Race, pluralism and power: The British parallel with South Africa

Abstract

The recent direct collective action by Blacks in Brixham is only the latest in a history of similar events. Interest is usually directed to understanding the precipitating issues and the motives of immediate participants. This article sets them in their structural context by focusing on the location of Blacks in the British political process. Despite the obvious and many differences between the Black communities in South Africa and Britain, this article points to a surprising parallel. The two countries are remarkably similar in making their political process impenetrable to issues centring on race over and above limits set by that process. Direct collective action such as that in Brixham or Soweto, has to be seen in the light of this impenetrability. Although related together in this article, the two themes, of impenetrability and the South African parallel, are distinct. Nor are they of equal importance, for the article has something more important to say about impenetrability. But the parallel is not normally recognised and is, I believe, the logical consequence of impenetrability.