Читать книгу Levelling and diffusion in the Cumbrian city dialect of Carlisle - Sandra Jansen - Страница 14

According to the 2011 census, Carlisle has a population of 104,500. The British Census data from 1831 to 2001 shows a gradual growth from around 40,000 in 1831 to around 100,000 in 1961. After this, the number of people levels at about 100,000 (www.visionofbritain.org.uk). The data in itself shows that there are no large groups suddenly swamping the city. Carlisle is a city with a long history which has not seen any drastic population changes in the last fifty years. However, even though the data paints a picture of gradual and at times stagnating population growth, there has of course been some movement. Out of the 40 participants in this study, 34 provide some information on the background of their parents. Either one or both parents of 26 people in the sample were not from Carlisle originally. This was also my general observation when I was trying to find speakers in Carlisle for my sample. In many cases, they were not originally from Carlisle but from surrounding areas and it was also not uncommon to meet people from further away, e.g. Malta, Australia, Middlesex and London. I also asked the people in which areas of the city they had lived. Most of them had moved within the city. Thus, one can assume that close-knit communities did not exist or were weakened by this inner-city movement.

The influx of people to Carlisle is not the whole story. Shepherd (2011) reports quite a large number of emigrants from Cumberland between 1815 and 1914. While she shows that many of the people who left the county were from more rural areas, there were also emigrants leaving Carlisle. Hence, while there was an influx of people from Scotland, Ireland and West Cumbria to Carlisle in the 19^th century, at the same time people were also leaving the city. Towns found overseas with names such as Carlisle in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and Penrith in Australia are evidence for these emigration tendencies.

In terms of ethnic groups, the vast majority of the population (97.8%) was ‘White British’, a classification used in the 2001 census. 85.7% of the United Kingdom was classified as ‘white’. Carlisle is therefore one of the whitest places in England. However, since 2001 the city has seen an influx of various (white) ethnic groups. It is estimated that a population of around 1,600 Polish workers and 500 Portuguese workers live in Carlisle (Carlisle City Council Equality Impact Assessment: 6). Thus, ethnic minorities play a minor role in the population make-up of the city.

According to the 2001 census, 35.7% of the population belonged to the Middle Class (nationally: 48%). The comparatively low percentage of Middle Class people in Carlisle is likely to have two reasons. 1) The number of pupils who leave school without graduating is comparably high: 32% in Carlisle vs. 21% in Cumbria (Huntington and McKerr 2008: 2). 2) There is a lack of jobs for more highly qualified people. Even though Carlisle now has a university, it only offers a limited choice of degree courses. For this reason, many young people leave Carlisle to study elsewhere never to return because finding employment in Carlisle is difficult, especially in fields such as media, marketing, and academia.

The two main employment sectors are and have been factory work (manufacturing) and services. Agriculture does not play an important role anymore, at least not in the city.