THE SOCIOECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF ETHNIC-GROUPS IN 2 NORTHERN BRITISH CITIES

For the first time the 1991 British Census has not only provided data on ethnicity but has also cross-classified ethnic status by a variety of socioeconomic indicators. This paper is an exploration of the patte rns revealed by these new data. After an introduction to the subject o f the paper in section 1, section 2 is a discussion of the issue of et hnic group identification and measurement. In section 3 the spatial di stribution of six ethnic groups is outlined: Whites, Blacks, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Other-ethnicities in two northern Britis h cities-Leeds and Bradford. Nonwhite groups all show a familiar inner -city concentration, but with some interesting locational differences. The degree of change over the period 1981-91 is examined by using syn thetic estimates of ethnic group for 1981 based on country of birth co nverted into ethnic group via conditional probabilities of ethnicity g iven country of birth. The degree of spatial change and dispersion is evaluated. Sections 4 and 5 are examinations of the characteristics of each ethnic group according to thirty indicators grouped into six dom ains: demographic, household, employment, education, social class, and housing/consumption The rationale for indicator extraction and use is described and the degree of reliance which can be placed in the stati stics is assessed in section 4. The differences in profile between eth nic groups are established at city level and then the pattern of varia tion across wards in each city is described in section 5. A fascinatin g picture unfolds of disadvantage and advantage across the ethnic grou ps which establishes their sociogeographic position in the two norther n city societies.