摘要:There is economic evidence that diversity has consequences for economic
performance (see Alesina and La Ferrara, 2005). This might have consequences for
immigration policy – how many immigrants to allow into a country and from what
cultural background. But, central to such a discussion is the pace of cultural
assimilation among immigrants – this under-researched topic is the focus of this
paper. It investigates the extent and determinants of British identity among
those living in Britain and the views on rights and responsibilities in
societies. We find no evidence for a culture clash in general, and one connected
with Muslims in particular. The vast majority of those born in Britain, of
whatever ethnicity or religion, think of themselves as British and we find
evidence that third-generation immigrants are more likely to think of themselves
as British than second generation. Newly arrived immigrants almost never think
of themselves as British but the longer they remain in the UK, the more likely
it is that they do. This process of assimilation is faster for those from poorer
and less democratic countries, even though immigrants from these countries are
often regarded as a particular cause for concern. Our analysis of rights and
responsibilities finds much smaller differences in views between the UK-born and
immigrants than within the UK-born population.