This study is funded by the Big Lottery Fund (BLF). This is built on CNSUK’s large scale research project 2007 – 2010. The project officially commenced on 18 June 2015 and will complete on 17 June 2016. The study aims to explore social mobility patterns of the Nepali ethnic minority community in England as standard sociological studies of class dynamics and social mobility tend to exclude many small yet growing ethnic minority communities. The Nepali community is a new, yet one of the fastest growing ethnic minority groups in England. There has been an exponential rise in their numbers in the UK between the census 2001 and 2011, currently estimated at 85,000. This is mainly due to the UK Government’s decision to allow ex-Gurkha soldiers to settle in the country. Considering this rise, CNSUK conducted a census-style survey in 2008, which has established a demographic benchmark, and came up with several useful findings. This research builds on previous available data, and explores direction and dynamics of the community, focusing on youth and their families. The study will mainly investigate: how the second generation Nepalis are doing in their new home in terms of their education, occupation and integration in relation to British class hierarchy; how their life chances are influenced by their parents’ social positions; what opportunities, challenges and prospects they have; and what their likely status would be in the future. In this context, the research aims to find out the issues and implications for the community and for the policy process as a whole. Using our previous database, 100 randomly selected families will be studied using a mixed methodology of data collection. A household survey coupled with interviews with both parents and children (aged 16 and above) will be carried out. Stratified sample data will be collected from two sites – Reading and Farnborough – where a considerable number of Nepalis reside. The findings will be published in an international journal.
Researchers: Chandra Laksamba, Sangita Shrestha, Krishna Adhikari, and Lokendra Dhakal
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