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Is racial prejudice declining in Britain?
1School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester. rob.ford@manchester.ac.uk
The British Journal of Sociology
|November 28, 2008
Summary
Racial prejudice against Black and Asian Britons is declining, particularly among younger generations. British attitudes towards these minority groups are broadly similar, indicating race as a primary factor in prejudice.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- British Social Attitudes
Background:
- Racial prejudice remains a significant societal issue.
- Understanding the trends and social distribution of prejudice is crucial for policy and social cohesion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the social distribution of racial prejudice against Black and Asian Britons.
- To test hypotheses regarding the decline, generational nature, and differential impact of prejudice.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two underutilized indicators of racial prejudice from British Social Attitudes surveys.
- Analyzed data to assess trends and demographic variations in prejudice.
Main Results:
- Found strong evidence for a decline in racial prejudice in Britain.
- Confirmed that this decline is primarily generational, with younger cohorts showing less prejudice.
- Observed broadly similar levels of prejudice towards Black and Asian minorities, challenging the hypothesis of greater prejudice towards more culturally distinct groups.
Conclusions:
- Racial prejudice in Britain has declined, especially among younger generations who grew up post-immigration.
- Racial factors, rather than cultural distinctiveness, appear to be the primary driver of white hostility towards British minorities.
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