Ethical and Rural Segregation in Places
Place can be described as the “evolving front line in which ethnicity is felt, expressed and negotiated” [1] this emphasises that ideas around ethnicity, race and culture are central to the ways in which places change and are represented through the feelings that one gets of experiencing a specific ‘place’. The increased movement, mobility and connections being made with people and places as a result of Globalisation has led to an increased interconnectedness between different places where many communities may reside [1]. This as a result implies that places are continually adapting and are changing according to the different identities that represent them, e.g., “London’s identity evolves as flows of new real estate buyers, long-term and expatriate residents, immigrant workers, students and other sojourners, all jostling with their own and others’ ethnic identities, make an imprint on the city’s identity” [1]. Despite the fact that ethnicity and culture have become increasingly integrated within different ‘places’, it still remains clear that different groups are treated differently and that the privilege that the different groups and ethnicities possess may be less or more depending upon what they represent and the powers that they may hold over others, e.g., access to certain resources may be dependent upon factors such as class, race, religion etc [1]. The reasons for group prejudices among societies could draw on ideas of ‘threat theory’ whereby hostility prevails due to perceived threats that groups may feel towards other groups if they feel that they are threatening their position or power and challenging what they believe in [1].
< [2] The statistics shown show the rate of which certain groups appear to claim priority over others within the UK as a result of their race and how those that maybe considered as ‘outsiders’ can become discriminated against due to their ethnicity. This also creates perceptions of certain cultures and races, meaning that people create assumptions about identities and roles within society, by not looking past own subconscious biases and privileges that are attached to certain groups.
Segregation through forms of data The Idea of social segregation emerges with the concepts of space and place particularly prior to the globalised era [3]. As a society we often become segregated in the form of categorisation according to our unique geographical statuses in terms of our nationality, wealth, and perceived importance [3]. This kind of segregation is particularly noticeable through forms of mapping and data collection where things are often put into categorised formats, which can contribute to ideas of a social hierarchy and can also be manipulated to show particular beliefs [3]. Furthermore, the use of maps and data can give an inaccurate representation of what could really be going on as it ignores the principal factors by assuming that space is fixed and that the best way of understanding specific places is through the use of factual sets of information as a way of organising social constructs [3]. This is significant because these factors become the normal ways of structuring place and forming spaces which stem from these ideas. Which as a result can influence the ways in which certain places and spaces are perceived of or thought of in terms of societal complexes.
< [4] This map of UK employee earnings can be seen to emphasise employment disparities within different UK regions. This can reinforce ideas around poverty, social class, and regional geography when there is more that needs to be considered when looking at places and their structure as well as the different roles that they play within the economy, culture, and political systems. Individuals could attach meanings or biases to certain places based on this kind of data, for example, seeing some places as superior to others.
Concluding thoughts on place and segregation
As the increasingly diverse and inclusive society that we are slowly becoming, it remains notably clear that we could do significantly more to broaden our horizons in terms of what we think and perceive as being. This stems from being able to look at our everyday day privileges and aim to look past our own biases, that we may have been brought up with or developed due to media perceptions and forms of propaganda within everyday situations. As actively participating people within the world, we develop our own beliefs and ways of understanding ourselves and others through our own eyes and mind, as we are freely able to do so. However, we can still adapt and shape our thinking and beliefs to consider other approaches and make an active effort to understand and engage with them, especially when thinking of the kinds of environments in which we live and the places we grow up and interact with and see what these represent as being more than simply one thing but the many characteristics and beliefs that make a place what it is.
References
[1] Demangeot, C. Broeckerhoff, A. Kipnis, E. Pulling, C. Visconti, M, L. (2014). ‘Consumer mobility and well-being among changing places and shifting ethnicities’, Marketing Theory, 15(2), 271-278. doi.org/10.1177/1470593114553327.
[2] Armstrong, M. (2016). Race inequality in the UK. [image] Available at: https://www.statista.com/chart/5550/race-inequality-in-the-uk/ [Accessed 23 February 2021]
[3] Cloke, P. Crang, P. and Goodwin, M. (2013). Introducing human geographies. 3. :Routledge.
[4] Against Devolution – Lawyers, Guns & Money. (2014). Against Devolution. [image] Available at: Heat-map-wages-002.jpg (1000×1471) (guim.co.uk) [Accessed 23 February 2021]