Researching social relations in super-diverse neighbourhoods: Mapping the field

In recent years, there has been a surge in studies on immigration-related diversity and, more specifically, super-diversity. This paper aims to give an overview of recent academic debate on social relations in super-diverse contexts. It draws together studies focusing on how people of different backgrounds relate to each other in such contexts, with a particular focus on the role of the neighbourhood regarding social relations. Findings of some recent studies have shown how diversity has become commonplace and is not experienced as something particularly unusual in such areas. At the same time, however, negative attitudes towards others can persist. Although primarily conceptual, the paper also draws on empirical qualitative data from an ethnographic study undertaken by the author in the London Borough of Hackney.