The Erasure of Race and Racism

Andrew Pilkington

School of Social Sciences, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK.

DOI: 10.4236/aasoci.2013.32012                

Abstract

With the advent in the UK of a new Labour government in 1997 and the publication of the Macpherson report in 1999, public debate over race and racism was reactivated after a long period when such concerns had remained dormant. In this article, I shall draw upon an ethnographic study of one university in the UK over a ten year period (Pilkington, 2011a). Here I shall focus on the early part of that period, predominantly 1999-2003 when arguably issues relating to race and racism were at their height. I examine how Midshire University responded in turn to the Commission for Racial Equality’s (CRE’s) leadership challenge; the government’s strategies for higher education relating to widening participation and equal opportunities; and the race relations legislation. The story is not a happy one, with the institution constantly subsuming race under a more general agenda and in the process failing to address the specificities of race. Midshire University is unlikely to be the only university to do this. Universities in UK are typically characterised by the “sheer weight of whiteness” which blinds senior managers and academics to racial inequalities in their midst.

Keywords

Race; Racism; Equality; Diversity; Higher Education; Widening Participation

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Ahmed, S. (2007). You end up doing the document rather than doing the doing: Diversity, race equality and the politics of documentation. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 30, 590-609. doi:10.1080/01419870701356015
[2]	Carter, J., Fenton, J., & Modood, T. (1999). Ethnicity and employment in higher education. London: Policy Studies Institute.
[3]	John, G. (2003). Review of race equality policies and action plans in HEFCE-funded Higher Education Institutions. www.gusjohn.com/wp-content/uploads
[4]	Midshire University (1999a). Equal opportunities working group minutes. University Documents, February, May, December.
[5]	Midshire University (1999b). Racial equality: Leadership challenge. September.
[6]	Midshire University (2000a). Equal opportunities working group minutes. University Documents, February, June, October, December.
[7]	Midshire University (2000b). Millennium Commitment from the vice chancellor. University Document, January.
[8]	Midshire University (2000c). Audit of current practice in the university. University Document, January.
[9]	Midshire University (2000d). Is MU characterised by institutional racism? University Document, April.
[10]	Midshire University (2000e). Vice chancellor’s annual statement. University Document, September.
[11]	Midshire University (2001a). Equal opportunities working group minutes. University Document, March, June, October.
[12]	Midshire University (2001b). Midshire University strategy for widening participation. University Document, July.
[13]	Midshire University (2001c). Emergent human resources strategy 2001-2004. University Document.
[14]	Midshire University (2001d). Recruitment report, 1997-2000. University Document.
[15]	Midshire University (2002a). Equal opportunities working group minutes. University Document, January, March, June, October.
[16]	Midshire University (2002b). Full Human Resources Strategy. University Document.
[17]	Midshire University (2002c). Trends and issues emerging from analysis of equal opportunities. Recruitment and selection data for 19972000. University Document.
[18]	Midshire University (2002d). Senior executive team minutes. University Document, January.
[19]	Midshire University (2002e). Staff attitude survey results. University Document, June.
[20]	Midshire University (2002f). Staff equal opportunities at MU. University Document.
[21]	Midshire University (2002g). Equal opportunities and the student population at MU. University Document.
[22]	Midshire University (2002h). Equal opportunities policy and practice at MU and the implications of the race relations amendment act specifically. University Document, April.
[23]	Midshire University (2002i). Equal opportunities policy and initiatives relating to race relations. University News Brief, University Document, May.
[24]	Midshire University (2002j). Report on equal opportunities policy and practice impact assessment and targets for improvement, 2002-2005. University Document, June.
[25]	Midshire University (2002k). Equal opportunities at MU. University Document, October.
[26]	Midshire University (2003a). Equal opportunities working group minutes. University Document, January.
[27]	Midshire University (2003b). Evaluation of race equality policies and action plans. University Document, February.
[28]	Midshire University (2003c). Race equality policies evaluation. University Document.
[29]	Pilkington, A. (2011a). Institutional racism in the academy. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books.
[30]	Pilkington, A. (2011). Business as usual: Racial inequality in the academy ten years after macpherson. In K. Hylton, A. Pilkington, P. Warmington, & S. Housee (Eds.), Atlantic crossings: International dialogues on critical race theory (pp. 93-114). Birmingham: Higher Education Academy.
[31]	Pilkington, A. (2013). The sheer weight of whiteness of the academy: A UK case study. In R. Race, & V. Lander (Eds.), Advancing race and ethnicity within education. Basinghurst: Palgrave.