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Census from 2011, research on the diversity of the UK. This article summarises the main points found within the census. I have used this census to gain a greater understanding about migration and who it has effected the UK.

The 2011 Census showed that almost half (46%, 3.4 million) of the foreign-born population identified with a White ethnic group, a third identified as Asian/Asian British (33%, 2.4 million) and 13% (992,000) identified with Black/African/Caribbean/Black British.

More than 1 in 8 foreign-born residents (13%, 949,000) classified themselves as White British.

The largest group who identified as White British were German born (57%, 155,000) and over

half (56%) of them arrived before 1981. One likely reason is due to British military personnel being stationed in Germany. The next largest group identifying as White British were from South Africa (85,000).

A quarter of the foreign-born population identified as Other White (28%, 2.1 million) and the largest group were from Poland (528,000). Over 9 in 10 Polish born residents identified with Other White and the majority (94%, 496,000) arrived between 2001 and 2011, with Poland’s accession into the European Union in 2004.

The majority of South African born residents identified as White (84%) and over two fifths identified as White British (44%). Most of those identifying with White British (68%) arrived before 2001.

A broad range of ethnic groups was found with Iraqi and Iranian born residents. For Iraq, most common was Arab (39%), Any Other ethnic group (28%) and Asian (17%). For Iran, most common was Asian/Asian British (38%), Any Other ethnic group (34%) and Other White (13%).

High proportions of residents who were Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan born identified as Asian (69%, 68% and 58% respectively).

As a group we have decided to focus on the subject matter of migration and how borders can be used as a boundary as a literal wall. We chose migration as it is a highly relevant topic into today’s media, politics and economy. Not only being a hot topic in today’s society, it has been at the forefront of many issues around the globe stretching back centuries. All though we could go back much further in time the furthest that we have chosen to go back too is post ww2 1950’s-1970’s. Simultaneously we have chosen cases more present such as current Syrian refugee crisis in Europe, and how photographers have aimed to capture the lengths in which the refugees go through just to make it into Europe. To accompany our work we have each chosen pieces of work by a photographer/artist who have produced work on this field and their fore have a greater understanding on the subject matter.

Going into the lecture i was apprehensive about the title and what the lecture entailed. However by taking each section in steps i was able to grasps the key concepts of ontology, ethics and aesthetics. Alongside the key ideas, i was able to understand how this would be applicable to most analytical essays or tasks.

The first method that we tackled was ontology. Put quite simply the science of being. From what i understood ontology asks the question of, what is photography? Throughout the history of photography there have thought to be signs or ways of distinguishing or separating it from other mediums. A couple of these ideas was that a photograph should be sharp, another that photography is truthful, and finally that it was reproducible. Although these three ideas can be found within photography, there is work by many photographer that proves these to be false. For example Jeff Walls work is not truthful, as the image is staged. As a result the image is no longer truthful.

Ethics the second topic for me was more easily understood. This method took to questioning the ethics of photography and pertain to applied ethics. The two ways taught to us about questioning the ethics of an image are consequentialism and deontological. consequentialism is if the consequence is good the act is also good. Where as deontological is you have to do your duty, for example you want to tell the truth even if the consequence is wrong/bad. Both these methods can be used to question a photographs ethics but each oppose directly what the other is say, so most of the time they can be both used.

Often, aesthetics is thought to be the theory of the beautiful in art and nature. As well aesthetics is often thought to be the theory of formal properties in images: what colours are used ( if any). However in photography this is disputed, especially in documentary photography where often the beauty is not dealt with or the main priority. From the lecture this lead to further questions, such as is photography in fact an art at all? For me this is hard method to compare the whole of photography to as there are so many different branches of the medium.