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Race Politics in Britain and France

Ideas and Policymaking since the 1960s

Erik Bleich author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:2nd Jun '03

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Race Politics in Britain and France cover

This book provides the first detailed historical exploration of race policy development in Britain and France.

Britain and France have developed substantially different policies to manage racial tensions since the 1960s, in spite of having similar numbers of post-war ethnic minority immigrants. This book provides the first detailed historical exploration of race policy development in these two countries.Britain and France have developed substantially different policies to manage racial tensions since the 1960s, in spite of having similar numbers of post-war ethnic minority immigrants. This book provides the first detailed historical exploration of race policy development in these two countries. In this path-breaking work, Bleich argues against common wisdom that attributes policy outcomes to the role of powerful interest groups or to the constraints of existing institutions, instead emphasizing the importance of frames as widely-held ideas that propelled policymaking in different directions. British policymakers' framing of race and racism principally in North American terms of color discrimination encouraged them to import many policies from across the Atlantic. For decades after WWII, by contrast, French policy leaders framed racism in terms influenced largely by their Vichy past, which encouraged policies designed primarily to counter hate speech while avoiding the recognition of race found across the English Channel.

'… this book should be read not only by those interested n race politics or the politics of both France and Britain, but also by everyone interested in the general role of ideas in politics.' E-extreme
'A comprehensive attempt to tackle the historical evolution of race policies in two countries with much the same problem … The book supports both systems as potential models for the EU as a whole.' The Times
'… an insightful account … Bleich provides an interesting comparative survey of race policies in France and Britain and tests his hypothesis successfully with facts and attention-grabbing anecdotes.' Cercles
'… a well-written empirical analysis that usefully emphasises the power of beliefs and ideas in policy-making …' Political Studies Review

ISBN: 9780521811019

Dimensions: 236mm x 159mm x 21mm

Weight: 474g

246 pages