White, working-class and racist?

White Working-Class Voices

“…Often, the white working class are portrayed as either in the vanguard of the Right, left behind or voiceless, which precludes perspectives that deviate from these views. As we have discussed, recent studies have shown that the reality may be different for white working-class communities, with opinions ranging from being fatalistic to embracing multiculturalism (Beider, 2011(Beider, , 2014Garner, 2011). The variation in viewpoints, and particularly those that demonstrate a progressive assessment of the issue of race, immigration and change, suggests that a more refined explanation is required.…”

“…Reification is generally flawed and this applies to the white working class and visible minorities. Numerous studies have testified to the richness and diversity within white working-class communities (Rogaly and Taylor, 2009;Beider, 2011Beider, , 2014Garner, 2011;Skey, 2011).…”

“…In the 1960s, the influential Labour politician Richard Crossman acknowledged the vulnerability of the Labour Party to immigration in his 'Diaries' (Crossman, 1991). However, recent research using a mixed methodology, including in-depth interviewing, shows that workingclass communities hold a range of views on multiculturalism and social change (Garner, 2011;Pearce and Milne, 2010;Beider, 2011Beider, , 2014). This will be explored in depth later on in the book.…”

“…White working-class communities engage with minority communities in the same neighbourhoods, workplaces and schools. Recent research has shown that while language may be racialised, there is a wide range of political views, including criticism of the far Right (National Community Forum, 2009;Beider, 2011Beider, , 2014.…”

“…This zero-sum scenario resulted in white working-class communities losing out in the scramble for limited public benefits, such as housing, education and employment (see Hewitt, 2005;Rhodes, 2010). Concern about not being able to access social housing and jobs has been discussed in recent studies based on the experiences of white working-class communities in Britain, as well as a number of European cities, but it is debatable whether it could be viewed as a 'backlash' (National Community Forum, 2009;Pearce and Milne, 2010;Beider, 2011;OSF, 2014). Whether it is a concern, resentment or, indeed, a 'backlash, the perception of migrants and minorities receiving preferential treatment cannot be identified as a recent phenomenon; rather, it has deep roots going back to at least the 1960s (Rhodes, 2010).…”