The Legal Construction of the Notion of Anti-White Racism in France

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-155
Author(s):  
Mathias Möschel
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Critical Race ◽  
White Racism ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
Critical Whiteness ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Legal Construction

This article focuses on the legal construction of the notion of anti-White racism in France. By analyzing cases litigated under criminal law, it describes how a right-wing NGO has been promoting this notion via a litigation strategy since the late 1980s, initially with only limited success. Public debates in mainstream media in the 2000s and intervention by more traditional antiracist NGOs in courts have since contributed to a creeping acceptance of anti-White racism both within courtrooms and in broader public discourse. This increased recognition of anti-White racism is highly problematic from a critical race and critical Whiteness perspective.

scholarly journals Erasing Race in the Canadian Media: The Case of Suaad Hagi Mohamud

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Odartey-Wellington
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Alternative Media ◽  
Critical Race ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
News Discourse ◽  
Etude De Cas ◽  
Media Discourses

ABSTRACT This article proposes a critical race theoretical approach to news discourse to counter the erasure of race in Canadian public discourse, using media coverage of the Suaad Hagi Mohamud affair as a case study. Between May and August 2009, Mohamud, a Canadian of Somali origin, was stranded in Nairobi, Kenya, because Canadian authorities voided her passport on the erroneous grounds that she was an impostor and consequently procured her prosecution by Kenyan authorities. While Mohamud’s case received extensive media coverage in Canada, much of the coverage failed to interrogate the possibility that her experience was racially motivated, despite facts that should have raised such concerns. Consequently, this article adopts a critical race perspective in discussing mainstream media coverage of the case and suggests alternative media discourses that engage with the race question in relevant cases.RÉSUMÉ Cet article applique la théorie critique de la race au discours de l’information afin de contrer l’effacement de la race dans le discours public au Canada, en utilisant la couverture médiatique de l’affaire Suaad Hagi Mohamud comme étude de cas. Entre mai et août 2009, Mohamud, une Canadienne d’origine somalienne, n’a pas pu quitter Nairobi au Kenya parce que les autorités canadiennes ont annulé son passeport sous le prétexte erroné qu’elle était un imposteur, entraînant ainsi sa poursuite par les autorités kényanes. Bien que le cas de Mohamud ait reçu une couverture médiatique imposante au Canada, une grande part de cette couverture a négligé de soulever l’idée que le racisme ait causé ses malheurs, malgré l’existence de faits qui auraient dû entraîner de telles constatations. En conséquence, cet article a recours à la théorie critique de la race afin de discuter de la couverture médiatique dominante sur le cas et proposer des discours médiatiques alternatifs qui, dans des cas connexes, traitent efficacement de race.

Le Bon’s crowd psychology and post-truth

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-160
Author(s):  
Dusko Prelevic
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Crowd Psychology ◽  
Philosophical Community

The phenomenon of post-truth, in which truth (or facts or the best scientific evidence) is brushed aside in public debates, has recently caught the eye of many philosophers, who typically see it as a threat to deliberative democracy. In this paper, it is argued that Gustave Le Bon?s remarks on crowd psychology, which had been very popular in past (and brushed aside later on), might be relevant for a better understanding of psychological mechanisms that lead to post-truth. According to Le Bon, crowds are often irrational, whereas those who try to convince them to do something should use specific techniques of persuasion, such as affirmation, repetition, contagion and prestige, of which the last one can be undermined either by fiasco (the fastest way), or by critique (a bit slower, but nonetheless effective way). It is the age of posttruth that goes towards the neutralization of any critique (Le Bon himself considered such neutralization devastating for democratic societies), which has been, according to some authors, affected to a great extent by technological innovations in media, such as social media that some authors consider anti-social due to their negative impact on society. I argue that Le Bon?s insights might be useful to members of scientific and philosophical community in their attempts to eliminate the spreading of quasi-scientific views in public discourse.

scholarly journals „Nie popadajmy w przesadę z tą równością” – płeć mózgu, heteronorma i mistyka naukowości

Adeptus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmiła Janion
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Significant Aspect ◽  
Popular Book ◽  
Scientific Justification ◽  
The Brain

„Let’s not be too eager about equality” – brain sex, heteronormativity, and the scientific mystiqueThe article analyses the role of brain sex in Polish public discourse of the last years. The authors of a popular book Brain Sex claim that differences between women and men stem from differences in the brain structure, and because of that they are universal and unchangeable; feminism is based on misrepresentation of science. This thesis was overtaken by right-wing journalists, as it gave scientific justification to conservative gender politics and contemplementarity – the gender ontology of the Catholic church. However, in the rightwing journalism a significant aspect of brain sex theory is silenced, namely, the claim that homo- and transsexuality result from disorders in brain development; they are unchangeable and should be accepted. Despite its conservative roots, brain sex was popularized in liberal media as well. The aura of science that accompanied this popular theory allowed to naturalize its anti-feminism and heteronormativity. This phenomenon is discussed on the basis of media activity of two Polish scientists who are popular both in right-wing and liberal media: Anna Grabowska and Jerzy Vetulani. Both present brain sex theory as objective, universally accepted truth, which is attacked in the name of the leftist ideology by ignorant activists who deny science. „Nie popadajmy w przesadę z tą równością” – płeć mózgu, heteronorma i mistyka naukowościArtykuł analizuje rolę płci mózgu w polskim dyskursie publicznym ostatnich lat. Autorzy niezwykle popularnej w Polsce książki Płeć mózgu twierdzą, że różnice między kobietami i mężczyznami wynikają z różnic w budowie mózgów, a przez to są uniwersalne i niezmienne, feminizm zaś jest oparty na fałszowaniu nauki. Teza ta została podchwycona przez prawicowych publicystów, ponieważ nadawała naukową legitymację konserwatywnej polityce płci oraz komplementaryzmowi – ontologii płci przyjętej przez Kościół katolicki. W prawicowym piśmiennictwie przemilcza się jednak istotny aspekt płci mózgu, mianowicie twierdzenie, że homo- i transseksualność wynikają z wad w rozwoju mózgu, są niezmienne i powinny być akceptowane. Mimo swoich konserwatywnych korzeni płeć mózgu była popularyzowana także w mediach liberalnych. Nimb naukowości, którym otaczany był popularny pogląd, pozwalał naturalizować związane z nim antyfeminizm i heteronormatywność. Zjawisko to omówione jest na podstawie działalności popularyzatorskiej dwojga naukowców, cieszących się popularnością zarówno w prawicowych, jak i liberalnych mediach: Anny Grabowskiej i Jerzego Vetulaniego. Oboje przedstawiali płeć mózgu jako obiektywną, powszechnie uznawaną naukową prawdę, z którą w imię lewicowej ideologii próbują walczyć nieakceptujący ustaleń nauki aktywiści.

scholarly journals En opplyst samtale: Om rettsvitenskapens oppgaver i kriminalpolitikken

2017 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Holmboe
Keyword(s):  
Academic Freedom ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Legal Research ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Political Decisions

English title: Title in English: An enlightened public discourse: On the tasks of legal research regarding criminal politicsWhat are the primary tasks of legal research regarding the politics of crime? Political decisions on crime are decided and executed by politicians, the courts and administrators. Researchers should not avoid politically hot issues, but must take care not to let their political sympathies influence their statements when they give opinions qua legal experts. Academic freedom implies a duty for researchers to take part in enlightened public debates.

Countering the Furor Around Critical Race Theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 019263652110454
Author(s):  
Leslie S. Kaplan ◽  
William A. Owings
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Public School ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Success For All ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Critical Race ◽  
Race Theory ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
Improve Instruction

National right-wing media and their viewers are alleging that critical race theory (CRT) is “infecting” public school classrooms, fueling an assault on how schools should discuss race, racism, and our nation's history. This turmoil over curriculum and teaching “sensitive” topics is deeply upsetting to teachers. Principals can strengthen their school's climate, shared leadership, and improve instruction and academic success for all students by helping their teachers manage and respond appropriately to parental and community questions about CRT.

The Problem of Political Ignorance

2021 ◽  
pp. 156-187
Author(s):  
Maxime Lepoutre
Keyword(s):  
Social Group ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Political Information ◽  
Group Cognition ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Political Beliefs ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Group Identities ◽  
Epistemic Function ◽  
Scientific Questions

This chapter turns to the problem that political ignorance poses for democratic public discourse. It is often held (1) that ordinary citizens know too little to engage competently in public debates about politics and (2) that, because of the influence of group identity on political beliefs (or ‘group cognition’), this problematic ignorance is here to stay. The chapter argues that this influential worry fails, because it misunderstands the epistemic function of social group identities. The experiences involved in being a member of a particular social group are epistemically useful for deciding whose political judgment and what political information to trust. This is true even when it comes to scientific questions that bear on political issues, and even when people are dogmatically committed to their group perspectives. So, group cognition constitutes a useful tool for managing and overcoming political ignorance—and, by extension, for defusing the threat it raises for public discourse.

Jan Blommaert & Jef Verschueren. Debating diversity: Analysing the discourse of tolerance. London: Routledge, 1998. Pp. xiv, 233 pp. Pb $22.99.

2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-272
Author(s):  
Mary Bucholtz
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Ethnic Studies ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Dutch Version ◽  
Broad Scope ◽  
Pragmatic Analysis ◽  
Race And Ethnic Studies ◽  
Policies And Practices

Debating diversity, a pragmatic analysis of official liberal discourse concerning migration in Flemish Belgium, is a thorough, topical, and relevant treatment of the widespread yet near-invisible forms of racism that pervade public discourse on cultural difference. Electing not to focus on the far more widely recognized phenomenon of right-wing racism, the authors instead offer a careful critique that makes clear that the left is by no means immune to racism in its policies and practices. Following in the wake of research by a number of other politically oriented discourse analysts, this volume addresses how racism manifests itself in discourse. It therefore serves as an important reminder that ideologies are constructed, and hence contingent and changeable. Because of the broad scope of its inquiry and the relatively accessible methods it employs, it will be of interest to scholars in many fields, including anthropology, communication, political science, race and ethnic studies, and sociology, as well as linguistics. Despite its sometimes overwhelming wealth of detail, it may also appeal to a nonacademic readership, as did the Dutch version of the book when it was first published in Belgium.

scholarly journals Comparing American perceptions of post-Civil War Ku Klux Klan and transnational violence

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-304
Author(s):  
Michael Newell
Keyword(s):  
Physical Violence ◽  
Ku Klux Klan ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Ontological Security ◽  
American Government ◽  
National Belonging ◽  
Reconstruction Era ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
State Responses

Recently, public debates have questioned whether or not the American government responds differently to terrorism by white, right-wing, Americans. This article examines a historical period in which similar dynamics were on display in state responses to the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Irish-American Fenians, and anarchists from 1860 to 1920. This history suggests that political officials responded to these groups more on the basis of ideas than their actual levels of violence, including discourses of Americanism shaped by ideology, nativism, and racism. Successful claims to ‘Americanism’ lent the KKK a sense of familiarity that led it to be seen as less of a threat to ontological security, even as it posed a significant threat of physical violence. In contrast, the ideologically subversive and foreign anarchists were responded to more severely, despite being responsible for far fewer deaths and injuries than the KKK. This history suggests that American counter-terrorism has been influenced by factors of racial and national belonging in the past, and provides significant context for the consideration of current debates about responses to right-wing groups.

scholarly journals ‘Embarrassing the State’: The ‘Ordinary’ Prisoner Rights Movement in Ireland, 1972–6

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-410
Author(s):  
Oisín Wall
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Political Prisoners ◽  
Penal System ◽  
Small Minority ◽  
Prisoner Rights ◽  
Penal Reform ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Emerging Issues

This article explores the early years of the campaign for ‘ordinary’, not politically-aligned, prisoners’ rights in Ireland. It argues that this campaign has often been overshadowed by the activities of ‘political prisoners’, who only constituted a small minority of prisoners in the period. The article follows the development and changing tactics of the ordinary prisoners’ movement, through the rise and fall of the Prisoners’ Union (PU) (1972–3) and into the early years of the Prisoners’ Rights Organisation (PRO) (1973–6), which would become the longest-lasting and most vocal penal reform organisation in Ireland, until the formation of the Irish Penal Reform Trust in 1994. It argues that the movement constantly adapted its tactics to address emerging issues and opportunities. Ultimately, it contends that by 1976 the PRO was an increasingly legitimate voice in Ireland’s public discourse on prisons. It shows that, although the campaign did not achieve any major penal reforms in this period, it had a significant impact on public debates about prisons, prisoners’ mental health, the failures of the penal system, and prisoners’ entitlement to human rights.

Toward a Methodology and Public Discourse of Christological Concreteness: Lessons from a Discussion of Health Care Rationing in the United States

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-364
Author(s):  
Nicholas R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
The United States ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Public Theology ◽  
Health Care Rationing ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Care Rationing ◽  
Public Health Expenditures

Abstract A recent passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has once again sparked fierce public debates within the United States over the permissibility of health care rationing. Unfortunately only a handful of public theologians have addressed this issue, and those who have often fail to draw upon Jesus’ ethical praxis. This article corrects this lacuna by offering a clarifying theological analysis and defence of one form of rationing, known as Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER), through a proposed method of Christological concreteness. The article begins by outlining which CER provisions are included in the ACA, and then discusses how they will re-shape US public health expenditures in the future. An examination of Richard Land’s and Jim Wallis’s theological evaluations of rationing is used to demonstrate that, while each is helpful in some respects, both omit the moral saliency of Jesus. To correct these shortcomings, the article draws upon some recent methodological trends within Christian ethics and devises a Christological method based upon a synthesis of integrative, canonical, reiterative, embodied and incarnational variables. Finally, a critical analysis of Allen Verhey’s discussion of health care rationing explains why his approach not only provides a compelling justification for using CER but also a preferable approach for public theology.

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