Globalization and Ethnicity in the United Kingdom Essay

Globalization and Ethnicity in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The effect of globalization-led migration is the growing diversity of any given state and the heightened pressure of supporting and fairly representing the interest of a state’s citizen living abroad. On the other side, globalization has resulted in some of the societies that exist as enclaves within the boundaries of a given state to champion for their independence, secession, and right to govern themselves. Prior to the World Wars, the United Kingdom was the most dominant nation on earth and the superpower of the nineteenth century. The UK had engaged in colonial conquest in various parts of the globe. Having been the major power in the nineteenth century, Britain had occupied many parts of the world spreading their language and culture. In contemporary world setting, immigration to the United Kingdom has been tremendous with many people especially from third world countries and former colonies making the highest numbers of immigrants. Many third world countries have been af fected by political turmoil at one time in their history, resulting in political asylum and influx of refugees into the UK (Beck 2000). Â  Former British colonies like India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and South Africa among many others form the largest numbers of refugees and political asylum individuals living in the UK. Between 1991 and 2001, about half of the population increase in the UK was a result of the presence of immigrants born outside the UK. The UK thus has a very high number of immigrants who constitute the general population (Delanty 2008). Most of these people are not the UK born and some have spent the most part of their childhood in other countries and some even adulthood. Culture is dynamic, and culture in most cases dictates individuals’ behavior and ways of life.