Policy Press

Racism, Policy and Politics

By Karim Murji

Published

Dec 6, 2017

Page count

208 pages

ISBN

978-1447319580

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Dec 6, 2017

Page count

208 pages

ISBN

978-1447319573

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Dec 6, 2017

Page count

208 pages

ISBN

978-1447319627

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Dec 6, 2017

Page count

208 pages

ISBN

978-1447319610

Imprint

Policy Press
Racism, Policy and Politics

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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"A stunning, authoritative and urgently needed book that unpicks with forensic precision the relationship between racism and injustice and the world of social policy and politics. A book of deep critical understanding but also one that alerts us to the politics of sociology itself and why it can be valuable." Les Back, Goldsmiths, University of London

'The author, well known for his acute insights into racism and policy-making in policing, provides a unique, original and incisive account of the complex ways in which policy formulations in the field of racism are subject to pressures from public bodies. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the changing fortunes of 'institutional racism' after its controversial use in the Macpherson report. An invaluable contribution.' Ali Rattansi, City, University of London

"A sharp and original contribution to the analysis of contemporary debates about racism, policing and public policy. It allows readers to explore the complex forms of racism in our contemporary environment." John Solomos, University of Warwick

"The author, as both policy insider and sharp sociological analyst, conveys a multitude of critical and reflective insights into racialised processes in public policy making." Norman Ginsburg, London Metropolitan University

"Addressing key questions about policing, race and institutional racism, this unique book offers a fascinating insight into the relationship between race scholarship, public engagement and policy." Vicki Harman, University of Surrey

Karim Murji is a Professor based in the Graduate School at the University of West London and was previously at the Open University, UK. He has written widely on culture, ethnicity and racism as applied to fields such as race equality, policing, public sociology, and diaspora and identity. Since 2013 he has been part of the editorial team of Sociology, and, with Sarah Neal, he is the Editor of Current Sociology.

Introduction: The ‘changing same’;

Racial reality and unreality;

Racialisation;

Race critical scholarship and public engagement;

Sociology and Institutional Racism;

The impacts of social science;

The end(s) of institutional racism;

Racialised numerics;

Framing riots.