This volume, edited by Alice Bloch and John Solomos, provides a good account of the complex and changing patterns of ethnic inequalities and relations in contemporary British society. The core issues covered in the volume's eight substantive chapters include most of the arenas in which questions about ‘race’, ethnicity and migration have become important issues in public debate, such as housing, health, education and labour market participation as well as some of the key factors affecting these. While the book contains little original research findings not available elsewhere, it does offer a set of excellent overviews of some of the key issues that are at the core of the current debates.

The chapters, written by leading academics in their respective fields, are comprehensive in their coverage and fit well together, forming a well-rounded overview of the current situation of migrants and minorities of migrant origin in the UK. The chapters are sufficiently long to enable one to explore the topic in question from a range of angles without resorting to overt simplification. Mixing empirical findings with conceptual and/or theoretical discussion, the chapters situate different topics within relevant legal and policy frameworks and map the key changes that have taken place over the past five decades.

Patterns of inequalities and the complex interaction effects of different factors contributing to them are themes that run throughout the book. A common theme within the chapters is recognition of ongoing institutional racism and the limited effectiveness of government policies in reducing ethnic inequalities and the disadvantage experienced by migrants and minorities. The shift from multiculturalism to a social cohesion agenda is given attention throughout the book, as is the overall politicisation of migration and minority issues and the ways in which racism continues to shape the structures of British society. Systematic disaggregation of composite categories such as ‘South Asian’ and recognition of variation both between and within different migrant and minority populations is particularly welcome.

Most of the eight substantive chapters follow a similar pattern, starting with a descriptive account of the current situation, followed by a brief analysis of why any identifiable trends and patterns may or may not be regarded as problematic, how and why they emerged and what could or should be done to alleviate the disparities between the minorities and the white majority. The chapters are all clearly written and jargon-free. Apart from perhaps some degree of familiarity with the vocabulary, little existing knowledge is assumed or required from a reader, making this volume accessible to broader audiences and suitable as a core text for both under- and postgraduate introductory courses on race and ethnicity.

The impact of social inequalities, diversity between and within migrants and established minority ethnic populations, structural factors and continuing institutional racism in public sector services are issues that are raised throughout the book with reference to the range of topics covered in the substantive chapters. In his chapter on health, for example, Nazroo engages in critical assessment of the use of genetic and cultural explanations to explain health inequalities, and provides strong evidence to demonstrate the linkage between health inequalities and racialised social relations and ethnic inequalities. Similarly, in their chapter on housing and neighbourhoods, Harrison and Phillips explore the interconnections between ethnic clustering and disadvantage, highlighting how processes and patterns of discrimination and exclusion have a systematic and persistent character, and how the area ‘choice’ of migrants and minorities is often a constrained by a number of factors. The impact of institutional racism is discussed with reference to health, housing, policing, education, employment and media production.

New Labour's social cohesion agenda is another issue that features throughout the book. Focussing on three contemporary racially sensitive pressure points (street crime and gang culture, new forms of criminality associated with recent surges in migration and the threat posed by Islamic terrorism) and the way in which policing responds to these pressures may have negative consequences for social cohesion. McLoughlin illustrates how the meaning of ethnic and racial categories varies over time as perceptions of specific migrant categories and ethnic groups change. The increased ‘visibility’ of Islam and the growing role of religion as a factor influencing attitudes towards migrants and minorities is also discussed by Georgio in her chapter on media representations and Heath et al. on identity and public opinion.

One of the most engaging chapters of this volume, however, is Virdee's critical overview of labour market inequalities and what he considers to be the weaknesses in the neo-Weberian class analysts’ attempts to explain the labour market position of Britain's racialised minorities. After outlining the historical and contemporary class position of Britain's minorities, this chapter goes on to consider the differential impact of economic and social developments on different minorities and argues that recent improvements in minorities’ labour market position should not be taken as an indication of any significant shift in class relations. A move away from methodological individualism, argues Virdee, is essential to facilitate accurate and appropriate understanding of the complex interaction of the factors that have influenced migrants’ and minorities’ labour market position in the past and are likely to continue to do so in the future.

The shortcomings of quantitative data on ethnic inequalities and the subsequent need to approach simplistic interpretations of quantitative data with caution are raised in several of the chapters, which also identify a variety of potential problems with straightforward interpretations of existing quantitative data. This is one of the key points raised again by Bloch and Solomos in the conclusion, where they also point out some interesting paradoxes in policy directions, targets and outcomes before moving on to list some of the challenges for future research in the field of minority and migration research.

While the impacts of changes in migration patterns and social and policy contexts on the position of migrants and minorities of migrant origin are well and thoroughly considered, the possible or likely effects of the economic climate could have been given more attention in the substantive chapters.