Making the white folk angry: the media, "race" and electoral politics in the United Kingdom in 2010

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PDFMaking the white folk angry: the media, "race" and electoral politics in the United Kingdom in 2010

20 April 2011This article examines the broadcast and press media’s role in promoting a new “xeno-racism” and the re-emergence of an exclusivist “white” identity which, it is argued, came to the fore in the period leading up to the 2010 general election in the UK.

It argues that there is a strong interplay between elements of the popular media and leading politicians which serves to reproduce essentialising and exclusionary discourses underpinned by specific ideas about “race” and nation. The article focuses particularly on the repeated use of the category “white working class” which features heavily in debates around immigration and national security. In doing so, it will attempt to trace the roots of this “hegemonic whiteness”  and locate its position in wider social, political and economic contexts, including the growing racialisation of Muslims, the previous Labour government’s desire to appear “tough” on immigration and its preoccupation with combating extremism and fighting the “War on Terror”.

Publication typeReport
Publisher TypeAPO Member, Journal
CoverageUK
Permanent URLhttp://apo.org.au/node/24611
Views1858

Comments

James Hawksby
April 24, 2011, 12:10 pm
This is not something new, it has been happening for years. You are right to state that the discourse has become more apparent because it is increasingly being seen as socially acceptable to 'bash' certain ethnic groups. This reminds me of the signs we used to see in hotels and restaurants aimed at the Irish and black immigrants. Notice Boards Politicians have to take responsibility...they have joined the bashing to ensure they are elected. The reality is that it is not the immigrant communities that are the source of the issue but rather the mismanagement of the nations finances by successive governments

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