ABSTRACT
This chapter theorises notions used in discussions of race equality, notably ‘race’, ethnicity, diversity, culture and religion/faith. As a number of scholars have pointed out, the scientific consensus is that there is no scientific utility or meaning in the idea of the human species being sub-divided into ‘races’ with fixed phenotypical or genetic features. A key concept in exploring and exposing the use of the category of ‘race’ is that of racialisation, a process whereby the socially constructed category of ‘race’ structures the perceptions and interactions of people. Nevertheless, there are reasons for thinking that there are limits to what reform can achieve and that racialisation is deeply embedded in the structures of Western societies. The chapter considers these reasons more fully in our discussion of Critical Race Theory, and its relevance to discussions of the racialisation of public policy generally and planning particularly.
