MIDDLE-CLASS BLACKS IN BRITAIN

Transcription

1 MIDDLE-CLASS BLACKS IN BRITAIN

2 Middle -Class Blacks in Britain A Racial Fraction of a Class Group or a Class Fraction of a Racial Group? Sharon J. Daye M St. Martin's Press

3 Sharon J. Daye 1994 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1994 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. First published in Great Britain 1994 by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / First published in the United States of America 1994 by Scholarly and Reference Division, ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y ISBN Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Daye, Sharon J. Middle-class Blacks in Britain : a racial fraction of a class group or a class fraction of a racial group? I Sharon J. Daye. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN I. Blacks-Great Britain-Social conditions. 2. Middle classes --Great Britain. 3. Great Britain-Race relations. I. Title. DA125.AJD ' ilc CIP

4 Contents List of Exhibits List of Tables Preface vi vii xii Introduction 2 Structural Racism and Class Formation 14 3 The Survey Population: A Profile 46 4 Occupational Histories 78 5 Class, Race and Politics: The Perceptions and Experiences of Afro-Caribbeans in Britain Middle-Class Blacks and Politics Conclusion 269 Bibliography Index v

5 List of Exhibits 3.1 Year of arrival (males and females, survey Population One) Year of arrival (males and females, survey Population Two) Examinations House ownership (survey Populations One and Two) Number of political party members (by survey Population and gender) Types of organisation belonged to (survey Populations One and Two) Adjectives used to describe three Black men who have emerged as representatives of Black people's interests in Britain The position of Black labour in the British labour market 271 vi

6 List of Tables 3.1 Age groups (survey Population One) Age groups (survey Population Two) Marital status (survey Population One) Marital status (survey Population Two) Number of children (survey Population One) Number of children (survey Population Two) Country of origin (survey Population One) Country of origin (survey Population Two) Age on arrival (males and females, survey Population One) Age on arrival (males and females, survey Population Two) Reasons for migrating to Britain (survey Population One) Reasons for migrating to Britain (survey Population Two) Occupation prior to migration (survey Population One) Occupation prior to migration (survey Population Two) Educational qualifications at time of arrival (survey Population One) Educational qualifications at time of arrival (survey Population Two) Social origins according to father's occupation when respondent left to come to Britain (survey Population One) Social origins according to father's occupation when respondent left to come to Britain (survey Population Two) Highest qualification possessed (survey Population One) Highest qualification possessed (survey Population Two) Present occupational position/categories (survey Population One) Work codes (survey Population One) Work codes (survey Population Two) Present occupational position/categories (survey Population Two) Work codes (survey Population Two) Wife's current occupation (survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job obtained on arrival in Britain (males, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job obtained on arrival in Britain (males, survey Population Two) 85 vii

7 viii List of 1'ables 4.3 Job prior to migration by job after 3 years in Britain (males, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job after 3 years in Britain (males, survey Population Two) Job prior to migration by job after 10 years in Britain (males, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job after 10 years in Britain (males, survey Population Two) Job prior to migration by present job (males, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by present job (males, survey Population Two) Satisfaction with current occupational position (males, survey Population One (came to Britain as an adult)) Satisfaction with current occupational position (males, survey Population Two (came to Britain as an adult)) Job prior to migration by job obtained on arrival in Britain (females, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job obtained on arrival in Britain (females, Population Two) Ill 4.13 Job prior to migration by job after 3 years in Britain (females, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job after 3 years in Britain (females, Population Two) Job prior to migration by job after 10 years in Britain (females, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by job after 10 years in Britain (females, Population Two) Job prior to migration by present job (females, survey Population One) Job prior to migration by present job (females, survey Population Two) Satisfaction with current occupational position (females, survey Population One (came to Britain as an adult)) Satisfaction with current occupational position (females, survey Population Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 'Have respondents considered leaving their current job?' (females, survey Population One (came to Britain as an adult)) 'Have respondents considered leaving their current job?'

8 List of T abies ix (females, survey Population Two (came to Britain as an adult)) Education and employment pattern (males, survey Population One (came to Britain as a child)) Highest qualification possessed (males, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) Professional qualification possessed (males, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) Present occupation (males, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) Education and employment pattern (males, survey Population Two (came to Britain as a child)) Education and employment pattern (females, survey Population One (came to Britain as a child)) Highest qualification possessed (females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) Professional qualification possessed (females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) Present occupation (females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) Education and employment pattern (females, survey Population Two (came to Britain as a child)) Education and employment pattern (females, survey Population One (born in Britain)) Present occupation (females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) Education and employment pattern (males, survey Population Two (born in Britain)) 'Is Britain's Black (Afro-Caribbean) population split along class lines?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 'Is Britain's Black (Afro-Caribbean) population split along class lines?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) 'Is Britain's Black (Afro-Caribbean) population split along class lines?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) 'Do you ever think of your position within British society in terms of class?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 176

9 X List of Tables 5.5 'Do you ever think of your position within British society in terms of class?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) 'Do you ever think of your position within British society in terms of class?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) 'Are you more inclined to think of yourself in terms of being a Black person as opposed to your class position' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 'Are you more inclined to think of yourselt in terms of being a Black person as opposed to your class position?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) 'Are you more inclined to think of yourself in terms of being a Black person as opposed to your class position?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) 'If you had to say "middle-" or "working-class", which class would you say you belonged to?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 'If you had to say "middle-" or "working-class", which class would you say you belonged to?' (males and females survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child)) 'If you had to say "middle-" or "working-class", which class would you say you belonged to?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) 'Do you think it is possible for Black (Afro-Caribbean) people to be middle-class in Britain?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) 'Do you think it is possible for Black (Afro-Caribbean) people to be middle-class in Britain?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 'Do you think it is possible for Black (Afro-Caribbean) people to be middle-class in Britain?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child) 'Which party did you vote for in the 1983 General

10 List of Tables xi Election?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as an adult)) 'Which political party did you vote for in the 1983 General Election?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (came to Britain as a child) 'Which political party did you vote for in the 1983 General Election?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two (born in Britain)) 'Do you believe any of the main political parties - Labour, Liberal-Alliance, Conservative - will do/are doing anything for Black and Asian people?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) 'Have respondents ever considered getting involved in politics themselves?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) 'Should Black interest groups being pressure to bear on their local MPs in the hope that their grievances will be listened to and acted upon?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) 'Enter main political parties or set up an independent party?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) Membership of voluntary associations, groups, societies, etc. belonged to (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) Numbers of voluntary associations, groups, societies, etc. belonged to (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) Involvement m community campaigns (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) 'Do Paul Boateng, Russell Profitt and Rudy Narayan represent the Black "community's" views?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) 'Do you believe Black (Afro-Caribbean) and Asian people will come together over the issue of racism in Britain?' (males and females, survey Populations One and Two) 262

11 Preface This book is based upon research which was carried out and successfully submitted for the award of a PhD at the University of Aston in It tells the story of a situation which is now past history - indeed, was becoming history as it was being recorded. Readers may ask why the author did not take the opportunity to comprehensively update the work in terms of the political and economic changes which have taken place since the fieldwork - in particular, the urban disturbances or uprisings. To investigate the impact of those events is another story. This book is published to reflect and record a 'snapshot' in time before those events. The analysis and conclusions drawn here should be seen in that context, and represent the starting-point for 'the next step' in our history. Many people have provided support for the thesis and this book. It would not be possible to name them all individually, but their help is nonetheless appreciated and acknowledged. In particular, I should like to thank Dr Mark Johnson, my research supervisor at the Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, Warwick University, for not only his guidance, comments and valuable criticisms but also for his support and encouragement throughout the research. Deep appreciation is also extended to all those people who, in allowing me to interview them, gave up their time and on many occasions offered me the hospitality of their homes. It is not possible to name them all individually, but I would in particular like to thank Mr Willis Wilkey. 1 would like to thank Norman Beckford for reading through successive redrafts of the book. Finally, I would like to say a special thank-you to my mother and father (Lezline and Clive) and my aunties (Nashie and Lena) for their love and support. SHARQN J. DAYE xii