Differentiating racism and sectarianism

This chapter examines different arguments in favour of treating racism and sectarianism as distinct phenomena. Central to the debate about whether to treat sectarianism as racism lies a difficulty that bedevils ethnic and racial studies more broadly, the distinction between 'race', 'nation' and 'ethnic group'. The chapter focuses on Steve Garner's use of the concept of racisms to argue that, rather than thinking of racism in the singular, it is more useful to think of racism as taking many different forms. It relates the debate on racism and sectarianism to the broader issue of Northern Irish exceptionalism. Acceptance of this exceptionalism in the academic field of ethnic and racial studies has prevented academics and activists from asking more searching questions about the nature of the UK state.

Criminology · Ethnic group · Exceptionalism · Irish · Political science · Politics · Racism · Sectarianism · Sociology · State (computer science) · Anthropology · European and International Law Studies · Gender Studies · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Law · Philosophy · Romani and Gypsy Studies