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It’s Not Their Fault That They Have That Colour Skin, Is It?

Young British Children and the Possibilities for Contesting Racializing Representations

  • Chapter
Social Representations and Identity

Abstract

Within the realms of the academy, the dynamic and multiple nature of racism is fiercely debated; symbolic, institutional, cultural, localized, global, new, old, neocolonial, gendered, blatant, and subtle (Back and Solomos 1996; Durrheim and Dixon 2004; Leach 2005; Omi and Winant 1986; Pettigrew & Meetens 1995; Sears 1988) are all terms used in making sense of the ways in which racism adapts itself to the changing contours of the societies we inhabit and research. As a social psychologist informed by Serge Moscovici’s (1961/1976, 2000) theory of social representations, a central concern of mine in the study of racism is how is racism understood in the everyday? How is racism made sense of? Does its contested nature enter into “ordinary” experiences? Does new racism (Leach 2005) for example, have significance in our commonplace discussions about “race” and racism? Furthermore, as a social psychologist concerned with the impact of racism on the identities of children and teenagers, I examine how young people make sense of racism. How do they explain its operation and its consequences in their lives?

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Authors
  1. Caroline Howarth
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Coffs Harbour campus of Southern Cross University, NSW, Australia

    Gail Moloney (lecturer) (lecturer)

  2. Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    Iain Walker (professor of psychology) (professor of psychology)

Copyright information

© 2007 Gail Moloney and Iain Walker

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Howarth, C. (2007). It’s Not Their Fault That They Have That Colour Skin, Is It?. In: Moloney, G., Walker, I. (eds) Social Representations and Identity. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230609181_8

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