Working from home with fewer chances to socialise has made people less tolerant of other races and religions, a survey has revealed.
Reduced access to workplaces, leisure centres and other communal facilities is likely to make it much harder to form friendships that break down prejudices, the Woolf Institute said.
Without alternative opportunities for social mixing, its researchers believe this will lead directly to an increase in prejudice.
The research centre, based in Cambridge, is launching the results of a two-year study, which saw 11,701 adults surveyed about their attitudes towards diversity in England and Wales.
The report, How We Get Along, suggests that there is an emerging consensus that diversity is a positive thing, but that change has occurred too quickly.
A poll of 11,701 adults found more than half (56 per cent) of people would be uncomfortable with a close relative marrying a Muslim (file image)
BBC has failed to connect with white working class audiences, says head of diversity June Sarpong
June Sarpong (pictured in March)
The BBC has failed to connect with white working class audiences and must do more to make them feel represented, according to its head of diversity.
June Sarpong said her work to reach under-represented groups would extend beyond black and Asian people to include working class communities and their concerns, including immigration.
The presenter made the remarks at a virtual Ofcom summit where she also spoke about being the only black person in the room at BBC conference meetings.
She said: ‘Often the BAME audience gets a lot of focus, in that the BBC doesn’t represent BAME audiences enough, and we talk about young people.
‘But we know that we’ve had serious issues in terms of our connection with C2DE [working class] audiences and I think it’s about getting the balance.
‘As somebody who is an advocate for diversity, I’m always making sure I’m banging the drum for working class audiences because I come from a working class background, my parents were immigrants, we grew up in a white, working class community.
‘And I totally understand when it comes to immigration, that is the community that has actually lived it, and often we don’t have the sort of nuanced debate around this stuff that we need to.’
More than half (53 per cent) agree ethnic diversity is good for society, 46 per cent believe the same of migrants and 41 per cent think the same of religious diversity.
However, 60 per cent said they felt the number of migrants in Britain increased too quickly over the past decade, half believe ethnic diversity has increased too quickly and 43 per cent believe the same of religious diversity.
The findings also suggests that negative beliefs about religions such as Islam continue to be widely held.
Religious prejudice, particularly towards Muslims, is the ‘final frontier’ for diversity as people still appear willing to express negative attitudes.
The report authors are concerned that Covid-19 will make people become less tolerant, as it reduces their opportunities to make friends outside of their ethnic, religious or national groups.
Workplaces provide opportunities to create ‘shared goals, break down stereotypes and foster positive attitudes’, with the report finding that those without work are twice as likely to have no friends outside their own ethnicity, nationality and religion.
Dr Ed Kessler, founder director of the Woolf Institute, said: ‘As people are forced to work from home during Covid, there is a risk that they go back into isolated silos.
‘Creating new opportunities for friendships should be a key ingredient of public policy.’
While overall trends are positive, attitudes towards religious diversity were markedly less so, suggesting religion is a ‘red line’ for many people in England and Wales.
The polling found less than half (44 per cent) of people would be comfortable with a close relative marrying a Muslim.
This compares to around seven in 10 respondents feeling comfortable with a loved one marrying an Asian or black person.
However, the data also suggest that a majority of Muslims had the same negative marriage attitudes towards Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh people and those of no faith.
The data also suggested a majority of Muslims had negative marriage attitudes towards Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh people and those of no faith.
Dr Hargreaves said: ‘The good news is that there is a strong consensus in our findings that diversity is good for our country, whether we look at ethnicity, migration or religion.
‘It is, however, also clear that, of these three forms of diversity, acceptance of religious diversity lags significantly behind.
‘Being Muslim, in particular, appears to remain a “trigger” for prejudice, making religion a “final frontier” for prejudice in England and Wales.’
Overall, women, younger people, Remain, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters appear to be more positive towards ethnic and religious diversity in Britain.
People living in more ethnically and religiously diverse communities were more likely to hold negative attitudes.
Remain, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters showed more positive attitudes towards migrants in Britain.
Attitudes towards migrants were more negative everywhere outside of London except for the south east, which the authors said may be a ‘regrettable bad news story from the provinces’ for multicultural Londoners.
The results of a two-year study, which saw adults surveyed about their attitudes towards diversity in England and Wales. suggested there is an emerging consensus that diversity is a positive thing, but that change has been too quick (file image)
People in the North West were the least likely to have ethnically diverse friendships, and were 54 per cent more likely than Londoners to only have friends from the same ethnic background.
Those in the North East were the least likely to have any non-British friends, and were two-and-a-half times as likely as Londoners to only be friends with British people.