Does Diversity Erode Social Cohesion? Social Capital and Race in British Neighbourhoods

The debate on causes and consequences of social capital has been recently complemented with an investigation into factors that erode it. Various scholars concluded that diversity, and racial heterogeneity in particular, is damaging for the sense of community, interpersonal trust and formal and informal interactions. However, most of this research does not adequately account for the negative effect of a community’s low socio-economic status on neighbourhood interactions and attitudes. This paper is the first to date empirical examination of the impact of racial context on various dimensions of social capital in British neighbourhoods. Findings show that the low neighbourhood status is the key element undermining all dimensions of social capital, while eroding effect of racial diversity is limited. forthcoming in the Political Studies There is evidence that the more diverse an area is in racial terms, the less likely its residents are to feel that they trust each other. This is an important argument and it is important that we examine it. From a speech by David Blunkett MP, Home Secretary, to the Institute of Public Policy Research, 7th July 2004 Introduction Changing patterns of immigration, perceptions of the increase in the numbers of refugees and asylum seekers and social unrests in Northern England in 2001 (in the towns of Oldham and Burnley and the city of Bradford) have brought the relationship between community cohesion and ethnic diversity to the forefront of public and political debate. Fears about the overwhelming and negative effect of diversity on social cohesion and national identity have been expressed by journalists and policy makers alike. For example, David Goodhart, the editor of The Prospect, targeted his February 2004 article at the detrimental impact of ethnic diversity in modern Britain on the sense of community and solidarity among citizens, and on the viability of the British welfare state (Goodhart 2004), while Trevor Philips, Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, reiterated this argument by stressing the need for strengthening common values and “core Britishness” (Baldwin and Rozenberg 2004). However, while this public debate seems highly politicized and emotion-based, it is important to look at the link between community cohesion and diversity in a more systematic way. This paper examines the impact of racial diversity on one particular dimension of social cohesion: social capital. Social cohesion is usually defined in reference to common aims and objectives, social order, social solidarity, and the sense of place attachment (Forrest and Kearns 2001). Social capital, i.e. “features of social life – networks, norms and trust – that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives”, constitutes therefore its key dimension (Putnam 1996: 56, see also Forrest and Kearns 2001; McGhee 2003). Although social capital is a desired resource that both individuals and communities can use for good ends (Fukuyama 1995; Putnam 1993a), it seems that for social capital to emerge, a high degree of homogeneity is required: empirical evidence suggests that communities with high levels of racial and cultural diversity have lower levels of interpersonal trust and formal and informal networks (Alesina and Ferrara 2000, 2002; Costa and Kahn 2003). 1 For the discussion of Labour Government’s attempts at “re-packaging and re-branding of the 'British people'” and its “‘super market sweep’ tendencies in relation to social theory; that is, the highly selective ‘smash and grab’ deployment and understanding of concepts and social theory in New Labour’s legacy of public policy making”, see McGhee 2003: 377-380.