British Multiculturalism and the Politics of Representation
Uses poststructuralist theory to connect inclusion, exclusion and identity, centred around real-world case studies from British culture, politics and law
Lasse Thomassen argues that the politics of inclusion and identity should be viewed as struggles over how these identities are represented. He centres this argument through careful analysis of cases from the last four decades of British multiculturalism.
Key Features- Uses a fresh, poststructuralist approach to reconcile the theoretical and practical issues surrounding inclusion and exclusion – a rare example of how poststructuralism can speak to mainstream concerns and theory
- Opens up debates and themes including Britishness, race, the nature and role of Islam in British society, homelessness and social justice
- Case studies include public debates about the role of religion in British society; Prime MInisters Gordon Brown and David Cameron’s contrasting versions of Britishness; legal cases about religious symbols and clothing in schools; and the Nick Hornby novel How to Be Good – most of which have never been covered in such detail before
- Examines a number of legal cases: ‘The Queen on the application of Sarika Angel Watkins-Singh v. The Governing Body of Aberdare Girls’ High School and Rhondda Cynon Taf Unitary Authority’, High Court, 2008; ‘Playfoot (a minor), R (on the application of) v Millais School’ High Court 2007; ‘X v Y’, High Court, 2007; and ‘Mandla and another v Dowell Lee and another’, House of Lords, 1983
Acknowledgements Introduction: Identity, Inclusion and Representation
- Hegemony, Representation and Britishness
- Subjects of Equality
- (Not) Just a Piece of Cloth: Recognition and Representation
- Tolerance: Circles of Inclusion and Exclusion
- Hospitality beyond Good and Bad
Conclusion: Multiculturalism, Britishness and Muscular Liberalism Bibliography Index
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This is a book of great originality that contributes new insights to the politics of representation. Thomassen makes a bold contribution to contemporary struggles for recognition by treating them not primarily as battles to include (or exclude) new political groups, but as moments where people contest the very terms of political and ethnic identities and their interrelations. In so doing, he re-makes multiculturalism from a crowd-pleasing ideal into a window for interrogating the power plays whereby constructions of identity are by turns invoked and renegotiated.
