NCJ Number
208844
Date Published
2004
Length
23 pages
Annotation
In an effort to show variations in the general portrait of the experiences of minority ethnic people in rural areas of Great Britain, this chapter examines the experiences of Black and other minority ethnic (BME) residents of Powys in Mid-Wales, a diverse group of people who have led diverse lives in a distinctive place.
Abstract
The initial focus of research into racism in Britain was to demonstrate that the problem existed and required policies to remedy it. This research has three main weaknesses. First, much of the research to date has cast BME people in rural areas as victims who live in a general state of isolation, rejection, and harassment. Second, it has assumed that all BME people who live in rural areas have the same experience, regardless of age, income, gender, nationality, religion, and reasons for living in a rural area. Third, although research has focused on a variety of rural locations, little research has considered the influence of the variable of location on the experiences of BME people. To advance the argument that there is diversity in the experiences of BME people who live in rural areas, this chapter presents findings from a 4-year project in rural Powys County in Mid-Wales. The research consisted of a quantitative survey of White residents regarding their attitudes toward national and local dimensions of "race" and immigration, along with an ethnographic and qualitative study of the experiences of the BME residents of Powys. This chapter focuses on the latter portion of the research. The study found that the BME population of Powys is not homogeneous, either in racial/ethnic characteristics or background experiences; and neither is the BME population living in a homogeneous rural area. 41 references