The place you live in, where your accommodation is set, is a determinant factor for
the integration of coloured people in the society today and was one in the 1960s. It does
not only determine the education of the children and the employment of the
adolescent1, but the surrounding also has a deep impact on the social development.
Therefore it is easier for coloured immigrants to be integrated into British society, when
they are living in a rather middle-class area than in a run-down ‘immigration quarter’.
Wole Soyinka’s poem “Telephone Conversation” describes the attempt of a coloured
man to break out of the normally poor housing situation of blacks, but instead of getting
a fair chance to improve his living conditions, he is only discriminated against. This
paper will first have a close look on the poem and afterwards examine the reasons of
discrimination in the housing sector and how they worked in the daily search for a
better accommodation.
Table of Contents
I Housing as an Important Factor of Integration
II Analysis of Wole Soyinka’s “Telephone Conversation”
III Discrimination of Coloured Immigrants in the Housing Sector in Britain in the 1960s
1. General Situation in Britain in the 1960s
2. White Attitude Towards Coloured Neighbours
3. Overcrowding and Ghetto Formation
4. Coloured Immigrants and Private Rental
5. Discrimination and Owner-Occupation
6. Local-Authority Housing
IV Changes in Society were Necessary to Solve the Housing Problem
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the pervasive racial discrimination faced by coloured immigrants within the British housing sector during the 1960s, using Wole Soyinka’s poem "Telephone Conversation" as a critical lens to explore the intersection of social prejudice and structural inequality.
- The role of housing as a fundamental determinant of immigrant integration.
- Literary analysis of racism and prejudice in "Telephone Conversation".
- Economic and social factors driving housing discrimination against non-white populations.
- The systemic failure of private rentals, owner-occupation, and local authorities to provide equitable housing.
- The necessity of broader societal change beyond legislative reforms.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Overcrowding and Ghetto Formation
Owing to this rather negative attitude towards coloured immigrants it is not very surprising that blacks were usually living very closely together, which again reinforced white prejudices. Due to several reason, which will be talked about later in this paper, immigrants were excluded from the biggest part of the housing market and thus had to live in older houses in deteriorating ‘twilight areas’ of big cities. Those mainly former middle-class houses, which had experienced a steady structural and social decline, often had to be the home of several black families living in one single house. The overcrowding is laid bare in the average number of persons per room in 1961: 1.01 coloured persons per room against only 0.69 in the conurbations as a whole. For West Indians the conditions were even worse. There were 1.5 person sharing a room in over 40 per cent of the West Indian households. Therefore many problems concerning health and hygiene were following the immigrants into their homes. Moreover the concentrated settling hampered the development of mutual acceptance and led to the formation of prejudices.
Local authorities were advised to take care of the public health laws and to prevent overcrowding, which some of the officers saw “a disease specifically associated with coloured occupancy.” Consequently non-white landlords, financing their house purchase by private rental, were constantly disturbed by those officers instead of having been helped in solving the housing problems.
Summary of Chapters
I Housing as an Important Factor of Integration: Explores how residential location serves as a critical foundation for the successful integration of immigrants into British society.
II Analysis of Wole Soyinka’s “Telephone Conversation”: Provides a textual reading of the poem to illustrate how irony, sarcasm, and dialogue highlight the racial biases faced by black applicants.
III Discrimination of Coloured Immigrants in the Housing Sector in Britain in the 1960s: Analyzes the structural barriers in private and public housing, including economic prejudice and exclusionary practices.
1. General Situation in Britain in the 1960s: Details the economic climate and the influx of Commonwealth immigrants that exacerbated existing housing shortages.
2. White Attitude Towards Coloured Neighbours: Examines how class-consciousness, fear of property devaluation, and cultural anxiety fueled white resistance to black neighbours.
3. Overcrowding and Ghetto Formation: Discusses the systemic confinement of immigrants to deteriorating urban areas and the resulting socio-health consequences.
4. Coloured Immigrants and Private Rental: Documents the discriminatory practices by landlords and the higher costs faced by coloured tenants compared to their white counterparts.
5. Discrimination and Owner-Occupation: Investigates the obstacles immigrants faced when attempting to purchase homes, including discriminatory lending practices by building societies.
6. Local-Authority Housing: Addresses the failure of state-provided housing, noting how biases influenced administrative decisions and the allocation of lodgings.
IV Changes in Society were Necessary to Solve the Housing Problem: Concludes that while legislation like the Housing Acts were introduced, real progress required a profound shift in national and administrative attitudes.
Keywords
Discrimination, Coloured Immigrants, British Housing Sector, 1960s, Racism, Integration, Telephone Conversation, Overcrowding, Ghetto, Private Rental, Owner-Occupation, Local-Authority Housing, Social Prejudice, Commonwealth, Housing Acts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the systemic racial discrimination encountered by coloured immigrants in the British housing market throughout the 1960s.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The core themes include racial inequality, urban housing shortages, the role of government legislation, and the impact of social attitudes on integration.
What is the primary research question?
The paper asks how structural discrimination and white racial prejudice actively prevented coloured immigrants from accessing equitable housing conditions in 1960s Britain.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The author employs a literary analysis of Wole Soyinka’s "Telephone Conversation" combined with historical and sociological examination of census data and contemporary reports on racial relations.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body breaks down the housing crisis across specific sectors, including private rentals, owner-occupation, and local-authority housing, while analyzing the attitudes and policies that fueled discrimination.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
The key concepts include systemic racism, housing discrimination, 1960s British immigration, social integration, and structural inequality.
How does the poem "Telephone Conversation" illustrate the author's argument?
It serves as an artistic representation of the daily humiliation and rejection faced by black applicants, highlighting the power dynamics between landlords and tenants.
Why did local authorities struggle to accommodate immigrant families?
Beyond the general scarcity of housing, officials often applied discriminatory criteria—such as residency duration requirements—that disproportionately excluded newly arrived immigrants.
What role did financial institutions play in housing discrimination?
Building societies often perceived coloured purchasers as high-risk investments and frequently denied mortgages or imposed more restrictive lending terms to avoid the stigma of becoming a 'coloured society'.
- Quote paper
- Wolfgang Gaßner (Author), 2005, Discrimination Against Coloured Immigrants in the British Housing Sector in the 1960s, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/119390
