With growing media and public focus on two distinct areas of public policy; migration and healthcare, do we understand the interrelation between them? A recent IRiS project, led by Dr Antje Lindenmeyer examined the health histories of migrants in Birmingham, helping to uncover key insights into their health seeking behaviours and the impact this has... Continue Reading →
Can the fabric of a diverse society be undone?
By Nando Sigona @nandosigona If you woke up this morning in a British city, you can see this happening right in front to your eyes. From the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham – one of the most diverse cities in the UK - the Tories are feeding the press with anti-immigration soundbites relentlessly, competing among... Continue Reading →
Trudeau on the diversity potential
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister speaks about why multiculturalism needs to be an integral part of all children’s education. It’s important, he argues, that everyone have the tools to understand “you don’t have to choose between the identity that your parents have and being a full citizen of Canada.” http://qz.com/602525
It’s the culture, stupid! Or is it?
By Thomas Hylland Eriksen The events in Cologne have sparked controversies across Europe. This time, the topic is not the economic and social costs of the refugee crisis, but questions concerning culture and gender. We need a proper language in which to address these issues. There is no simple answer as to what exactly happened... Continue Reading →
PhD opportunities at IRiS
The University of Birmingham offers a number of ESRC scholarships for students commencing their studies in October 2016 to fund postgraduate training and doctoral research, with both +3 (PhD) and 1+3 (Masters and PhD) funding available. A full ESRC scholarship comprises research fees, an annual Research Council stipend (please see RCUK minimum stipend amounts) and a research... Continue Reading →
An icon for the public: the library of Birmingham
This video is part of the Translation and Translanguaging (TLANG) research project funded by the AHRC. The aim of the project is to understand how people communicate multilingually across diverse languages and cultures. It defines 'translation' as the negotiation of meaning using different modes (spoken/written/ visual/gestural) where speakers have different proficiencies in a range of... Continue Reading →
Zygmunt Bauman on multiculturality on a diasporized planet
Online booking is now open for Zygmunt Bauman's distinguished lecture to be held at the University of Birmingham on 19 October, 5 pm. The lecture is free and open to the public but limited places are available so we recommend booking in advance. Followed by drink reception.
Studying superdiversity at Birmingham: a student experience
Interview with Sam Ellison, Fulbright postgraduate on the MA in Migration, Superdiversity and Policy.
Commonplace diversity: stable and peaceful relations across myriad differences in Hackney
Much current public and political debate about immigration and diversity assumes that there should be tensions on the grounds of ethnic and religious differences. In the London Borough of Hackney, however, diversity is the norm and, as a result of a long history of diversification, cultural and religious differences are rarely issues of contestation. There seem... Continue Reading →
Intersectionality and superdiversity: What’s the difference?
Report on the first roundtable of the IRiS Key Concepts series by Rachel Humphris, IRiS Associate Researcher The IRiS Key Concepts Roundtable series brings scholars together to discuss and interrogate the theoretical and analytical contours of superdiversity through its relationships to other germane concepts. Building on insights from the 2014 IRiS International Conference and a... Continue Reading →

