ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how 'race' and racism are manifest and played out online in what has been argued to be an egalitarian, 'post-race' space. It considers how those online may feel less accountable to social norms and mores as they do when they are offline. Cyberspace is often viewed as a utopian or an ideal neutral space where 'race', gender, age, religion and other social factors are washed out on a level playing field. Trivialisation emerged through semantic turns, sarcasm and pedantic arguments as the complexities of 'race' and racial politics were simplified to render them impotent and benign. Though there are many sociological descriptions of racism that cover individual, institutional and structural processes and practices, it is important to stress that there are variegated forms of racism and therefore definitions. Proponents of denial and trivialisation are also historically located within a position of privilege and therefore their politics have a propensity to ignore or undermine racist experiences.
