Beyond race?

Sawitri Saharso,Tabea Scharrer

doi:10.1186/s40878-021-00272-y

Abstract

While at the moment the world seems to be divided along racial lines and ‘race’ appears to be a central axe of social inclusion and exclusion, in this article we ask whether it is thinkable to go ‘beyond race’. We want to explore the idea of going ‘beyond race’ in four different ways: (1) ‘Beyond race’ as a demographic reality when people of mixed origin form the majority of population; (2) ‘Beyond race’ in regard to policies that aim at combatting inequalities also along color lines, yet are no longer dependent on a notion of race. (3) ‘Beyond race’ in terms of political mobilizations, e.g. the possibility or desirability of anti-racist movements not grounded in identity politics and (4) ‘Beyond race’ as a conceptualization of race that is decoupling biology and culture, or even to stop thinking in racial categories altogether, yet without de-politicizing any marginalised group’s, history and experience. We are aware that this questioning of race, and by implication of ethnicity, may be a typical hang-up of two authors based in Europe. We have invited authors from different parts of the world, and with different academic backgrounds to reflect in a commentary on the issues we raise and to explain their position.

Highlights

When we started thinking about this commentary series, the world was protesting against racist violence and structural racism following the death of George Floyd, yet another Black victim of police violence
We want to explore ‘beyond race’ in the light of four contemporary debates or four angles from which this question can be discussed. This question refers to demographic changes which, due to migration and changing marriage patterns, will result in the majority of the population in some places being of mixed race
We stated that we want to explore what ‘beyond race’ may mean from four angles: (1) ‘Beyond race’ as a demographic reality of a majority population consisting of people of mixed origin. (2) ‘Beyond race’ as the possibility to develop public policies that aim to combat inequalities, yet are no longer dependent on a notion of race. (3) ‘Beyond race’ as a basis for anti-racist political mobilization and (4) ‘Beyond race’ as a new conceptualization of race that is decoupling biology and culture, or even to stop thinking in racial categories altogether, yet without de-politicizing Black’s, or any subjected group’s, history and experience

Summary

Introduction

When we started thinking about this commentary series, the world was protesting against racist violence and structural racism following the death of George Floyd, yet another Black victim of police violence. We want to explore what possible implications these demographic changes may have for the discussion of public policies, like affirmative action programs for disadvantaged minority groups.

Results

Conclusion