Inter-generational and inter-ethnic well-being: an analysis for the UK

4.15 to 5.45pm, Thursday 19 November 2015, Room 901, UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL

Presenter: Dr Cinzia Rienzo

This paper uses a UK nationally-representative data set to examine the extent to which family migration history helps explains inter-ethnic variations in subjective well-being.  It confirms that there is significant variation in well-being across ethnic group and across migrant generations.  On average, recent migrants appear to have higher levels of well-being. The research also find that, while language difficulties are associated with lower well-being, retaining cultural links is important: living in areas where one’s own ethnic group is well represented and having friends from the same ethnic group is associated with a higher level of well-being.  Individuals’ choice to retain cultural ties and identity may alleviate feelings of cultural distance and difficulties with integration.

Cinzia Rienzo is a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research where she carries out applied microeconomics on migration, labour market, education and development economics. Previously she worked as a teaching fellow in the Department of Economics at Sussex University and as a research assistant at the CEP and MES at the London School of Economics. Cinzia is also Research Associate at COMPAS, University of Oxford and a contributor for the Migration Observatory.

Cinzia received her PhD in Economics from Royal Holloway, University of London and an MSc in Economics from Queen Mary University of London.

The seminar is free to attend, but prior registration would be helpful: to register, please contact  to book a place.