Understanding Processes of Ethnic Concentration and Dispersal : South Asian Residential Preferences in Glasgow

Abstract

Glasgow is a distinct city, with some of the highest levels of poverty in the UK, high rates of economic inactivity and welfare dependency as well as the backdrop of sectarianism, which is seen spatially in the city. The city is facing major population changes with a steady and selective population loss, which has led to subsequent skills loss and an over supply of housing. Responses to population changes highlight clear differences in the policy context between Scotland and the rest of the UK. National policies in Scotland to attract migrants are in contrast with England’s tightening of border control. Furthermore, at a local level council policy to house asylum seekers, housing the largest number of dispersed asylum seekers in the UK, will see Glasgow’s population become more ethnically diverse. However, the settlement patterns of South Asian groups in Glasgow reported here are largely consistent with recent literature that has documented traditional patterns of inner-city concentration and more recent evidence of dispersal in other UK cities. Despite this, locations of traditional South Asian settlement in Glasgow are in areas which are becoming more desirable in the city, reflected in increasing house prices, in contrast to the neighbourhood contexts of South Asians in other British cities. This may point to the fact that economic disadvantage and limits on housing choice may not be as severe, especially in the long term, as in other UK cities, especially those in the north of England. In drawing attention to factors shaping residential preferences and current patterns of residence, insight is provided into the degree to which minority ethnic groups are able to achieve their residential aspirations and the extent to which changing processes represent convergence or divergence with the majority population.