Tensions & Conflict
Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 6.4.3
Tensions Because of Changes to Land Use
Changes in diverse places can lead to tension and conflict.
Inner-city property
- Culturally diverse populations in inner city areas often suffer from high levels of deprivation.
- The property available in these areas is often in high demand and some private developers and businesses are willing to pay high sums to purchase it.
- Regeneration schemes are common, often forcing original residents to relocate.
Regeneration
- Community involvement is largely limited in regeneration schemes and the lack of affordable housing increases.
- Local residents are not taken seriously and consulted properly.
- Many inner-city areas in cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester are being gentrified and ‘socially-cleansed’ in this way.
Varying Attitudes to Regeneration Schemes
Changes in diverse places can lead to tension and conflict. There have been varying responses to such schemes.
In favour
- Those in favour of the regeneration schemes argue that they will create jobs, improve the urban environment and improve the reputation of the areas.
Resistance to change
- Others have resisted such changes rigorously and sometimes violently.
- E.g. riots in Brixton (1981), Broadwater Farm (1985) and Bradford (1995).
- These riots have often been ‘triggered’ by an unrelated event (e.g. an arrest or assault) but reflect deep-seated grievances.
'White flight'
- Others cite the phenomenon of ‘white flight’ – the movement of an existing population from an area due to the overwhelming presence of an incoming ethnic group.
- This feeling can be enhanced by the establishment of highly specific ethnic services for the immigrant group e.g. madrassa schools.
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes have risen since 2011/12. If ethnic minority groups and the wider UK society were living more peacefully together, we might expect to see a fall in hate crimes over time.
Hate crimes
- Hate crime describes a crime motivated wholly or in part by the victim’s membership (or assumed membership) of a racial group, a religious group or sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity.
- There have been sharp increases in all strands in recent years.
- Note that changes in the methodology of collecting crime statistics and greater reporting of hate crime (i.e. better awareness of it) could affect these statistics.
Statistics
- 74% increase in race-related hate crime between 2011/12 and 2016/17.
- 268% increase in religion-related hate crime between 2011/12 and 2016/17.
- 111% increase in sexual orientation-related hate crime between 2011/12 and 2016/17.
- 218% increase in disability-related hate crime between 2011/12 and 2016/17.
- 299% increase in transgender-related hate crime between 2011/12 and 2016/17.
Test yourself on Tensions & Conflict
In regeneration schemes, who are often not taken seriously or consulted properly?
Where were there riots to resist regeneration schemes?
How have some people violently resisted regeneration schemes?
What do we call a crime motivated wholly or in part by the victim’s membership (or assumed membership) of a racial group, a religious group or sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity?