The Politics of Race and Residence

Moving beyong traditional concern with pattern and process, this innovative text explores the political and legislative history of 'racial' segregation in Britain. It provides a critical commentary on the development of national and local housing policy, on the operation of the major markets and institutions, and on the organization of urban management. This book rejects the reality of 'race' as an explanatory construct, focusing instead on how and why racial inequality is constituted through economic, political and social activity. It is a contribution to the growing literature in search of an anti-racist social science. To that end, segragation is analysed not just as a spatial form, but also as a politically constructed problem and as a socially constructed way of life. Together, these insights implicate the organization of residential space in the iniquitous dispensation of many economic, welfare and civil rights associated with citizenship in capitalist democracies. The Politics of 'Race' and Residence explores the connections between social geography, social administration and political science. The book gathers together a hitherto fragmented body of data to provide a reinterpretation of 'racial segregation' that is both theoretically innovative and politically relevant. It will therefore serve the needs of advanced undergraduates in a variety of social science disciplines, while providing a useful source of reference for courses offering professional qualifications in housing and urban management.