1.3.1 Urban Issues Flashcards
(32 cards)
Economic inequality
The unequal distribution of money amongst a population.
Diaspora
A group of people with similar heritage or homeland who have settled elsewhere.
What issues can economic inequality cause?
- Political and social unrest
- A rise in crime, drug use and violence
- Health problems, e.g. cities with higher levels of income inequality have more malnourished children
Cultural diversity
The existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic grounds within a society.
On the whole, are cities or rural areas more cultural diverse?
Cities tend to be culturally diverse – they have a wide mix of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
What are some benefits of cultural diversity?
Ethnic diversity can enrich a city’s character and increase tolerance, while cultural events and ethnic quarters within a city can attract tourists, boosting the city’s economy.
What problems can cultural diversity cause?
- Tensions between different groups, sometimes leading to violence.
- Increased pressure on services, e.g. schools may need extra staff for pupils who can’t speak the native language.
- Minority communities can feel isolated and under-represented politically.
Social segregation
When different groups are separated from other people, e.g. poorer people or people from a particular ethnic background are concentrated in a specific area of a city.
What are some of the reasons for social segregation?
- Builders prefer to build larger, four-bedroom houses because they can make more profit. – These are harder to afford for low-income households. This is why there are top-down policies in place to ensure there is a certain percentage of affordable housing available.
- Gentrification is very heavily biased in favour of the rich. Gentrification causes low-income manual workers to be displaced by rich middle class professionals such as bankers. (For example, Portland Road) – The main way to manage this is to use local occupancy clauses
- Migrants can usually only afford cheap housing. Due to the high living costs in the UK, many migrants can only afford to live in low-cost affordable housing or live in multiple occupancy homes.
Is cultural diversity voluntary or forced?
This can be voluntary, e.g. followers of a particular religion may choose to settle close to their place of worship.
It can also be forced, e.g. many Roma people in Italy can’t access social housing, so they end up in camps on city outskirts.
What are some issues that social segregation can cause in urban areas?
- Lack of integration between different groups can cause prejudice and discrimination.
- People in some areas may have less access to education and jobs, widening inequalities.
- Segregation can lead to anxiety and have negative impacts on health and expectancy.
- In developing countries, poorer areas may lack access to facilities, e.g. electricity, clean water, public transport. They are also more likely to be close to industry and rubbish dumps, affecting health and wellbeing.
Why are cities more culturally diverse?
- Cities tend to offer a greater range of employment opportunities
- Cities are the first point of entry into the country for many immigrant
- Cities tend to house earlier immigrant groups with the same ethnicity
- Established cultural diversity in cities means there are specialist ethnic shops and religious centres located there
- Urban populations tend to be more tolerant of immigrants.
Case study: Antilla, Mumbai
- In Mumbai, the world’s most expensive home, Antilla, can be found towering over one of the largest slums in the city.
- Munesh Ambani, the owner of the house is worth around $100 billion (as of 2022) but the average salary in the slum, Byculla, is less than $2 per day.
- The house is only home to 6 people, but they employ over 600 staff.
Is it easy to map urban inequality?
It is hard to geographically map any patterns of inequality and poverty.
It isn’t necessarily the inner-city areas which are facing inequality anymore. The highest levels of poverty can, and have, been found on the peripheral estates, whilst the inner cities areas are experiencing regeneration and improvements.
Strategies to manage poverty and inequality
- Improving transport systems can make it easier for the urban poor to access jobs.
- Subsidising the construction of affordable housing can help less wealthy people to buy property.
- Introducing minimum wages can help to stabilise wage inequalities between the poor and rich.
- Governments can offer subsidies for new companies, increasing local employment opportunities.
- In developing countries, many cities have introduced upgrading programmes for slum settlements. Investments in road-building, sanitation, drainage and water supply increase the quality of informal housing.
Strategies to encourage social and cultural integration
- Governments can encourage political participation of minority groups, e.g. by sending postcards and text messages encouraging them to vote. This ensures minority groups have the opportunity to influence decision making.
- Governments can pass laws, e.g. to prevent companies discriminating against employees on the basis of race.
- New developments can include luxury homes and lower-cost housing, reducing divisions between rich and poor.
- Communities can help ease racial tensions, e.g. by involving different groups in projects to clean off racist graffiti.
Economic inequality in London case study.
The average annual income in Kensington and Chelsea is more than £130,000, but in Newham it’s less than £35,000.
Low wages and few job opportunities in some areas mean that more than 25% of people in London live in poverty.
How is London socially segregated?
Many inner city areas, e.g. Notting Hill, have been gentrified – this has forced poorer residents out of the area.
London is culturally diverse – more than 50% of the population is not white British. Proportions of ethnic minorities differ widely between boroughs – e.g. in Brent over 60% of people are not white British, whereas in Havering the proportion is only around 16%, suggesting that ethnic segregation is an issue.
Social segregation based on age and class is also an issue – London residents have less interaction with people of different age groups and classes than people elsewhere in the UK. This could lead some residents to feel isolated.
Strategies used to tackle social segregation and economic inequality in London
1) From 2016, the London Living Wage increased to £9.75 per hour (compared to £8.45 in the rest of the country). This should increase income and social mobility in deprived areas.
2) London Mayor, Sadiq Khan plans to build more affordable homes in London – this could allow less affluent people to remain in more expensive areas, reducing social segregation.
3) The police are working to tackle hate crime, e.g. by encouraging people to report it and offering support to victims.
4) Some charities are calling for better access to English Language Classes for Immigrants, and mentoring schemes to help recent immigrants adjust to life in the UK, with the aim of increasing integration between groups.
Urban deprivation
Urban deprivation is where the standard of living is below the majority of people in a particular society. It involves hardships and lack of access to resources.
Urban deprivation
Urban deprivation is where the standard of living is below the majority of people in a particular society. It involves hardships and lack of access to resources.
What is the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)?
A way of measuring deprived areas.
How is the IMD measured?
It is measured by looking at 7 factors:
- Income deprivation
- Employment deprivation
- Health deprivation and disability
- Education, skills, and training
- Barriers to housing and services
- Crime
- Living environment
Income + employment are the most important factors.
Case study for cultural diversity and social segregation (gone wrong)
The Oldham Riots
