Bangladeshi community organisations in east London : a case study analysis

• Main Author: Asghar, Mohammad Ali
• Published: University of Birmingham 1994
• Subjects: 305.8914
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.632639

This is an exploratory and analytical study of the phenomenon of community organisations of the Bangladeshi immigrants who settled in the inner city area of East London. The primary aim of the study is to explore and explain the community organisations, analyse the organisational processes that took place in their goal attainment efforts and ascertain their contributions in meeting community needs. A case study approach has been adopted in this research and seven different community organisations, each representing a particular category of organisation, have been chosen out of over 100 identified groups/ organisations operating in the area. The broad categories of the organisations, with a much overlapping in their activities, represented in the study are: a welfare association, a community centre, a youth organisation, a community school, a women's association, an educational pressure group, and a cultural organisation. Six of the seven organisations have been chosen out of some 97 identified groups operating within the area of the inner London Borough of Tower Hamlets. This has the largest Bangladeshi community ;n Britain (22.9 per cent of the Borough population, according to the 1991 Census). The seventh organisation has been chosen out of half a dozen groups operating ;n the outer London Borough of Waltham Forest which has only a small Bangladeshi community (0.9 per cent of the Borough population). Detailed case histories of the seven selected organisations have been compiled under the headings of: origin, objectives, activities, resources, membership, leadership, decision making, tactics and strategies adopted, achievements and failures. These case histories have been discussed and analysed to explain what organisational processes took place and what benefit and/or services resulted from the activities of the organisations and what community needs, if any. have been met.