Research Projects
The British Election Study Ethnic Minority Survey
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council
Principal Investigator: Prof Anthony Heath , Institute for Social Change, University of Manchester.
Research Assistant: Maria Sobolewska , Institute for Social Change, University of Manchester.
Dates: June 2009 – October 2011
The British Election Study (BES) has conducted surveys of the British electorate at every general election since 1964. The BES explores why people choose to vote (or not) and why they support one party rather than another, as well as wider questions about democracy and political participation.
In order to allow a thorough investigation of the political views and behaviours of Britain's ethnic minority populations, an ethnic minority sample supplementing the main nationally-representative BES surveys, is needed.
The project team will therefore conduct an ethnic minority survey immediately after the next General Election in order to provide, for the first time since 1997 (when an ethnic minority BES survey was last conducted), an accurate mapping of the political orientations and behaviour of Britain's major ethnic minority groups. This 'map' will provide an important resource for understanding the contemporary political integration of Britain's ethnic minorities and for assessing the changing patterns of ethnic minority attitudes and behaviour patterns.
The proposed survey (N=2500) will be based be large enough to allow for the separate analysis of Britain's major ethnic minority groups: Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Black Africans and Black Caribbeans.
The Electoral Commission will be a collaborating partner in this research.