Identity categories and colonial legacies in the British urban space

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article advances conceptual debates regarding identity and marginalisation in valuable ways and informs methodological improvements for representation within data collection systems. It discusses findings from a study exploring the inclusion – and exclusion – of identity categories within official data collection exercises. A theme that emerged from the research was how intricacies present within the lived experiences of ethno-linguistic groups can be ignored through the application of broad – and more politically visible – identity categories, such as Muslim. Furthermore, some participants felt that identity categories were discouraged based on colonial legacies and British government priorities for diplomatic relations. One such identity category discussed here is Kashmiri, which despite an ongoing campaign for official recognition, remained absent from the list of ethnic categories used for quantifying populations in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, within the research findings, Somalis and Pashtuns were also highlighted as groups, who despite being recognised as distinct communities within the urban space and thus acknowledged categories of practice in daily interactions within neighbourhoods in the UK, remain ‘unofficial’.