Santokh Singh Gill

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Since 2001, community cohesion has become central to discussions, policies and practices concerned with encouraging interaction between different ethnic groups in the UK. Discursively at least, it has signalled a shift from earlier race relations policies aimed at promoting multiculturalism. This paper examines policies of community cohesion alongside an exploration of interethnic and intercultural encounters within everyday spaces. Drawing upon two pieces of ethnographic research in the North of England, we draw attention to the ways in which ‘mixing’ is gendered and consider this in terms of the opportunities created for meaningful interactions.

There is a great deal of media and policy attention given to Muslim communities in Britain. Yet the debates about community cohesion, citizenship and belonging within policy often fail to address the complexities of male Muslim identities and their everyday experiences. Lessons from ...

This article provides an insight into British South Asian men’s experiences of care and caring. Care is gendered, however the ways in which care features in the lives of British Asian men is under-researched and demands attention, particularly given the changing demographics in the UK. The discussion draws on qualitative empirical research with a sample of British Asian men in their early thirties to early fifties. In depth interviews were conducted to consider roles and responsibilities within families and communities in relation to care, either as parents and/or as having ageing parents or grandparents. The findings give voice to British Asian men’s experiences of care and enhance our understanding of care in the everyday and the complex and contested nature of contemporary British Asian masculinities. The findings challenge populist assumptions surrounding Asian men and provide an alternative insight into their experiences to highlight the centrality of care and caring in British Asian men’s lives and to document that British Asian men do care. Whilst the stories of care are diverse, there is a strong sense that British Asian men value care, and place importance on being able to provide care and support to family.

This paper reflects on our experiences of teaching various aspects of race and ethnicity within the higher education context over the past decade. We highlight various ways in which teaching race and ethnicity is ‘sensitive’, and reflect upon our teaching practice. We also highlight some of the approaches that we use in our teaching. In particular, we consider the value of a focus on ‘everyday’ spaces for teaching and learning about race and ethnicity. We also explore issues relating to the positioning of ourselves, our ethnicities and social biographies, within the context of our teaching. In so doing, we engage with issues relating to authenticity, conflict, emotionality, racism and backlash narratives.

This report focuses on identifying ‘what works’ in engaging
young British Muslim Pakistani men.
There is a great deal of media and policy attention given to Muslim
communities in Britain. Yet the debates about community cohesion,
citizenship and belonging within policy often fail to address the
complexities of male Muslim identities and their everyday experiences.
Lessons from West Bowling Youth Initiative addresses this, through
an in-depth exploration of the work of one grassroots organisation
located in West Bowling, Bradford.
The report highlights:
the impact made by the WBYI in building social capital, developing
active citizenship, encouraging participation in neighbourhood life
and increasing awareness;
the need for sustainability and flexibility in effective engagement
with young British Muslim Pakistani men;
the importance of building trusting relationships with local
communities;
the effectiveness of capitalising on local talent and local networks
for meeting community needs;
the potential of creative arts informed project work.

In 2004, JRF made a ten-year commitment to
work in Bradford. We work in partnership with
others to make a positive difference to the people
in the city, and improve our understanding of
issues in a diverse community.
This summary highlights a project that worked with
young British Muslim Pakistani men in Bradford,
to tackle social and economic problems and help
strengthen the community.