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The Unfinished Politics of Race argues that the past few decades have seen important transformations in the politics of race. Contending that existing accounts have focused narrowly on the mainstream political sphere, this study argues that there is a need to explore the role of race more widely. By exploring the mainstream as well as transitional and alternative spheres of political mobilisation the authors stress the need to link the analysis of both local and national processes in order to make sense of the changing contours of racialised politics. The underlying concern of this study is to outline both a theoretical frame for an analysis of racial politics, and detailed empirical accounts of different arenas of political mobilisation. By exploring the unfinished politics of race, this study provides a timely reminder that the position of racial and ethnic minorities in political institutions remains deeply contested.
List of contents
Introduction; Part I. Beginnings: Routes to the Present; 1. From Empire to Multicultural Democracy?; 2. Changing Contours of Race and the Political; 3. Shifting Dynamics of Race and Local Politics; Part II. Moments in Time and Place: Rethinking Everyday Politics; 4 Politics of Dwelling: From Migration to Race and Back Again; 5. Antiracism, Participation, and the Transitional Public Sphere; 6. Cultures of the Convivial; 7. Post-Secular Multiculturalism and the New Political Landscapes of Twenty First Century Britain; 8. The Racial Politics of Migrant Integration and Cohesion; Part III. History in the Present: Rethinking Social Science, Migration and Race; 9. From Identity Politics to an Unfinished Politics of Race; 10. Present Times and Future Places.
About the author
Les Back is Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow. He has researched and written on urban culture, ethnicity, migration, cultural politics, music, and higher education.Michael Keith is Director of the PEAK Urban Research programme and the Director of the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford (seconded to PEAK urban until 2024). His research focuses on migration-related processes of urban change. He was a former leader of a local authority and founder, activist in third sector organisations and was involved in the politics of east London for twenty years.Kalbir Shukra is Senior Lecturer in Community and Youth Work at Goldsmiths, University of London. She has previously researched and written on black politics, particularly in relation to Labour Party Black Sections and anti-oppressive practice strategies in youth work and community development. Her current work is centred around youth democracy and political education.John Solomos is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. He has researched and written widely on the history and contemporary forms of race and ethnic relations in Britain, theories of race and racism, race and football, and racist movements and ideas. He is Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Ethnic and Racial Studies.
Summary
An account of the changing politics of race in Britain that draws on original research over an extended period, providing a systematic analysis of the forces that shape key spheres of British politics and society. A challenging insight into the past and the present of racial politics that contributes to ongoing debates about what needs to change.
