Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series

The continuing prevalence of racial inequality and discrimination is well documented in Britain. While there are multiple accounts of how state institutions are shaped by and reproduce racism, much less has been said about their current and potential contribution to anti-racism. This book elucidates the long-term impact on racism of positive action in employment and multicultural school curricula. It also explores whether international human rights law creates a duty for states to adopt these policies. Positive action and multicultural curricula are not new and have long been advocated by multiculturalists, but this book systematically unpacks how they can counter four structural drivers of racism: racialised national identities, racialised power inequalities, racial fearmongering, and racial segregation. The book goes on to examine the extent to which they have been implemented in Britain, as well as the legal and political opportunities for future development.