Understanding the Changing Formations of Race and Racism in Contemporary Britain through the Prism of Anti-Racist Organising

My proposed research aims to understand the extent to which antiracist organisations' conceptions of racism have changed over the past fifty years, and what this reveals about the evolving formations of race and racism in Britain today. It will be based on three main case studies, spread across different antiracist groups that have been active during this time. I intend to examine, firstly, a defunct group that was active during the immediate post-war years of 'Black Power' in Britain. Secondly, a longstanding antiracist organisation that was active during the 1980s and '90s. Thirdly, a new antiracist organisation that has emerged during the last decade. I intend to conduct semi-structured interviews with current and former members of these organisations where possible, as well as undertaking archival research. The key goal of my research is to develop an understanding of the changes/continuities in conceptualisation that have taken place over time, across these case studies, in order to identify broader changes in the formations of racism in Britain. Influenced by critical realism and the work of Roy Bhaskar, I aim to use the changes/continuities in conception that exist on an empirical level to identify the mechanisms of social structure that have made these changes/continuities possible. These could include, for instance, broader transformations and constancies in culture, economy, political policy. This will help to establish not just what has changed, but why. Furthermore, I aim to reveal the extent to which these changes/continuities are related to each other, whether at a conceptual level or at material level.