Discourse and the Denial of Racism

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Within the broader framework of a research programme on the reproduction of racism in discourse and communication, the present article examines the prominent role of the denial of racism, especially among the elites, in much contemporary text and talk about ethnic relations. After a conceptual analysis of denial strategies in interpersonal impression formation on the one hand, and within the social-political context of minority and immigration management on the other, various types of denial are examined in everyday conversations, press reports and parliamentary debates. Among these forms of denial are disclaimers, mitigation, euphemism, excuses, blaming the victim, reversal and other moves of defence, face-keeping and positive self-presentation in negative discourse about minorities, immigrants and (other) anti-racists.

The racism that dares not speak its name: Rethinking neo-nationalism and neo-racism in Norway

“…In this article, I will, on the basis of an analysis of media and popular discourses on Islam and Muslims in Norway from 1987 and 2014 and by using the tools of what has become known as Critical Discourse Analysis or (CDA) (Blommaert and Bulcaen 2000, Wodak 1995, Fairclough 1992, Van Dijk 1992, argue that there is in fact little sustainable empirical evidence of a disappearance of racism and discrimination against minorities marked as 'other' through various processes of racialization (Barot andBird 2001, Meer 2014) in present-day Norway. What we are seeing, rather, are the classical signs of liberal 'elite denials' of racism (van Dijk 1992), as articulated and BANGSTAD, S.: THE RACISM THAT DARES NOT SPEAK 51 refracted in academic literature, media practices, the legal sphere and so on.…”

Discursive Approaches to Race and Racism

“…However, rather than disappearing altogether in the face of these normative shifts, racism is seen to emerge in covert or subtle and more sophisticated forms, with denial as a central feature. This has led to extensive literature on discursive features of denials of racism (Augoustinos & Every, 2007a, 2007bVan Dijk, 1992, with analyses of related phenomena including the replacement of biological discourses of race with cultural discourses (Durrheim & Dixon, 2000;Wetherell & Potter, 1992) ideological dilemmas with respect to race (Billig, 1988;Billig, et al, 1988), rhetorical features of 22 racial discourse (Billig, 1988(Billig, , 1991Verkuyten, de Jong, & Masson, 1994), and modern racial ideologies such as "color-blind racism" (Bonilla-Silva, 2006;Carr, 1997) also being prominent.…”

“…The logic behind focusing particularly on these data sources is that they 6 hold a particularly central place in sociopolitical power structures, and thus exercise an influential role in shaping public discourse (van Dijk, 1993(van Dijk, , 1995. Furthermore, the power and influence wielded by elites is such that they wield a disproportionate ability to implement legislation or other institutional actions that serve negatively affect a range of material outcomes in the everyday lives of minority groups (Wodak & van Dijk, 2000).…”

“…A prominent argument underpinning many of the studies in this body of research concerns what has been called "the new racism" (Barker, 1981). This relates to the ways in which contemporary forms of racism are oriented to norms of tolerance, democracy, enlightenment, and the like, such that open expressions of unjustified negative views of out-groups are treated as social taboo in many contexts (Billig, 1988;Van Dijk, 1992). As a result, in contrast to the openly racist discourses that were previously commonly treated as acceptable, analyses of modern racist discourses 7 (particularly among elites, for whom reputational issues tend to be an especially salient concern) emphasize their markedly more subtle forms and their recurrent packaging in the form of denials of racism (for reviews of research in this regard, see e.g.…”

Antiracisme ordinaire et (re)catégorisations sociales dans les commentaires d'internautes

“…Ainsi, certaines études ont montré le caractère « tabou » du racisme au sein des discussions ordinaires, et plus spécifiquement les comportements d'évitements que les individus peuvent adopter face à la question du racisme (Eliasoph, 1999 ;Van Dijk, 1992 ;Bonilla-Silva, 2009). Étienne Balibar a pour sa part mis en avant les conséquences de l'interdit du racisme en termes de contraintes sur le débat, ainsi que la tendance universalisante de la catégorie « racisme » entendu comme sa propension à définir de plus en plus de phénomènes connexes (Balibar, 2005).…”