Racism, disadvantage and multiculturalism: towards effective anti-racist praxis

Abstract

The practice of multiculturalism in modern liberal democracies has been hampered by lack of a clear definition of 'racism' and 'anti-racism' as well as confusion about the role of multiculturalism in addressing disadvantage and combating racism. This lack of clarity has contributed to a marginalization of anti-racism within multiculturalism. As a prerequisite to recentring anti-racist praxis within multiculturalism, this paper disentangles the concepts of 'equity' versus 'equality', 'racism', 'anti-racism', 'multiculturalism' and 'disadvantage'. We then distinguish between policies and practices designed to mitigate disadvantage, and those designed to address racism. Taking Australia as a case study, historical and contemporary notions of multiculturalism are examined before considering their relationship to racism, anti-racism and disadvantage. It is only through a clear understanding and inclusion of anti-racist praxis that the potential of multiculturalism to address the challenges of racial diversity in modern liberal democracies can be realized.

Narratives of ethnic identity among practitioners in community settings in the northeast of England

“…And while 'targeting' can be seen as a problematic leftover from multiculturalism, focusing only on difference, action is nevertheless required to redress imbalances in access to local services and support (Berman and Paradies 2008), in more nuanced ways open to more than ethnicity and more than difference. In the research here, there was little conceptualization of similarity by respondents, despite the fact that all parents/carers with whom staff worked had at least two important factors in common: they all had young children and lived in the localities in question.…”

Somos Mexicanos, no Somos Negros: Educar para Visibilizar el Racismo "Anti-Negro"

“…Su imaginario ha incorporado y reproducido un sistema de pensamiento racista que valora positiva o negativamente la apariencia y/o las características culturales de sujetos y grupos, y los ubica jerárquicamente como superiores o inferiores (Grosfoguel, 2011); con el objeto de mantener o exacerbar la desigualdad de oportunidades en su acceso a la justicia social (Berman y Paradies, 2008). Además de reproducir una "política identitaria" colonial que privilegia "la belleza, el conocimiento, las tradiciones, espiritualidades y cosmologías masculina, cristiana y occidental", al mismo tiempo que construye como "inferiores y subalternas la belleza, el conocimiento, las tradiciones, espiritualidades y cosmologías no cristianas y no occidentales" (Grosfoguel, 2011, p. 345); es decir, que reproduce una gramática de identidad/alteridad racista.…”

“…Por otra parte, si la pedagogía racista contribuye a exacerbar las desigualdades en el acceso a la justicia social y a estructurar relaciones sociales de dominación en la diversidad, en oposición, la pedagogía antirracista (Berman y Paradies, 2008) apuesta por conseguir lo contrario: la construcción de una sociedad que garantice el acceso equitativo de todo sujeto a la justicia social y desarrolle relaciones sociales de solidaridad en la diversidad; pues surge al reconocer que la cohesión social en la diversidad es improbable si no se combaten los sistemas de pensamiento y las prácticas que reproducen las desigualdades.…”

Diversity characteristics and the experiences of nursing students during clinical placements: A qualitative study of student, faculty and supervisors’ views

“…It has been reported that 1 in 10 Australians holds racist beliefs (Dunn, Forrest, Burnley, & McDonald, 2004) and that the challenges that this implies have to be addressed (Berman & Paradies, 2010). Johnstone and Kanitsaki (2009, p. 63) describes 'the illusion of non-racism in health care' based on the belief that 'racism is not an issue any more.'…”