Black And Minority Ethnic Research Articles

‘Studying in this England is wahala (trouble)’: analysing the experiences of West African students in a UK higher education institution

ABSTRACT ‘Studying in this England is Wahala’ critically analyses social/academic experiences of 12 West African overseas undergraduate/postgraduate students in a London University. It discusses structural and individual factors impacting on decisions to study here, including perceptions of differences between quality of university education in the UK and ‘back home’. To analyse this, I draw on the ‘Push-Pull’ model and Gidden’s (1991) Structuration approach as theoretical frameworks. I also examine students’ experiences of adapting to life in the UK, views on teaching and learning experiences in the UK and their home countries, and strategies used to facilitate their educational success. In so doing positives and challenges faced by students are highlighted. These were largely shaped by staff-student relationships, some of which were positive and supportive. In others, racism was prevalent, which reflects ongoing debates about Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) student experiences in UK Higher Education institutions.

‘Same old story, just a different policy’: race and policy making in higher education in the UK

ABSTRACTEvidence suggests that Black and minority ethnic (BME) students and staff continue to be disadvantaged in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK. Policy making has been introduced to specifically address such inequalities. This article draws on critical policy analysis and 45 interviews to explore the impact of the recently introduced Race Equality Charter (REC) as a measure to address such inequalities. By using principles of Critical Race Theory (CRT), we argue that racism continues to play a key role in the experiences of BME groups in HEIs and policy making. Consequently, the enactment of policy making on race through the REC works to benefit HEIs by adhering to White normative practices and behaviours which contribute to a system which reinforces and perpetuates White privilege.

Ethnicity and mental health: a new beginning

The UK is a high-income country with a publicly funded mental health-care system, which is free at the point of use. The UK's National Health Service (NHS), like other public bodies, is legally obliged to ensure fair and equal services. However, ethnic inequalities remain established in most aspects of mental health care in the UK.1 Black and minority ethnic (BME) people do not do as well as the white majority in any aspect of mental health care and, generally, they fare much worse.

Understanding the friendship networks of older Black and Minority Ethnic people living in the United Kingdom

AbstractOlder Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people living in the United Kingdom (UK) are vulnerable to the experiences of social isolation and loneliness. Despite this, it is widely assumed that they adhere to traditional family practices and living arrangements that protect them from social isolation and loneliness. Such assumptions are problematic and can reify family networks as the main area of research for older BME people to the detriment of friendship networks which are also crucial. However, few researchers have explored this area. With the older BME population increasing at a faster rate than the older white population, further research is needed. Utilising data from Wave 6 of Understanding Society (N = 7,499, 4.3% of whom self-identified as BME), this study explores the ways in which the friendship networks of older BME people differ compared to older white people using logistic regression analyses. After controlling for potential confounding socio-demographic characteristics, older BME people were more likely to report having fewer close friends and fewer friends who live locally, suggesting that their friendship networks may be restricted in quantity and accessibility. Not only do these findings raise important questions about the varying needs of older minority ethnic people who have been largely overlooked in recent government policy, but they also highlight the continuing challenges of using large-scale surveys to research older BME people in the UK.

Enabling participation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and seldom-heard communities in health research: A case study from the SCAMP adolescent cohort study

Our inquiry investigated the barriers to, and facilitators for, the involvement of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and ‘seldom-heard’ communities, in a study researching the impact of mobile phone and wireless device usage on adolescents’ cognition, behaviour and mental health. The aim was to co-produce solutions to increase participation, and we used focus groups, telephone interviews, a community event and a public and patient involvement (PPI) café to conduct the inquiry. Five themes emerged from the data: two enablers – the value and benefits of research; and three barriers – concerns about research and about communication, and practical constraints. A central cross-cutting theme, the concept of trust, was evident from the data, and extended across all themes, including across the solutions to non-participation. When the data collection and analysis were completed, we ran a symposium for researchers and members of the public to share our findings and to co-produce solutions. The symposium generated ideas about improving participation, including tailoring participant information, engaging with local advocates and involving people in research design and delivery.

The Color of Breath

[ ]the Covid-19 pandemic has generated significant reports of “happy” or “silent” hypoxia: the previously little-known phenomenon of people with dangerously low blood oxygen levels who nonetheless function without shortness of breath 1 These cases highlight a central theme emergent from the Life of Breath project: that there is often a mismatch between objective and subjective measures of health, also known as symptom discordance The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a list of race-adjusted algorithms to highlight the growing concerns with their uses given the “mounting evidence that race is not a reliable proxy for genetic difference ” Braun’s Breathing Race into the Machine revealed that the practice of “correcting” for race in spirometry, the study of lung function, promoted scientific acceptance of difference between racial groups, without due concern to the racial categories employed to organize this data in the first place, or to the way that social conditions and living conditions affect lung function 10 McGuire’s Measuring Difference, Numbering Normal developed this analysis by demonstrating the use of variable and inconsistent reference classes in spirometry with regard to women and miners In Britain, data is disaggregated to reflect racial differences so the extent to which Covid-19 was unduly impacting those categorized as “BAME (black and minority ethnic) populations” became quickly visible 11 The patterns suggested by this data have been implemented in workplace safety questionnaires that ask individuals to calculate their “Covid age” according to their sex, age, ethnicity, and various comorbidities before they return to work 12 Though this data is obviously valuable, such initiatives are based on the premise that risk to health originates in the individual rather than in their ways of living as a member of a particular group—ways of living which might include increased exposure to air pollution, decreased access to quality education, greater levels of poverty and stress, and increased levels of discrimination from health professionals

A composite case

In this think piece, I discuss a composite category – Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) – that has emerged and expanded to incorporate race, ethnicity, and now also immigration status, in a somewhat clumsy meeting of political narratives and sanitised public health-speak. I look at how this category has been interrogated and put to work in a particular UK mental health setting, one that is committed to improving access and inclusion for ethnic and cultural minorities. Using the analytical tool of ‘thinking with’, I explore how the category was used in relation to an absent majority or mainstream, and consider what such a category might show ‘us’ in all its glaring imperfection. I ask: Is it possible to push forward anthropological thinking by paying attention to these composite, unwieldy categories? Might this be one way to embrace the clumsy conspicuousness of our proverbial elephant in the room?

For whose benefit? Black and Minority Ethnic training programmes in higher education institutions in England, UK

Inequalities continue to exist in higher education, with Black and minority ethnic (BME) academics less likely to be professors or occupy senior decision‐making roles compared to their White colleagues. In order to increase BME representation in senior decision‐making roles, specific programmes targeted at BME groups have recently been introduced in higher education institutions (HEIs). This article draws on research carried out on two such programmes in England. By using principles of critical race theory (CRT), I argue that racism continues to play a key role in the lack of BME groups in senior leadership roles and that such programmes benefit HEIs rather than contributing to a commitment to inclusion, equity and creating a diverse workforce. Furthermore, such programmes work for the benefit of HEIs to perpetuate and reinforce White privilege, rather than addressing structural inequalities.

The challenge of managing mild to moderate distress in patients with end stage renal disease: results from a multi-centre, mixed methods research study and the implications for renal service organisation

BackgroundLower-level emotional and psychological difficulties (‘distress’) in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), can lead to reduced quality of life and poor clinical outcomes. National guidelines mandate provision of emotional and psychological support for renal patients yet little is known about the support that patients may require, or the challenges that staff experience in identifying and responding to patient distress.MethodsMixed methods study in renal units at four NHS Trusts in the West Midlands, UK involving cross-sectional surveys of ESRD patients and renal unit staff and semi-structured interviews with 46 purposively-sampled patients and 31 renal unit staff. Interviews explored patients’ experience of distress and personal coping strategies, staff attitudes towards patient distress and perceptions of their role, responsibility and capacity.ResultsPatient distress was widespread (346/1040; 33.3%), and emotional problems were frequently reported. Younger patients, females, those from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups and patients recently initiating dialysis reported particular support needs. Staff recognised the value of supporting distressed patients, yet support often depended on individual staff members’ skills and personal approach. Staff reported difficulties with onward referral to formal counselling and psychology services and a lack of immediate access to less formalised options. There was also a substantial training/skills gap whereby many staff reported lacking the confidence to recognise and respond to patient distress. Staff fell broadly into three groups: ‘Enthusiasts’ who considered identifying and responding to patient distress as integral to their role; ‘Equivocators’ who thought that managing distress was part of their role, but who lacked skills and confidence to do this effectively, and ‘Avoiders’ who did not see managing distress as part of their role and actively avoided the issue with patients.ConclusionsEmbedding the value of emotional support provision into renal unit culture is the key to ‘normalising’ discussions about distress. Immediately accessible, informal support options should be available, and all renal staff should be offered training to proactively identify and reactively manage patient distress. Emotional support for staff is important to ensure that a greater emphasis on managing patient distress is not associated with an increased incidence of staff burnout.

Playing the white man’s tune: inclusion in elite classical music education

AbstractThis study examined the nature of inclusion for female and black and minority ethnic (BME) young people in elite-level classical music in England. By contrasting the numbers of female and BME students taking part in elite youth orchestras and music schools with the representation of female and BME compositions in the professional classical music repertoire, the study asked whether female and BME inclusion was limited to participation as performers or whether it included adequate representation in terms of the music performed. The survey analysed 4897 pieces from 681 composers drawn from the 2017/18 concert seasons of 10 major English orchestras, 1 week’s play lists from two classical music radio broadcasters and the programmes from the last four London Promenade seasons. The study found that female and BME students were well represented in elite music education, but they were very poorly represented in the professional repertoire, where 99% of performed pieces were by white composers and 98% by male composers. Applying Bourdieu’s concepts of doxa and illusio, the study concluded that inclusion in classical music in England allowed female and BME musicians to play, but structures in the field maintained a repertoire that continues to be white and male and does not recognise the contributions of female and BME composers. This suggests that inclusion for female and BME musicians is limited and the field continues to promote white and male dominance in its cultural values.

How international students of colour become Black: a story of whiteness in English higher education

ABSTRACT This article highlights how international students of colour are racialised in English higher education. Key performance indicators of racial inequality in the sector like achievement outcomes currently discount experiences of international students of colour. This is problematic as international students, as found in this study, identify themselves under the sector racial category of Black and minority ethnic (BME). They experience racism and discrimination in and outside the Academy just like ‘home’ BME students. The work presented here foregrounds the racialised experiences of international students of colour in English higher education. It is a counter-story in the tradition of critical race theory which reveal how whiteness unifies and divides. It unifies in creating a shared experience amongst those who experience the heat of the ‘white gaze’ in academia. It divides, categorising and classifying ‘us’ to the extent that ‘we’, both students and academic staff, may unwittingly perpetuate whiteness.

Student perspectives on barriers to performance for black and minority ethnic graduate-entry medical students: a qualitative study in a West Midlands medical school

ObjectiveTo explore graduate-entry medical students experiences of undergraduate training in the context of academic underperformance of medical students from ethnic minority backgrounds.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured focus groups.SettingA West Midlands medical...

A Minority Within a Minority? Identity and Sexual Health in Black and Minority Ethnic Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United Kingdom.

Identity refers to the individual’s self-construal. It is characterized by multiple elements, such as sexuality, ethnicity, and religion, and not all identity elements are simultaneously salient (Jaspal and Breakwell, 2014). For instance, the same person might self-identify principally as gay at a Gay Pride March, as Muslim during Ramadan, as Pakistani during a cricket match, and as British when abroad. Social context is key to identity expression. Black and minority ethnic (BME) men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United Kingdom have multiple, often stigmatized, identity elements. Many face intersecting social stressors (e.g., racism, homophobia) that can increase the risk of poor sexual health. Many straddle the boundaries of seemingly incompatible identities, such as ethnicity and sexuality. In this commentary, we present a clinical case study, and relevant theory and research to illustrate the practical importance of identity for effective sexual health care in this diverse population.

Ethnic disparities in psychotic experiences explained by area-level syndemic effects.

Ethnic inequalities in health outcomes are often explained by socioeconomic status and concentrated poverty. However, ethnic disparities in psychotic experiences are not completely attenuated by these factors. We investigated whether disparities are better explained by interactions between individual risk factors and place-based clustering of disadvantage, termed a syndemic. We performed a cross-sectional survey of 3750 UK men, aged 18-34 years, oversampling Black and minority ethnic (BME) men nationally, together with men residing in London Borough of Hackney. Participants completed questionnaires covering psychiatric symptoms, substance misuse, crime and violence, and risky sexual health behaviours. We included five psychotic experiences and a categorical measure of psychosis based on the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire. At national level, more Black men reported psychotic experiences but disparities disappeared following statistical adjustment for social position. However, large disparities for psychotic experiences in Hackney were not attenuated by adjustment for social factors in Black men (adjusted odds ratio, 3.24; 95% CI 2.14-4.91; P < 0.002), but were for South Asian men. A syndemic model of joint effects, adducing a four-component latent variable (psychotic experiences and anxiety, substance dependence, high-risk sexual behaviour and violence and criminality) showed synergy between components and explained persistent disparities in psychotic experiences. A further interaction confirmed area-level effects (Black ethnicity × Hackney residence, 0.834; P < 0.001). Syndemic effects result in higher rates of non-affective psychosis among BME persons in certain inner-urban settings. Further research should investigate how syndemics raise levels of psychotic experiences and related health conditions in Black men in specific places with multiple deprivations.

The association between ethnic background and prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is a complex disease which is more prevalent among men of black and minority ethnic (BME) background than their Caucasian counterparts, with men of African-Caribbean background experiencing higher levels of incidence and mortality than any other ethnic group. The reasons behind this health inequality are poorly understood and likely to be multifactorial. Several theories have been posited, including genetic disposition, poorer access to health care, a lack of understanding of the risks posed by prostate cancer and an unwillingness to access mainstream health care. There is, however, a notable disparity between the amount of literature focusing on prostate cancer as it affects those with a BME background and on prostate cancer in general. This further compounds the difficulties encountered by BME men, who rely on health professionals being aware of the greater risk they face. More knowledge and understanding is required by both the general population and medical practitioners to address this health inequality.

What does justice mean to black and minority ethnic (BME) victims/survivors of gender-based violence?

ABSTRACT This paper addresses how ‘justice’ is understood, sought, and experienced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) victims/survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) within the UK. The key aims of this paper are to explore (a) experiences of GBV for BME victim/survivors, (b) their experiences and perceptions of justice, and (c) factors enabling, or posing barriers to justice, including immigration status. We situate BME women’s experiences and conceptualisations of justice within an ecological approach [Hagemann-White, C., et al. 2010. “Factors at Play in the Perpetration of Violence Against Women, Violence Against Children and Sexual Orientation Violence – A Multi-Level Interactive Model (Part of the Feasibility Study to Assess the Possibilities, Opportunities and Needs to Standardise National Legislation on Gender Violence and Violence Against Children for the European Commission – JLS/2009/D4/01.” Publications of the European Union, Luxembourg] and within Bourdieu’s conceptualisation of ‘social capital’ [1986. “The Forms of Capital.” In Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, edited by J. Richardson, 241–258. Westport, CT: Greenwood]. We found that migrant women lack access to vital aspects of social capital, that make access to justice particularly challenging, and that immigration status poses key barriers in migrant women’s experiences of accessing justice.

Effect of lifestyle, medication and ethnicity on cardiometabolic risk in the year following the first episode of psychosis: prospective cohort study.

The first episode of psychosis is a critical period in the emergence of cardiometabolic risk. We set out to explore the influence of individual and lifestyle factors on cardiometabolic outcomes in early psychosis. This was a prospective cohort study of 293 UK adults presenting with first-episode psychosis investigating the influence of sociodemographics, lifestyle (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, nutrition, smoking, alcohol, substance use) and medication on cardiometabolic outcomes over the following 12 months. Rates of obesity and glucose dysregulation rose from 17.8% and 12%, respectively, at baseline to 23.7% and 23.7% at 1 year. Little change was seen over time in the 76.8% tobacco smoking rate or the quarter who were sedentary for over 10 h daily. We found no association between lifestyle at baseline or type of antipsychotic medication prescribed with either baseline or 1-year cardiometabolic outcomes. Median haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) rose by 3.3 mmol/mol in participants from Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, with little change observed in their White counterparts. At 12 months, one-third of those with BME heritage exceeded the threshold for prediabetes (HbA1c >39 mmol/mol). Unhealthy lifestyle choices are prevalent in early psychosis and cardiometabolic risk worsens over the next year, creating an important window for prevention. We found no evidence, however, that preventative strategies should be preferentially directed based on lifestyle habits. Further work is needed to determine whether clinical strategies should allow for differential patterns of emergence of cardiometabolic risk in people of different ethnicities.

Experiences of black and minority ethnic (BME) students in higher education: applying self-determination theory to understand the BME attainment gap

ABSTRACT British university students from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds are less likely to achieve a ‘good’ degree classification than white students, despite taking prior attainment into account. To examine this gap, the current study conducted focus groups with 17 BME students studying health and social care related subjects to understand their experiences of learning and teaching. This was theoretically informed by self-determination theory, which proposes that achieving one’s full potential for learning, alongside experience of wellbeing, is supported by environments that help individuals to meet their needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Thematic analysis revealed that BME students encountered many obstacles that inhibited their experience of fulfilment of these three needs, which often undermined their initial desire to achieve their full potential. The findings are discussed in light of how universities can support BME students to achieve their full potential, and in doing so, address the BME attainment gap.

Barriers and facilitators of physical activity among adults and older adults from Black and Minority Ethnic groups in the UK: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Older adults from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups experience a relatively higher burden of physical inactivity compared with their counterparts from non-BME groups. Despite the increasing number of qualitative studies investigating the barriers and facilitators of physical activity among older adults from BME backgrounds in the UK, there is very limited review-level evidence. The aim of this review is to undertake a synthesis of existing qualitative studies, using a meta-ethnographic approach, to explore the barriers and opportunities for physical activity among adults and older adults from BME communities in the UK.Studies conducted between January 2007 and July 2017 were eligible if they met the following criteria: employed any qualitative method; included participants identified as being BME, aged 50 and above, and living in the UK. In total, 1036 studies were identified from a structured search of six electronic databases combined with hand searching of reference bibliographies. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for the review and were included.Six key themes emerged from the data: awareness of the links between physical activity and health, interaction and engagement with health professionals, cultural expectations and social responsibilities, suitable environment for physical activity, religious fatalism and practical challenges. There was a substantial gap in research among Black African groups.Interventions aimed at improving physical activity participation among older adults should be acceptable and accessible to minority groups. Further research is needed to investigate the barriers and facilitators of physical activity among older adults from African backgrounds.

Do you look like an engineer?

Around one-quarter of UK engineering graduates come from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, yet only around 8 per cent of engineers are non-white. What explains this discrepancy and how can engineering firms go about hiring a workforce that is more representative of society? Certain firms, such as Mott MacDonald, are striving to improve diversity in the sector.