Introduction
Background
For a long time, Britain has welcomed immigrants from different parts of the world. In the past, many of them came from Commonwealth nations. However, recent trends show that most of them hail from East European countries and third world nations (Cooke 2010). The rising number of immigrants in Britain has garnered the attention of some observers who say that this phenomenon could partly contribute to the current debate surrounding whether the UK should exit the European Union, or not (Burrell 2012).
In this regard, the surge in the number of immigrants in Britain is of political, social, and economic concern. For example, according to a 2014 documentary by the BBC on immigration (cited in The Truth about Immigration in the UK 2014), politicians are increasingly trying to portray a strong political stance against immigration to please the public (The Truth about Immigration in the UK 2014). Such intrigues show that immigration is a dominant political issue in Britain. However, it is also a social concern for many Britons.
Problem Statement
The rising rate of immigration in Britain has elicited concerns that ethnic and racial diversity could have a negative effect on social cohesion in the country (Burrell 2012). However, such sentiments remain unsubstantiated, based on the premise that social cohesion is a contextual issue. For example, the effects of immigration in America may not necessarily be true for Britain.
The opposite is also true because Britain has its unique social, political, and economic dynamics that warrant an independent analysis of the effects of immigration on the country’s social cohesion. Researchers and observers also have contradictory views regarding the effects of immigration on social cohesion in Britain, as some say many Britons exaggerate the effects of immigration on the society, while others believe such effects are often misunderstood (Saggar et al. 2012).
Literature review
What is Social Cohesion?
Many researchers understand the concept of social cohesion as an intermediary between separation and unity (Adesina & Adesina 2013; Saggar et al. 2012). This understanding differs from the conceptualization of social cohesion as a total consensus on values and priorities. The social conflicts witnessed in England, in 2011, show that social cohesion is the new framework that Britain uses to assess immigration issues. Coined by Putnam (2007), social cohesion was a term used by researchers to explain the declining political participation of different ethnic groups in the United States (US).
Putnam (2007) also says that the rise of ethnic diversity, through immigration, leads to low rates of political participation and higher rates of mistrust among community members. This view paints a bad picture of civic desolation (Putnam 2007). However, Adesina and Adesina (2013) believe it does not automatically translate to heightened tensions among community members. Nonetheless, some researchers believe the decline of social cohesion in the UK and other western nations stems from the rise of individualism (Cooke 2010).
Social Cohesion in Britain
A concept paper on immigration in the UK (cited in Burrell 2012) says that the application of social cohesion policies in the country refers is a dramatic shift from the concept of multiculturalism. Three pillars outline this change, the adoption of a multiculturalism stance, diminution of policies concerning the welfare of immigrants in the UK, and changes in institutional responsibility (Cooke 2010).
Studies by Adesina & Adesina (2013) and Saggar et al. (2012) say recent trends in immigration in the UK are responsible for concerns regarding social cohesion and national identity in the country. The BBC documentary film on immigration clarifies this issue by demonstrating that part of the problem (social disunity among Britons and immigrants) is the failure of the latter to respect English-speaking people and their norms, values, and beliefs (The Truth about Immigration in the UK 2014).
Immigration on National Identity
According to The Truth about Immigration in the UK (2014), immigration has had an effect on the conception of national identity among the British people (here, the concept of national identity is subject to people’s understanding of “Britishness” as presented by opinion pollsters). “The trend over time, such as one can be discerned, is of a move from an ancestral understanding of “Britishness,” couched in ethnocultural fixtures, to one based more on civic values and responsibilities” (Saggar et al. 2012, p. 2).
There is little empirical evidence to suggest that the above statement is true, but Saggar et al. (2012) posits that most people who have an immigrant heritage may hold a strong opinion about the effects of immigration on national identity in Britain. The broader historical and sociological understanding of this analysis supports this assertion because some researchers argue that demographic changes and globalization have an undergird effect on Britain’s national identity (Cooke 2010). However, some authors, such as Cooke (2010), say immigration plays a limited role in influencing the national identity of Britons. Researchers from around the world have also explored its effects on social cohesion in other western countries.
Evidence from America
America is arguably a more ethnically and racially diverse nation than the UK. Researchers, such as Costa and Khan (2003), who have investigated the impact of immigration on social cohesion in America, have pointed out that diversity and social cohesion share a negative relationship. Stated differently, the more ethnically diverse a community is, the less likely it is to show social cohesion. The researchers came up with this finding after using “trust” as the measure for analyzing people’s level of social cohesion (the ability of people to trust one another). Putnam (2007) also arrives at the same conclusion, but he adds that ethnically diverse communities are also likely to record low levels of social participation and low levels of communal involvement in a democratic setup.
Evidence from Canada
Canada has had a rising rate of the immigrant population, similar to the UK, US, and other western nations. Many researchers have investigated the effects of immigration on the country’s social cohesion and national identity and found that, although there may be some resentment towards immigrants, none of these feelings have boiled up at nationally and created mistrust or social disunity among citizens (Statistics Canada 2015). Some researchers say this is so because Canada has never sought a national identity because its founders had different cultures, religions, and histories (the English in Ontario and the French in Quebec) (Burrell 2012).
Summary
Public opinion on immigration in Britain remains an ambivalent matter for many Britons who do not want to acknowledge the significance of immigration on their social, political, or economic lives. Public opinion also remains divided regarding the type of policy adjustments that Britain should make to integrate immigrants. This debate stems from the potential disruptive effects that immigration has on the country’s social cohesion. Few researchers portray a true picture of the effects of immigration in Britain.
References
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Cooke, G 2010, Britain’s Great Immigration Disaster, Gavin Cooke, London.
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Putnam, R 2007, ‘Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-First Century: The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture’, Scandinavian Political Studies, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 137-174.
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