79 FOUR Sociology and institutional racism1 All the approaches to scholarly engagement discussed in Chapter Three looks towards a more outward-facing academy, although there are significant differences in what that should entail. Institutional racism, especially in the Macpherson inquiry (1999), provides a way into understanding public engagement by social scientists; it also sets the scene for assessing the impact of social science in policy and practice, and the academic–policy interface. These issues are developed in this chapter and the following two
Race has been a prominent public policy issue in the UK for decades and there is growing interest in academia, but it is often caught in a repetitive cycle of progress and regress. This book analyses and bridges that gap by providing a unique insight into the relationship between race and ethnicity scholarship and the reality of ‘real world’ policy and politics.
Drawing on the author’s academic work as well as his background working in public policy bodies, it goes beyond ‘impact’ debates, public sociology, diversity and post-race, to examine the changing context for researching race and racism, including media and policy debates and the ways in which institutional racism has played out in public policy settings since the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.
Combining theory and applied policy analysis in an accessible way, it guides the reader through the cultural and political changes in race and racism in recent decades and identifies the challenges and opportunities for policy and politically-engaged scholarship in future, clearly mapping the pitfalls and possibilities for critical work on race and racism.
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Key findings Racism and racial discrimination shape the lives of ethnic minority groups in the UK: there are persistent experiences of racial discrimination both before and during the pandemic, across a wide range of settings. The Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS) enables an assessment of racism and racial discrimination experienced in the period before the start of the pandemic, and during its first year. Almost one in six ethnic minority people reported having experienced a racist physical assault. Over half of respondents from the Gypsy
Racism has deep roots in both the United States and Europe. This important book examines the past, present, and future of racist ideas and politics. It describes how policies have developed over a long history of European and White American dominance of political institutions that maintain White supremacy.
Givens examines the connections between immigration policy and racism that have contributed to the rise of anti-immigrant, radical-right parties in Europe, the rise of Trumpism in the US, and the Brexit vote in the UK. This book provides a vital springboard for people, organizations, and politicians who want to dismantle structural racism and discrimination.
1 INTRODUCTION Race, racism and social work Michael Lavalette and Laura Penketh This book explores issues of ‘race’, racism and anti-racist social work practice – with a particular focus on modern Britain. The dominant message from the media and politicians regarding social work is that it is dominated by ‘political correctness’ and focuses disproportionately on issues of class, ‘race’ and gender. In the training of social workers there is too much emphasis on what one Conservative minister in the 1990s termed ‘isms’ and ‘ologies’ (Castle 1992). This view
Without a doubt, structural and institutionalised racism is still present in Britain and Europe, a factor that social work education and training has been slow to acknowledge.
In this timely new book, Lavalette and Penketh reveal that racism towards Britain’s minority ethnic groups has undergone a process of change. They affirm the importance of social work to address issues of ‘race’ and racism in education and training by presenting a critical review of a this demanding aspect of social work practice.
Original in its approach, and with diverse perspectives from key practitioners in the field, the authors examine contemporary anti-racism, including racism towards Eastern European migrants, Roma people and asylum seekers. It also considers the implications of contemporary racism for current practice.
This is essential reading for anyone academically or professionally interested in social work, and the developments in this field of study post 9/11.
119 SIX The end(s) of institutional racism1 The double rise of institutional racism in Britain, once from the late 1960s and then in the late 1990s – is an extraordinary example of an idea moving from a radical or revolutionary movement into social science (Chapter Four), and then from the margins into the mainstream, becoming part of public policy initiatives that focused on institutions rather than on individuals and on structures as well as processes (Chapter Five). In spite of its prominence following the publication of the Macpherson report (1999
Introduction Football has a long history of racial discrimination, and racism in football was first addressed officially at an extraordinary congress held by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) in 2001. There are cultural differences among the many nations playing football, and equally racism in football has many different shapes and forms – therefore, eliminating racism from the game of football is certainly an overwhelming task. In this context, it is useful to present the case of racism in football within different cultural settings
257 CONCLUSION Race, racism and social work today: some concluding thoughts Laura Penketh and Michael Lavalette The aim of the book has been to re-open debates about issues of ‘race’ and racism in modern Britain, and the relevance for those of us involved in social work education, training and practice. Racism is a deeply entrenched social problem, built into the structure of modern capitalist societies, but this does not mean that it is static and unchanging. At different moments in time the rhetoric of racism targets specific minority ethnic groups in
