Outsiders Within: The Reality of Rural Racism (From Rural Racism, P 63-84, 2004, Neil Chakraborti and Jon Garland, eds. -- See NCJ-208839)

• NCJ Number: 208843
• Author(s): Dominic Malcolm
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In an effort to compensate for the weaknesses of current British surveys in identifying racial harassment in rural areas with a low concentration of minority ethnic populations, this chapter reports on the findings of a qualitative study of racism, prejudice, and discrimination in West Norfolk, a rural part of a county located in the east of England.

Abstract

Funded by a number of local organizations, the research focused on the experiences of 60 households from a range of minority ethnic groups, including Black, Asian, Chinese, asylum-seeker, Traveler, and Irish households. A questionnaire administered to the participants was followed by open-ended discussion. Overall, most respondents considered racism, prejudice, and discrimination in West Norfolk as relatively rare, with only 26 percent describing it as "very" or "quite common." Half the Black and Asian respondents described racism and prejudice as "very" or "quite" common; whereas, only 1 out of 5 Travelers, 1 out of 13 Chinese respondents, and no asylum-seekers so responded. Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported that they often or sometimes experienced verbal abuse; 20 percent often or sometimes experienced damage to their property; and 4 percent reported often or sometimes being physically abused. Thirty-six percent stated they were often or sometimes the subject of obtrusive staring, and 22 percent reported they were often or sometimes avoided by people. This chapter argues that self-defined, "low-level" racial harassment is based on the subjective assessments of the individuals involved. In some cases these incidents were so common that they ceased to be remarkable or to merit being defined as racially motivated incidents. Such subjective assessments influence all official statistics and explain why qualitative forms of research reveal a greater frequency of subtle and repetitive incidents of discriminatory behaviors against ethnic minorities. Such forms of harassment are particularly present in rural areas with a low concentration of minority ethnic populations. 12 notes and 25 references