for narrators.
Despite their commitment to the Welsh language, none of the study respondents used Welsh in their most recent episodes in the police station or at court.
Two competing discursive constructions were evident in respondent accounts which served specific objectives for narrators. A ‘down to them’ discursive construction, which drew on wider imperialist discourses, positioned narrators as powerless victims of a system in which they had no choice over language.
This construction legitimised narrators’ claim to Welshness and castigated agencies of the criminal justice system.
Simultaneously, however, narrators deployed ‘up to me’ discursive constructions to demonstrate resistance to the role of victim. This construction positioned narrators as more powerful and as exercising agency and choice in the criminal justice system.
The article thus challenges oversimplified understandings of minority language use and non-use in the criminal justice system.
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