Belonging in Brixton : An Ethnography of Migrant West Indian Elders in Brixton, London

This volume provides a unique perspective on elderly working-class West Indian migrants in the UK, particularly examining how they negotiate their sense of belonging. Utilizing the life span gaze and including elements of oral history and narrative, this ethnography provides rich insight into the ordinary lives, migratory circumstances, social networks, and interactions with the state as residents in a sheltered housing scheme in Brixton, London. The author further compiles a variety of genealogy charts, providing a uniquely vivid scholarly analysis of the Caribbean migrant experience both in a “place” and through space and time. Ultimately, this work contemplates how communities face change whilst at once developing a local symbolic cultural site, navigating adaptation to new economic and social environments. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxxi Introduction (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 1-35 The Complexity of Belonging: Theoretical Perspectives (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 37-73 Elderhood and Black Sheltered Housing (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 75-108 The Experience of Migration: Planting Roots (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 109-142 The Elder’s Children: Family Relations and Gender Differences (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 143-180 Socialisation: ‘Small Garden, Bitter Weed’ (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 181-224 Elder’s Engagement with State Support Services (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 225-261 Conclusion (Audrey Allwood)....Pages 263-275 Back Matter ....Pages 277-321