Community Cohesion in Oldham

Bruce Penhale

Corporate Policy Manager

Oldham MBC

A cohesive community is a community:

which is prosperous, and where everyone enjoys a good standard of living;

to which people are proud to say they belong; where people from different ethnic, religious and social

backgrounds and with different incomes live side-by-side in peace and safety;

which is not disfigured by racism or other forms of prejudice, and where people treat each other with courtesy and respect;

where people support each other when they are in need, and where conflicts can be resolved rather than festering or growing;

where people receive, and feel they receive, fair treatment from organisations providing services, facilities and employment opportunities; and

people are able to contribute to decisions which affect their lives, and to participate fully in the economic, social and cultural life of the community.

Community cohesion: not just a race issue

Race Ethnicity (including intra-community issues) Nationality (including prejudice against asylum seekers) Religion (including Islamophobia) Different parts of Oldham

– Identity– Perceived fairness in resource allocation

Tensions between younger and older people Social class – links to patterns of tenure and affluence Other forms of prejudice – homophobia, exclusion of disabled

people

Community Cohesion Policy development Developing Community Cohesion Strategy Central to this are:

– Political and community leadership– “Mainstreaming” community cohesion by integrating

it into all areas of activity– Building community involvement – New approach to regeneration

This needs a good evidence base. The 2001 Census provides part of the baseline

Measuring community cohesion

Thoughts and feelings• Fairness• Trust in institutions• Relationships with

other people in neighbourhoods

• Openness to other people

• Pride and identity• Safety and security

Behaviour• Where people live• Who they socialise

with• How they treat

other peopleetc

Experience of individuals, family

and friends in:• Labour market• Schools• Neighbourhoods• Leisure• Mediaetc

Ethnic group and religion

18.1

74.4

59.4

3.1

82.9

80.1

10.5

11.7

96.4

9.1

94.6

16.5 54.8

21.7

28.1

16.6

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chinese or Other

Black or Black British

Mixed

Indian

Bangladeshi

Pakistani

White

Christian Hindu Muslim Other None / not stated

How has the composition of Oldham changed?

Percentage of people from Black & Minority Ethnic groups – 1991: 9%, 2001: 14%

Growth mainly in the communities of Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic origin

Increase greatest in the areas with the largest BME populations in 1991– Werneth ward 38% to 59%– Saddleworth West ward 1% to 1.7%

Has Oldham become more or less segregated? And how and why?

Index of Dissimilarity – the percentage of the population who would have to move to be evenly distributed with respect to another group

Calculated at ward level Range from 0 (= No

segregation) to 100 (= fully segregated with respect to White people)

50*sum(abs((bi/B)-(wi/Wi))) 22.0-Mixed

30.737.0Black

37.833.2Other

48.853.5Indian

(63.3)(65.3)(All BME)

71.876.0Pakistani

74.478.3Bangladeshi

20011991

Measuring inequality using the 2001 Census

Employment – economic activity, type of job, earners in household

Learning – highest qualification Health – long-term limiting illness, health in

the last year Housing – tenure, overcrowding

Standardised ratios of poor health in the last year (England=100)

248

206

203

203

180

161

214

176

172

177

138

97

131

127

133

127

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Pakistani

Mixed

Bangladeshi

Black

Other

Indian

All ethnic groups

W hiteFem ale

M ale

Housing tenure by ethnic origin of household reference person

05

1015202530354045

Bangladeshi Black White Pakistani Indian

%

Owned outright Owned with mortgage or loanFrom LA Other social rentedPrivate rented Rent free

Unemployment rates by ethnic group

20.4

16.2

13.1

12.1

11.8

6.9

6.7

5.8

20.6

16.5

10.5

11.1

5.8

4.3

3.9

3.7

0 5 10 15 20 25

Bangladeshi

Pakistani

Other

Mixed

Black

Total

Indian

White

%

Female

Male

Ethnic origin and unmeasured variation

White population is a large and diverse group Example of White people in Hollinwood ward (ranked

in most deprived 5% on the Indices of Deprivation 2000)

Standardised poor health ratios– For men 187 (131 for all men in Oldham) – For women 142 (133 for all women in Oldham)

Ratios are comparable to those for Black & Minority Ethnic groups with poor health

Conclusions

Value of the 2001 Census– Range of information – different issues, different spatial levels,

comprehensive coverage, quality and comparability across areas and over time

But:– Classifications of ethnic origin and religion may not be the

most relevant for you – Only indirect measures of community cohesion– Care is needed in determining cause and effect– Differences that aren’t easy to measure may be important