Seminar 7: 25 February 2014
Housing, race, community and conflict 50 years on R
Ricky Joseph and Alan Murie
It is nearly 50 years since John Rex and Robert Moore published their seminal work – Race, Community and Conflict: A Study of Sparkbrook. The book is widely regarded as one of the most influential sociological studies of the housing experiences of migrants in Western Europe. Following the death of John Rex in December 2011 and discussions with Robert Moore, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Liverpool, a small editorial team based at the University of Birmingham have assembled contributors from the world of academia, policy and practice to re-visit the themes and issues raised in the book by extending the focus on wider developments in Birmingham as a global city.
In this seminar, Ricky Joseph and Alan Murie shared their reflections on key developments around different lenses that can be used to understand and analyse population change that extend beyond the work’s focus on ‘race’ and ‘housing classes’ and ‘sociology of the zone of transition’ to incorporate emerging ideas around Superdiversity. The presenters also reflected on the unfolding story around housing and urban renewal agendas and the possible implications of this for Birmingham’s diverse population, inner city neighbourhoods and debates around housing tenure, housing class and improved housing conditions.