Racism and political mobilisation: learning from history and thinking internationally
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East London
Department Name: Law and Social Sciences
Abstract
This series examines international debates about racism and ethnic mobilisation in order to understand the particularities of context and event that have given rise to political movements against racism.
In doing this, the series is designed to engage with wider debates around political disengagement, the character of political agency and the impact of so-called single issue and identity politics on movements for social change. In our present moment of multiple crises, these questions of political agency and participation have become heightened, most of all in relation to a younger generation whose life choices and chances are being curtailed by the impact of austerity, economic crises, political unrest, scarce ecological resources and, for some, continuing militarization of everyday life.
Recent critiques of fundamentalism and exclusionary nationalisms have pointed to the role of ethnic mobilisation in creating divisions and hatreds. However, there are other histories of ethnic mobilisation that are not based on such exclusionary logics. Some of these movements have played an integral role in wider movements for social justice and change. This series examines the contexts that have enabled mobilisations around 'race', ethnicity, or, in some circumstances, religion to become a component of or catalyst for wider struggles for social justice.
In doing this, the series is designed to engage with wider debates around political disengagement, the character of political agency and the impact of so-called single issue and identity politics on movements for social change. In our present moment of multiple crises, these questions of political agency and participation have become heightened, most of all in relation to a younger generation whose life choices and chances are being curtailed by the impact of austerity, economic crises, political unrest, scarce ecological resources and, for some, continuing militarization of everyday life.
Recent critiques of fundamentalism and exclusionary nationalisms have pointed to the role of ethnic mobilisation in creating divisions and hatreds. However, there are other histories of ethnic mobilisation that are not based on such exclusionary logics. Some of these movements have played an integral role in wider movements for social justice and change. This series examines the contexts that have enabled mobilisations around 'race', ethnicity, or, in some circumstances, religion to become a component of or catalyst for wider struggles for social justice.
Planned Impact
User - Trade unions
Activity - Role in devising programme; invitation to seminars; report of seminar series
Impact - Reflection on trade union histories; lessons for contemporary campaigning; analysis of the connections between community and workplace organising in different settings
User - Anti-racist and community organisations
Activity - Role in devising programme; invitation to seminars; report of seminar series
Impact - Insight into histories of anti-racist and community campaigning from a number of locations; lessons for contemporary campaigning; identification of opportunities to collaborate with trade unions and other civil society organisations.
User - Students (school and university)
Activity - Access to series blog and suggested activities devised by seminar co-ordinators
Impact - Learning opportunity through project blog archival activities
User - Policy-makers
Activity - Invitation to seminar series; report of seminar series
Imapct - Insight into the important role of ethnic mobilisation in shaping policy demands and achievements in different settings; understanding of the place of racism and ethnic mobilisation in relation to contemporary policy challenges
User - Museums and libraries
Activity - Invitation to seminars; collaboration to devise learning activity using local resource or archive holding; invited to contribute to series blog
Impact - Access to relevant commentary on ethnic mobilisation and local histories; project blog will link discussion to local holdings in each seminar city, suggesting an activity for local students and using local archival resources.
Activity - Role in devising programme; invitation to seminars; report of seminar series
Impact - Reflection on trade union histories; lessons for contemporary campaigning; analysis of the connections between community and workplace organising in different settings
User - Anti-racist and community organisations
Activity - Role in devising programme; invitation to seminars; report of seminar series
Impact - Insight into histories of anti-racist and community campaigning from a number of locations; lessons for contemporary campaigning; identification of opportunities to collaborate with trade unions and other civil society organisations.
User - Students (school and university)
Activity - Access to series blog and suggested activities devised by seminar co-ordinators
Impact - Learning opportunity through project blog archival activities
User - Policy-makers
Activity - Invitation to seminar series; report of seminar series
Imapct - Insight into the important role of ethnic mobilisation in shaping policy demands and achievements in different settings; understanding of the place of racism and ethnic mobilisation in relation to contemporary policy challenges
User - Museums and libraries
Activity - Invitation to seminars; collaboration to devise learning activity using local resource or archive holding; invited to contribute to series blog
Impact - Access to relevant commentary on ethnic mobilisation and local histories; project blog will link discussion to local holdings in each seminar city, suggesting an activity for local students and using local archival resources.
Organisations
Publications
Bhattacharyya, G.
(2018)
Diverse traditions of anti-racism
in Identities Special Issue - Racism and Intellectual Traditions
Bhattacharyya, G
(2018)
The poetics of justice
in Identities Special Issue - Racism and Intellectual Traditions
| Description | Collaborative work relating to other key moments of anti-racist organising has arisen from this project, including collaborative community-facing events relating to the anniversary of anti-fascist mobilisations in Southall in 1979. Satnam Virdee is collaborating with the Monitoring Group on this work - building on work arising from this project. Findings from the series are contributing to the development of a larger project documenting histories of anti-racism in Britain - and this new project will produce collaborative work contributing to new archival materials with the Museum of London. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | PaCCs |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Research Councils UK (RCUK) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2016 |
| End | 10/2017 |
| Description | Production of teaching pack for schools and youth groups |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Production of 1500 teaching packs in hard copy, mailed directly to schools and related organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Seminar on racism and working lives |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Our day seminar brought together scholars and trade unionists to reflect on workplace campaigns against racism and lessons that could be learned from this history. We also had speakers from the international trade union movement who brought an international perspective on current challenges. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |