What_Can_You_Say_About_the_Identities_of_the_People_of_Stratford,_Based_on_the_Tables_Provided_

What can you say about the identities of the people of Stratford, based on the tables provided' In this essay I will be discussing the quantitative data collected by the census in 2001 on key statistics based on the people of Stratford; examining similarities, differences compared with England and Wales and what these figures might indicate. On examination of the population data it is apparent that proportions of Stratford’s population is at significant variance with England and Wales. Only 40%, 4 in every 10 residents are listed as white British, which is less than half the national average. The population of African and Caribbean people account for almost 30% of Stratford which is 14 times greater than the national average. The remaining figures show the ethnic population percentages are higher than average in all categories. With 2/3 of the population having non-British classification Stratford is far from a typical city and evidently has a strong collective migrant identity. Almost 90% of all the accommodation available to the people of Stratford for occupation is terraced, purpose built flats or shared housing. The data also shows that housing is extremely tight with only 80 houses vacant. Availability of detached and semi detached housing is very low at only 8.8%. Accommodation of the type and scale available in Stratford is typical of inner city densely populated living areas and also might indicate that Stratford is a less affluent area. Poor education is often associated with less affluence but 71% of the population does have qualifications though almost 30% are listed as having none. These figures are similar to the national average but we know that the population make up of Stratford is not typical of an average city. In contrast a significant proportion considerably is higher than the national average are academic achievers with level 3 – 5 qualifications. Without qualitative evidence it is impossible to explain the education figures or why the trend reverses. Given the migrant make up it is possible first generation workers focused on business or that older generations did not attend school due to going into work full-time where qualifications may not have been a priority. It might also be due to lower birth rate levels in particular age group within the range. Equally the variance at level 3-5 it may be due to large numbers of students renting accommodation or professional people moving into the area. The employment data in table 4 illustrates that the level of residents that have never worked is almost 4 times higher than the national average. The figure of 13.7% for full-time students is double the level for England and Wales. Information figures in table 5 illustrate that Stratford is an urban environment, with most employment based around retail, wholesale, vehicle repair, health, social work and real estate which suggest that these areas are the most necessary to sustain Stratford. Health and social work employment is higher by 2.4% than England and Wales which indicates a greater need for support from that sector. Also real estate accounts for the highest percentage of employment indicating that Stratford has a high population turnover. Despite the limitations of quantitive evidence it clear that Stratford is a multicultural society with a complex mix of identities and ethnic groups that it is both home to many and a transitory place of work for large numbers too.