Revisiting the 2001 Riots
New Labour and the Rise of 'Colour Blind Racism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2642542 |
|---|---|
| Authors | James Rhodes (0000-0002-5267-8564, University of Manchester, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 80-91 |
| Publication date | 2009-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Research Online (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1360-7804 • E-ISSN: 1360-7804 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.5153/sro.2048 |
| OpenAlex | W2049856746 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 20 |
Following the Civil Rights legislation enacted in the 1960s in the United States, the notion of 'colourblind' racism has emerged within sociological literature. It has been used as a theoretical tool to explain the continuing presence of racism and racialised inequalities within a society where its significance in determining social location is increasingly disavowed. The use of the term has been restricted to those describing the politics of racism in America. However, this paper will consider the applicability of 'colourblind racism' to the UK context. The 2001 riots marked an important watershed in 'race relations' in Britain. They have been widely cited as marking the point at which New Labour retreated from the celebration of diversity in pursuit of a more monocultural, more 'cohesive' society. Through an analysis of the governmental response to the events of summer 2001 it will be suggested that notions of 'colourblind' racism can offer interesting insights into the development of the politics of 'race' in Britain. Drawing on Bonilla-Silva's (2006) elucidation of the key features of this dominant form of racism in the US, the extent to which these same factors guided New Labour's response will be considered. It will be argued that while it is important to recognize the different patterns of racial formation in the US and the UK, the government reaction to the 2001 riots demonstrates a broad adherence to the key tenets of colourblind racism. This is evident in Labour's failure to effectively engage with racism or the persistence of racial inequality
Anti-racism · Institutional racism · Legislation · Political science · Politics · Racism · Sociology · Anthropology · Employment and Welfare Studies · Gender Studies · History · Law · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration
What is a Cohesive Community Anyway
If Your Hair Is Relaxed, White People Are Relaxed. If Your Hair Is Nappy, They’re Not Happy’
Black minority ethnic communities and levels of satisfaction with policing
Loud and proud
Supervising Rioters
UK Race Riots and Demonstrations
Race, Rumours and Riots
Institutional Racism in Mental Health Services
'Sleepwalking to segregation'?Challenging myths about race and migration
'Sleepwalking to segregation'
Whitewashing Race
Poverty and ethnicity in the UK
There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack
The Threat of Race
Coping with disorder? the changing relationship between police public order strategy and practice—a critical analysis of the Burnley Riot
Commentary
Imagining the Asian gang
Racism without Racists
New Labour’s White Heart
Race, Riots and Policing
Riotous Citizens
Ethnicity and the Multicultural City
New Right/New Racism
The Return of Assimilationism
From Institutional Racism to Community Cohesion
Muslims in the 2001 Census of England and Wales
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2025 (16) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |