Racism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Paperback]

Ali Rattansi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0192805908 | ISBN-13: 978-0192805904 | Publication Date: May 1, 2007

From subtle discrimination in everyday life, to horrors like lynching in the Old South, cultural imperialism, and "ethnic cleansing", racism exists in many different forms, in almost every facet of society. Despite civil rights movements and other attempts at progress, racial prejudices and stereotypes remain deeply embedded in Western culture. Racism takes a frank and objective look at why these notions exist. It explores how racism has come to be so firmly established, and looks at how race, ethnicity, and xenophobia are related. This book incorporates the latest research to demystify the subject of racism and explore its history, science, and culture. It sheds light not only on how racism has evolved since its earliest beginnings, but also explores the numerous embodiments of racism, highlighting the paradox of its survival, despite the scientific discrediting of the notion of 'race' with the latest advances in genetics. As encompassing as it is concise, Racism is a valuable guide to one of the world's most destructive problems.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ali Rattansi is currently Visiting Professor of Sociology at City University, London. His publications include Racism, Modernity, and Identity: On the Western Front, 'Race', Culture, and Difference, and Racism and Anti-racism: Inequalities, Opportunities, and Policies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192805908
• ISBN-13: 978-0192805904
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction, June 24, 2010

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Justice - See all my reviews

This review is from: Racism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

I thought that, as far as a highly sensitive topic goes, this was the best possible way to address it in an intelligent and sensitive way. The book is up to date on recent scientific developments and maintains, rightly, that race can never be seriously treated as anything but a social construct. That being said, the author does not dismiss the power and relevance of the social category of race, and talks about the complex ways in which racism(s) play a role in our everyday lives. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the way the author suggests that labeling someone a "racist" can in some ways be as essentializing and unfair as racism in practice is. The Rattansi does not say this in order to dismiss the power or brutality of many forms of overt and covert racial hatreds; on the contrary, he suggests that racism is far too complex a historical and cultural phenomenon to be dismissed as one person's individual pathology. A very good introduction and a good brief historiography. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone.