Race and Racism

Abstract

In September 1985 the Social Geography Study Group of the Institute of British Geographers held a three-day conference at Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic on the subject of 'Race and Racism'. It was a lively and stimulating meeting with geographers joining a range of other social scientists in vigorous but unacrimonious debate. The conference itself has been reported elsewhere (Immigrants and Minorities 4 (3), November 1985, pp. 85-9).The present volume is a selection of essays derived from some of the papers that were given at the conference, together with one newly commissioned paper (by Susan Smith) and an introductory essay (by myself). Each of the papers has been revised in the light of issues raised at the conference and in response to editorial comments on successive drafts. The introduction attempts to place the essays in the disciplinary context of social geography and in terms of the wider social-science literature on 'race' and racism. The essays are then divided into a number of parts, each of which begins with a short introductory section, highlighting salient points and drawing out general themes.Editorial work on this volume has been made much less onerous by the generous cooperation of numerous people to whom I would like to extend my thanks. Hugh Matthews gave invaluable local support in organizing the original conference. All of the contributors kept remarkably well to schedule in preparing their manuscripts for publication, responding positively and with good humour to my various requests and suggestions. Most of the maps were redrawn for publication by Lauren McClue in the Drawing Office at UCL. And finally, the following people deserve my special thanks for taking the time to comment helpfully on an earlier draft of the introduction: