Professor Satnam Virdee and Andy Smith of Sociology have been awarded, along with colleagues from the University of Manchester, a £2.9million grant to examine the dynamics of ethnic identity and inequality in the UK.

The project will address questions such as:

- How have the experiences of migrant generations changed over time and as they have grown older?

- To what extent are these experiences different between first, second and third generations?

- How have these processes operated across different ethnic groups, including in relation to factors such as gender and socioeconomic position?

- How do experiences and perceptions of ethnic identities unfold over the life-course?

- In what ways has the patterning of ethnic inequalities and the social and cultural meaning of ethnic identities changed over time and place, in relation to economic context, migration policies, political context, legislation in relation to race equality, and social change?

- How do we understand this in relation to changes in the meaning of particular 'ethnic' categories (such as Irish or Muslim) and the emergence of new categories (such as mixed and Polish)?

The core agenda of this research is to transform understanding of the contemporary patterning of ethnic inequalities and how this relates to the ways in which ethnic identities are perceived, acted upon and experienced.

For more information, contact Satnam.Virdee@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 2 August 2012

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