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The social construction of racism: the case of second generation Bangladeshis
Author(s) -
Ahmed Bipasha,
Nicolson Paula,
Spencer Chris
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of community and applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.042
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1099-1298
pISSN - 1052-9284
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1298(200001/02)10:1<33::aid-casp529>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - racism , covert , sociology , construct (python library) , subject (documents) , gender studies , discursive psychology , social constructionism , phenomenon , discourse analysis , social psychology , epistemology , psychology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , library science , computer science , programming language
This paper examines the ways in which a group of middle class second generation Bangladeshi adults construct and account for their experiences of racism. Using a discursive analysis of tape recorded conversations, the study shows how various discursive practices construct racism in participant's descriptions of racist experiences, and how these constructions serve particular functions. For instance, the discourses of an ‘improved present’ and ‘racism as present but hidden’ are identified. In these discourses, I argue, racism is constructed as a problem of the past and therefore only a comparatively minor problem at present, or as present phenomenon, but manifesting itself in more subtle covert forms. I argue that these discourses may be considered as problematic in that they can be seen as potentially sustaining and perpetuating particular kinds of social relations. What I also wish to argue is that this kind of analysis demonstrates the need for a theorization of the subject. In this case, the need for racism to be understood from the perspective of these middle class second generation Bangladeshis. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.