Race and citizenship Flashcards
How should Britain be conceptualised regarding race and citizenship? (TWO key things)
- An Empire state (Isin 2015), with a historical geography attached to it
- Immigration control as the fundamental reason for recent scandals and internal/external exclusions
What is a major limiation Marshall 1950 when it comes to race in Britain (as well as postcolonial citizenship!)?
Assumes that there is a common culture that it is built upon
Also significant because written after the war, not long after Windrush generation started to arrive - painted a utopian picture far from reality
Why, in the historical context in colonies, is Empire state framework (Isin 2015) useful?
Local forms of citizenship existed at colonies, to keep British citizenship ‘pure’
When was the first British Nationality Act? What did it do?
- 1948
- provided a liberal promise to all those in the commonwealth (25% of world popn)
- Seemingly liberal and inclusive
- But also introduced immigration control as a consequence
- Produced citizenship without substance (Karatani 2003)
When (before 1981) were other immigration acts after 1948?
1962 and 1972; also the important 1982 British citizenship act
All three closed the door opened by 1948 acts
What did the 1962 immigration act do?
Introduced a voucher system which devalued British Citizenship (Sivanandan 1976)
What did the 1971 immigration act do?
Made the connection to Britain (Empire) irrelevant - people from Jamaica treated the same as those from Iran
When was UK citizenship formally created and ratified?
1981 Citizenship act
What were the two implications of the 1981 Citizenship act?
- Formally created the British nation state and defined citizens through this
- Shrunk down Britishness to just one space; ignored the importance and connections to empire (a hyperreality?)
Thus paved the way for citizenship since - subjects -> citizenship. Racism and xenophobia lived on
What was the overall change to British citizenship after WW2?
- Discursive portreyal of openness
- In reality more immigration control externally and trying to keep social cohesion internally (with Blair gov)
Why does the simplification of British Citizenship in 1981 have implications for Black People?
Black identify is much more than British Identity - it also reflects colonial history and an attachment to distant places (Pan-African Movements etc)
Why does citizenship not concern othering?
More than just being an other, it is about having rights, having a connection and being respected (overlooks state racism)
Othering rarely changes
When was operation Valken?
2013
What did operation Valken involve?
Trying to deport people who were not official British citizens - enshrined in 2014 legislation (also created Windrush Scandal in 2018)
How does liberal citizenship (Marshall 1950) lead to anti-immigration sentiments?
Makes people thing that pressure will be put on welfare systems (which represent civil rights in Marshall’s framework)
