ABSTRACT
The term ‘race’ has become somewhat discredited since biological evidence has pointed to the non-existence of ‘races’. ‘Ethnic group’ has become the preferred term, and this is defined by one author as
a segment of a larger society whose members are thought, by themselves and/or by others, to share a common origin and to share important segments of a common culture, and who, in addition, participate in shared activities in which the common origin and culture are significant ingredients. (Yinger, 1981)
This is the sense in which I shall be referring to the pupil groups discussed in this chapter. However, though ‘races’ do not exist in a scientific sense, they are constructed in people’s minds. When this amounts to attributing ‘characteristics to social groups in a biologically and culturally deterministic manner’ this may be described as ‘racism’ (Rattansi, 1989:15). Where people engage in practices that discriminate among these groups, we have ‘racial discrimination’. These beliefs and practices appear to predominate over scientific fact in society at large with the result that ‘race’ is just as big an issue, if not bigger, than social class and gender. It is certainly more explosive, with increasing incidence of racial unrest disorder, and violence, both in society and in schools.
