Pluralist and Assimilationist Models of Ethnic Settlement in London 1991

Abstract

London 1991 census data are used to examine two theories of ethnic minority adjustment to dominant societies and their accompanying spatial patterns. The assimilationist model suggests a complete diffusion of residence over time and high rates of intermarriage or cohabitation; the pluralist model suggests continuing, moderately high levels of segregation and high degrees of social closure. The article argues that in London, the Caribbean population is following the melting pot route both in spatial and marital terms, while the Bangladeshi population is following the pluralist route. Indian patterns contain elements of each, but the high levels of concentration in the core settlements and high rates of homogamy, suggests more pluralist than melting pot trajectory.

Migrants’ long-term residential trajectories in Sweden: persistent neighbourhood deprivation or spatial assimilation?

“…Clark, 2002). For migrants, the preference for ethnic neighbourhoods can be motivated by the availability of certain social networks and ethnic institutions (Peach, 1996;Wilson & Portes, 1980). Spatial assimilation and related theories have mainly been tested in the North American context, but the number of European studies on the subject is growing (e.g.…”

“…3. Positive approaches towards ethnic segregation can be found in the literature under a variety of labels, including the 'ethnic enclave' (Wilson & Portes, 1980), the 'ethnic community model' (Logan et al, 2002), the 'pluralist model' (Peach, 1997), the 'cultural preference approach' (Bolt et al, 2008) and the 'multicultural perspective' (Bråmå, 2008). In this paper, we refer to this strand of literature as the 'ethnic preference' approach.…”

London and New York: contrasts in British and American models of segregation with a comment by Nathan Glazer

“…(2) the pluralistic (Peach, 1997a). Each of these two theories implies a distinct and different spatial and social outcome.…”

The Dynamics of International Migration and Settlement in Europe : A State of the Art

“…Peach (1975) and Peach et al (1981) were among the first to make a general and comparative analysis of European metropolises. Recent work by Peach (1996Peach ( , 1997Peach ( , 1999Peach & Rossiter 1996) suggests that similar socio-cultural processes and spatial outcomes as in the US operate more generally among Western cities. A broad investigation on social exclusion and its spatial manifestations in European Cities was made by Madanipour et al (1998).…”