Ethnicity and family dynamics

This literature review was commissioned by JRF and carried out by researchers at the London School of Economics. It compiles and analyses evidence on the relationship between ethnicity, racism and family dynamics to better understand poverty disparities among ethnic minority groups in the UK, with a particular focus on Bangladeshi, Black African and Pakistani groups.

It is based on a comprehensive assessment of the evidence through an expert-led, non-systematic review, and includes references to over 250 studies across both academic and grey literature.

The literature review seeks to broaden and deepen findings from a previous JRF report, which explored the relationship between ethnicity and very deep poverty, and revealed that Bangladeshi, Black African and Pakistani households are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience persistent very deep poverty, compared to white households, even after accounting for differences in family structure, housing situations, work patterns and job quality.

To build on these findings, the literature review:

• discusses drivers of poverty and group-specific dynamics, including findings on household size and composition
• explores how both household needs, in relation to housing, health, care and remittances, and household resources, in relation to household labour supply and earnings, shape poverty outcomes for different ethnic groups
• brings together evidence that considers the role of group-specific factors such as migration histories, social attitudes and culture norms, as well as broader structural influences, such as social networks, policy frameworks and local contexts
• provides overarching lessons examining how factors including intersectionality, intergenerational dynamics, racism, discrimination and the role of the place, come to bear on poverty outcomes
• outlines avenues for further investigation.

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