Issues of Race and Empire in British Social History and Politics - Essay Example

?Sociology Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts (27 04, Outline Introduction 2. How have issues of race and empire been interlinked in British social history and politics. 3. Conclusion How have issues of race and empire been interlinked in British social history and politics. 1. Introduction British Empire has been in power for hundreds of years. It has gargantuan impact in Britain during its time. In the modern era, the British Empire has had enormous impact with and outside Britain. The society changed rapidly. British ideologies have been spread widely in different parts of the world. One of the ideologies and attitudes that British Empire has spread is racism. Issues of racism have been closely intertwined with the social and political systems in Britain. This Essay will discuss how issues of race and empire have been interlinked in British social history and politics. The discussion will highlight capitalism and imperialism. 2. How have issues of race and empire been interlinked in British social history and politics. Racism is the belief of a particular race that they are superior to other races. A racist believes that they are superior and that they have the right to rule over the minority. The racist discriminate against the other races that are viewed as the minority. Racists dominate in many areas as the minorities remain unrepresented. Williams (1994, p. 154) points out the racism supports capitalist ideologies. Capitalism encouraged free trade and capital gain. The British Empire used racism to enhance their philosophy. Slave trade and slavery enabled the British to accumulate wealth. The wealth created was owned by a few people who owned the means of production. The workers who were of the race considered inferior were poor. A large gap between the upper social class and low social class emerged. The upper social class controlled wealth and had political power. Britain has experienced racism in the past and in the present at different times. Kramer (2002, p. 1316) says that the social history of Britain reveals that the native British were not allowed to freely interact with the Anglo-Saxon. The natives and the Anglo-Saxons were not allowed to intermarry. Anglo-Saxon living in Britain enjoyed living with the British and benefited both economically and socially. The Anglo-Saxons whose majority were warriors were considered invaders; hence they were deemed to be of low social status. Consequently, women who were native British origin were forbidden from marrying a man from a low social class than them. The British Empire is believed to have coined ideas concerning free trade, capitalism, enforced labor, criminalization of the poor, strict hierarchies and created social classes. The ideologies enabled people to create wealth while others remained poor. The empire colonized Africans after the assumption that no one owned the land and that the people in the land were uncivilized. British argued that it was going to bring civilization by setting up the infrastructure as Rich (1990, p. 76) discusses. Another argument was that the uncivilized societies were not effectively utilizing the land they inhabited. Colonization brought significant benefits to the Empire among them political fame and glorification of their name. Slave trade was prominent and led to creation of trade centers. As a result, capitalism developed with a clear divide of social classes. Racism and class differentiation brought British political power (Hughes 2011, p. 1). Creation of social classes caused inequalities in political power, social power, and wealth distribution living condition, life expectancy and employment. Richards (2009, p. 23) notes that the upper social class were dominated by the British natives who were educated, professionals, owned industries and firms, successful in business and held political positions. People in the social class were mainly industrial and farm workers, who were poor and lacked education. The social classes reflect in the present British society. Majority of the political leaders and business owners are native British people. The British Empire has been accused of beginning the race issues. The empire pursuit of slave trade and colonization is considered an act of racism. Parts of India and America were colonized in the eighteenth up to twentieth century. British perception on the Africans and Indians was revealed in the treatment of the subjects by the British investors. The stereotypes that were developed during colonization have been carried on in the present day. Colonialism was an expansion of the British Empire. The ideologies and administration was applied in the colonies. British administration structures strongly influenced the governments that took over after many colonies gained independence. Ties between British former colonies and the colonies still remain. Issues of race have been a concern from time to time in Britain in the recent past. Riots based on race have been held, with most affecting the minorities. In the late twentieth century, issues of discrimination and oppression stirred several riots in the streets. The riots were a major threat to the survival of the society. Additionally, racial related crimes committed against another race were common. Races largely affected included the Africans and the Jews who were the minorities. The British politicians increasingly condemned racism in public. Public figures and politicians used terms such as far-right and British National Front to limit their racial expressions that would implicate them. However, many politicians have been accused by the media of promoting racism or having racial attitudes (Bell 2007, p. 34). Victims of racism are immigrants and non- English people in Britain. Public and private institutions have become racist as a result. Race Relations Act was passed to discourage discrimination and supported the establishment of a Relations Boards to deal with the issues. Later on a commission was established to promote equity in housing, employment and social services. Legislation supported by public authorities has been enacted to reform the police force. The effort aim at promoting equity and eliminate racism. The challenge is that although there is legislation, discrimination in Britain is rampant. Immigration of Jews or any other group of immigrants fleeing their country was not favored by the legislation enacted by the British. The legislation prevented influx of immigrants. Racial issues increased rapidly after the terrorism act was passed. Racial profiling on people who are Muslims or have background of Muslims have experienced discrimination. Racist ideology was wide spread during the first and second world war. Hall & McClelland (2009, p. 44) state that racial discrimination in education, hotels, public places and social services was rampant. Those who were serving in the navy were not promoted. Africans who studied in the Britain were not allowed to settle after completing their studies. In schools the textbooks described the Africans and the Indians as uncivilized or half-civilized. The racial descriptions have been abolished although the notions still remain in the minds of many. In sports, racism is reflected. The major football club shows underrepresentation of the minorities. Black or Indian managers and coaches hardly make it in the sports. There are also a limited number of players who are in the football teams. Employment policies that have been enacted ensure that there is equity. Recruitment and employment is a major issue where the minorities are underrepresented. Employers have to balance between ethnic or race minorities and the academic qualifications. The social status of the minorities is worsened by low levels of employment. The minorities are recruited as a last resort. The situation is worsened by global recession. The gap between the natives and non-natives becomes large. The public sector has effectively enacted equality in employment as the law requires. Recruitment companies that have outsourced are not subjected to the legal duty of antiracism. In urban areas the minorities are also underrepresented. The police have been accused of racism. When making arrests they have been accused of racial language such as Nigger and black to address people when making arrests. Racial representation in the police force is believed to be unequal. Children have also been affected by the racism issues in Britain. Teachers and people who interact with children have been beseeched to avoid impacting racism on the young ones. Racism remarks when addressing children are discouraged (Williams 1991, p. 78). The British Empire pursuit of slave trade resulted in exploitation and human rights issues. Slave trade particularly targeted the Africans and the Indians. The slaves were made to work in the plantations belonging to the native British people. The slaves were required to obey the master. The British claimed that their motive was to improve the lives of the minorities. Instead, they continued to be oppressed. The empire exploited natural resources and raw materials in selected locations. Bush (1999, p.19) argues that the British Empire participated in imperialism. Like other super powers in the world, the British Empire was keen to acquire more territories in underdeveloped parts of Africa and India. The empire considered it superiors and looked down upon the underdeveloped world. While in the colonies, the empire subscribed to divide and rule. Differences such as religion, ethnicity, tribe, race or another difference was utilized to fuel conflict. The conflict kept the people fighting each other, and Britain remained in the presence to keep peace. The population in Britain was increasing rapidly yet during the slave trade. The British Empire was successful in gaining political power. It possessed a large number of colonies and created wealth. It gained control of the wealth and established the empire. The wealth and resources were controlled by a small group of British people. Former colonies continue to use English as a national language. The divisions in wealth distribution and class division were also supported by the Judiciary, Church of England and the Armed Forces. The institutions accepted and supported the social class structures. Moral issues surrounding the British Empire ideas have been raised. Among the major issues is slave trade, victimization of the poor, factory and plantation system. There is a large disparity in social justice. The structure and ideology that the British Empire championed has been blamed for unequal power, wealth distribution and moral responsibilities. In the nineteenth century, slave trade began to be questioned. There were campaigns against slave trade and the freedom for those who were slaves. Scholars engaged in scientific studies revealed that the Africans, Jews, Indians and other races were all human beings. Stereotypes that labeled the colored people as hostile, fit for hard work, and uncivilized were discouraged. The scientists argued that they were capable of thinking and working like the white people. The minorities in Britain and the colonized had to cope with the racism. The British Empire demanded loyalty from all the people under its rule. Richards (2009, p. 215) mentions that the British Empire developed a racist culture where discriminative language and behavior was part of everyday encounters for the Africans, Jews and Indians among other minorities living in Britain or Colonized by Britain. Race and Empire issues that have been discussed indicate a clear separation with other races. Currently, racial segregation is reduced, although it remains unaddressed. Imperialism ended with the demise of scramble for Africa. Goldstein (2011, p. 1) adds that capitalist ideologies are still being practiced. The wealthy are in control of the economy and have access to social services in Britain. Political positions are dominated by the whites. Community organizations to assist victims of racism have been established. Race issues have been raised during elections where majority of the elected are the British. According to Bush (1999, p. 11) eliminating racism would require capitalism to be replaced with democracy. Capitalist ideologies that require people to create wealth and justify the oppression of the minorities can be overcome. 3. Conclusion Issues of race and empire have been interlinked in British history. The society and politics have been largely impacted by British Empire ideologies. Capitalism and imperialism are the theories that have been drawn from the social and political history in this essay. The British Empire ideology of capitalism paved way for racism. Racism has led to discrimination, victimization and outright segregation of the society into two classes; upper social class and low social class. The uppers social class control wealth. The political positions are also dominated by the upper social class which also subjugated by the whites. Issues of race revealed brought up moral issues and caused legislators to come up with laws that protect the minority. Issues of race and empire can be reversed if capitalist ideologies are abandoned. References Bell, D. 2007. The idea of Great Britain: Empire and the future of World Order, 1860-1900. Princeton University Press. Bush, B., 1999. Imperialism, Race and Resistance: Africa and Britain, 1919-1945. London: Routledge. Goldstein, E., 2011., Right on Calvert-Smit. Available at [accessed 27th April 2012] Hall, C. & McClelland, K., 2009. Race, Nation And Empire. University of Michigan Press. Hughes, T., 2011. The rise and fall of the British Empire. Available at [accessed 27th April 2012] Kramer, P. A. 2002. ‘Empires, Exceptions, and Anglo-Saxons: Race and Rule between the British and United States Empires, 1880-1910.’ Journal of American History. 88, 4, 1315-1353. Richards, G., 2009., Race, Racism, and Psychology: Towards a Reflexive History. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. Rich, P. B. 1990., Race and empire in British Politics. Cambridge University Press. Williams, E., 1994. Capitalism and Slavery. United States of America: G. P. Putnam. Read More