Higher education: a market for racism?

by Malcolm James and Sivamohan Valluvan -25 Apr 2014

For the masters tools !ill never
dismantle the masters house" # Audre $orde
%ver the recent !ee&s a number o' articles have addressed the racist realities o' hi(her
education)
*1+
,he continued absence o' blac& and minority ethnic pro'essors- the re-made 'orms
o' institutional university racism- and the subse.uent cover-up provided by hollo!ed-out
institutions e.ualities policies have all been addressed) More recently- important contributions-
includin( /hanveer Sin(h 0rars piece carried on this site-
*2+
have started to address the
broader conte1t o' neoliberalism !hich underpins some o' the racisms in hi(her education) ,his
brie' article 2oins the dialo(ue at that 2unction) 3t is not so much a response to 0rars piece-
!hich poses much !ider .uestions 'or the 'uture o' hi(her education- but it does develop one o'
the points he leaves han(in() Assumin( a di''erent but related tac&- it 'ocuses on the mutual
embrace o' racism and neoliberalism in hi(her education and posits that it is not possible to
unma&e one !ithout unma&in( the other) Focusin( lar(ely on the humanities 4and the study o'
racism5- it addresses the structural and sub2ective dimensions o' racism in neoliberal hi(her
education- in addition to addressin( the problems o' !hite patrona(e- entrepreneurship and the
deni(ration o' theoretic endeavours) ,hrou(h these means- it ar(ues that !hen humans and
humanities become mere products in the mar&etplace- racism provides a lo(ic that sells)
Mar&etisation- !hite patrona(e and the ivory to!ers
As 'i(ures 'rom the 6i(her 7ducation Statistics A(ency sho! hi(her education is a !hite place)
1 in 18 49)9:5 o' pro'essors are 'rom blac& and minority ethnic bac&(rounds !hereas blac&
and minority ethnic academics 'ill 18)2: o' other posts) ;5 o' our 1;-510 university pro'essors
are blac& 40)5:5-
*8+
compared to 8)0: o' the <= population)
*4+
,his is the statistical
veri'ication o' the 3vory ,o!ers # the university as a place o' !hite privile(e and rare'ied
elitism)
As has been noted in contributions such as Absent 'rom the Academy
*5+
this has clear
implications 'or the &inds o' &no!led(e bein( produced- and the role o' education as a
cultivator o' 'reedom and political participation) 6o!ever- in order to properly understand the
place o' racism in hi(her education- the neoliberalisation o' the university needs also to be
addressed) 3nitially this can be approached throu(h the 'orms o' patrona(e that operate in our
increasin(ly mar&etised !or& places) As is !idely &no!n- hi(her education is nepotistic and
academics o'ten help people li&e themselves) ,his !or&s in terms o' (ettin( 2obs- (ettin( boo&
contracts- (ettin( spea&in( slots- (ettin( promotions and even (ettin( throu(h the 4so called
>blind5 peer revie! system) ?hile this can !or& in small !ays to subvert the !hite status .uo-
it more o'ten !or&s to preserve it)
3n recent years hi(her education has su''ered a bruisin( encounter !ith neoliberalism- in the
'orms o' en'orced austerity and the latest transition 'rom public o!nership to the mar&et) 3n this
conte1t 'undin( has become ti(hter- competition more intense and- accordin(ly- bi( !hite
elbo!s have become sharper) A recent >anonymous testimony by a @ussell Aroup academic
revealed the subtle !ays in !hich this e1clusion plays out) 3t revealed ho! academics o' colour
are !ithheld the promotions they !ould ordinarily have come to e1pect- and ho! their labours
are not re!arded to the same e1tent as their !hite peers)
*B+
As Sara Ahmed has noted-
*9+
and as
the corporate bac&lash
*;+
a(ainst the 3- too- am %1'ord
*C+
campai(n made clear- these
e1periences are perniciously denied by diversity policies promoted by the same institutions) 3n
a nepotistic system o' mar&etised and racialised re!ard- this has laid star& the meritocratic
conceit) 3t is perhaps not di''icult to see !hy 6eidi MirDa 4one o' 0ritains 'irst blac& 'emale
pro'essors5 reaches the simple conclusion that in neoliberal hi(her education E0M7 people
o'ten dont 'it)"*10+
Mar&etisation- !hite patrona(e and the student e1perience
Another area o' debate has been o' ho! students 'rom blac& and minority ethnic bac&(rounds
e1perience these !hite rare'ied places) ,his matter cannot be overstated !hen demo(raphic
trends mandate that youn(er student cohorts are considerably more ethnically diverse than the
cohorts 'rom- 'or instance- even 2ust a decade a(o)
*11+
3t can also not be understood aside 'rom
the neoliberalistion o' hi(her education)
3ntervie!ed 'or Absent 'rom the Academy- Faul Ailroy illuminates the issue at hand) 3n
neoliberal education the relations o' patrona(e have evolved to place increased symbolic value
on the >role model or mentor) ?ith attention removed 'rom structural disadvanta(e and
emphasis placed on individual success 4or 'ailure5- the >role model provides the horiDon and
capacity 'or social mobility) 0rou(ht up in this system it is understandable that youn( people
invest in the symbolic premium o' role models) 3t is also understandable that !hen they do not
(ain throu(h this- they internalise the 'ailure) 3n this conte1t- in departments !here minority
bac&(rounds are poorly represented- it ta&es no (reat ima(ination to conclude that blac& and
minority ethnic students are li&ely to 'eel disenchanted- and that their relative immobility in this
system rein'orces personal an1ieties and public stereotypes relatin( to racialised cate(ories o'
'ailure) ,his has a corrosive impact on the 'uture standin( o' academia itsel') ,he 'ailure o' the
humanities to (enerate an academic ma&e-up even loosely re'lective o' the streets 'rom !hich
its student inta&e is sourced renders even its 'uture neoliberal pro'ile un'it 'or purpose)
=een to attain the neoliberal !hite successes lauded by dominant society- this system also leads
many blac& and minority ethnic students to underta&e courses !hich replicate the status .uo-
and a!ay 'rom disciplines 4such as those that address racism5 !hich have a less than clear
mar&et value) ?hilst it is clear that everyone !ould bene'it 'rom underta&in( a study o' race
and racism- it is tellin( that the students !ho stand to bene'it most 'rom the unma&in( o'
racisms intricate lo(ics are encoura(ed to thin& else!here) 3n this conte1t- 'uture critical
en(a(ement !ith neoliberalisms pervasive racial structures loo&s blea&)
Mar&etin( racialised (oods and selves
Academics too are !ittin(ly and un!ittin(ly complicit in this racist pra1is) First- academics are
increasin(ly instructed to approach their research as entrepreneurs- 'ocusin( on !hat the mar&et
!ill 'ind e1citin( and saleable- and this is especially the case amon( youn(er academics
stru((lin( to 'ind non-e1ploitative employment)
?hen the mar&et is the lo(ic- concerns 'or the dehumanisin( e''ects o' racism are- at best-
i(nored and- at !orst- promoted) ,error- community cohesion- and other policy-oriented
dictates become the 'ocus- and the 'orms o' state racism that in'orm these policy directives
become more mar(inal points o' concern) Scholars o' the city are inclined to discover and sell
ever more e1otic accounts o' multiculture and super-diversity that 'eed popular colonialist
appetites) Scholars o' nationalism reinvent themselves as scholars o' social capital and
community) Scholars !or&in( on anti-Muslim racism mi(ht be encoura(ed to rebrand their
!or& as >preventin( terrorism) Such re'ashionin( is o'ten the only !ay o' remainin(
mar&etable to the >bi( 2ournals- rein'orcin( in turn the !hite populist centre o' academic
publishin() 3n the stru((le 'or employment- !e are as&ed to bend our insi(hts to!ards the
centre- and in so doin(- ris& bein( complicit in the production o' racist i(norance that poses as
empirical insi(ht)
@elated to this problem is the precise manner in !hich minority academics !ithin the
humanities brand themselves) $et us remember- lest !e misunderstand academia as someho! a
pursuit nobly removed 'rom the !hims o' the society !hich encases us- that academics are
amon( the more enthusiastic proponents o' individual brand mana(ement 4read citation an1iety
and impact pro'iles5) ?e are perhaps one o' the more Dealous pro'essions in rehabilitatin( the
>technolo(ies o' sel' associated !ith neoliberalism) Fut simply- academics are in e''ect sel'-
entrepreneurs- an1iously curatin( at all times their personal brandGima(e) ,hou(h !e 'ind
ourselves in the midst o' lar(e- putatively public sector or(anisations- and all the rumblin(
bureaucracy this state orientation entails- !e are also each discrete- sel'-employed entities-
al!ays stylisin( ourselves as individuals par e1cellence)
Amidst this t!in dilemma mar&ed by- 'irstly- the individualised measures o' academic output
and- secondly- the a'orementioned scenario !here attention to racism has poor asset value-
minority academics are sometimes encoura(ed to mar& themselves as >authentic spo&espersons
respective to di''erent racialised communities) ,his is not to say that most academics- i' any-
uncritically pursue this route- but rather- it is sometimes the only available lever in a''irmin( an
academic role) And un'ortunately- this &ind o' position-ta&in( har&ens to a lon(er tradition o'
racist representation- !here the e1pressions that racialised people !ere seen to be capable o'
!ere predominantly >intuitive and >cultural and little to do !ith intellectual industry) ,he
problem is revealed by the incredulity that blac& and minority academics encounter !hen
commentin( on social processes beyond those to !hich they are racially desi(nated)*12+
?hite academics too are encoura(ed to sell critical !hiteness studies to the mar&et- or see&
psychic re'u(e in the intellectual creation o' !hite !or&in( class identities) ,his patch!or&
.uilt o' various authentic- insider in.uiries contributes conse.uently to a sel'-'ul'illed
>(hettoisation and denies the &inds o' e1plorations that are necessary to undo racism in society
and in neoliberal hi(her education) As !hiteness studies and studies o' the !hite !or&in( class
become career paths- they also bene'it 'rom the promotion o' !hiteness in hi(her education and
thus occupy spaces and resources !hich mi(ht be (eared to!ards other potential areas o' anti-
racist scholarly activity)
3' our value as scholars o' race and ethnicity lies principally !ithin personal testimony and
insi(hts- insi(hts authorised by our >authentic identities- !e are less able to ma&e the
interventions necessary to sustain plurality) >%ur entry as a >pac&- rather than as racially
authentic individuals- is crucial i' the humanities are to remain relevant and anti-racist pra1is is
to succeed)
,he 0i( ?hite 7lbo!s and their silo mentality
,hese 'orms o' sel'-policin( and >(hettoisation provide 'uel 'or the 0i( ?hite 7lbo!s and
their invested hostility to the study o' racism) Faradin( 2usti'ications ran(in( 'rom the supposed
absence o' interested students to the poor impact value o' anti-racist scholarship # 2usti'ications
that are a product o' racism in neoliberal hi(her education # the 0i( ?hite 7lbo!s 'urther
deni(rate the study o' race and racism as a >silo discipline)
?hat is meant by this accusation is that the study o' race and racism is anachronistic and
in!ard loo&in(- ill-e.uipped to compete in a mar&et place that demands novelty-
interdisciplinarity and con'ormity) ,he paucity o' this ar(ument is both tellin( o' their
participation in the culture o' neoliberal i(norance and their unac&no!led(ed compunction to
drive 'or!ard the !hiteness pro2ect) 3t is also- parado1ically- in denial o' their o!n involvement
in the stream-linin( and massa(in( o' the humanities into silo de'initions that 'its a dominant
<S model o' scholarship and peda(o(y)
Fre.uenters o' dar&matter !ill &no! that the study o' race and racism can hardly be considered
a silo-discipline) 3t has been a home to critical thin&ers 'rom across the humanities- alon(side
their methodolo(ies- approaches and theories)
*18+
,he untimely death o' Stuart 6all dre! brie'
attention to this truth- and to the hu(e contributions o' those !ho !or&ed around him) ,he
problem o' anti-racist study 'or neoliberal hi(her education is not that it is a silo discipline- but
its plurality and there'ore its 'undamental challen(e to neoliberal thin&in() 3t is in 'act
neoliberal education itsel' that most embodies the silo mentality # the compartmentalisation
and cate(orisation o' units o' novel value that can be sold and e1chan(ed uncritically to an
increasin(ly conver(ent academic mar&etplace)
Sellin( empiricism
,here remains one 'inal point !hich receives scant attention and is- as a result- a necessarily
more obli.ue- ill-de'ined issue) ,he issue at play here is that the careerism o' academia and the
accordin( emphasis on impact 4policy5 has produced an overstated emphasis on
empiricalresearch) @esearch and empiricism itsel' is not the problem here- and !e reco(nise the
importance o' empirically derived insi(hts 'or challen(in( racism) 0ut- alon(side the overstated
emphasis on empirical research is an emer(ent hierarchy that stipulates a(ainst a humanities
tradition o' study 4study as a method in its o!n ri(ht5) As a conse.uence- via the (radual
tyranny o' impact- policy and research led >'indin(s- there is less o' a 'eel 'or theorists 4and
certainly those theorists !ho o'ten borro! 'rom a more literary and essayistic 'orm o'
e1ploration5)
3t is interestin( here that the critical sociolo(y o' racism and colonialism 'ound the terrain o'
literary theory its most 'ertile companion) 3n turn- the pressures to produce research led
'indin(s results in an un!ittin( 'orm o' racialised e1clusion !ithin the sphere o' ideas itsel')
Fut simply- at this moment !hen more minority and race-'ocused academics have (ained some
'led(lin( entry into the humanities- they are e.ually at less o' a liberty to en(a(e the &ind o'
speculative- broad and necessarily unclear theoretical discussions !hich !e too& 'or (ranted
not many years a(o) Honse.uently- !e are either limited to usin( the canonical theorists 4!ho
are lar(ely !hite andGor 7urocentric5- already !ell validated as academic brands in themselves-
or o' borro!in( 'rom a postcolonial theoretical tradition that has not obtained the rene!al
!hich a crop o' emer(ent and ne!ly established academics ordinarily !ould have provided) 3n
this conte1t- the monopoly o' research driven pieces is not !ithout conse.uence 'or the analytic
ima(ination and its en(a(ement !ith !hat is meant to be >researched)
A'ter all- !hat remains o' 0lac& S&ins- ?hite Mas&s !hen pre'aced !ith a methodolo(y
sectionI
,his essay has attempted to s&etch some o' the !ays in !hich neoliberal hi(her education
provides a mar&et 'or racism) 0ehind the 'i(ures o' blac& and minority ethnic pro'essorial
absence- is an increasin(ly mar&etised institution that is (overned and policed by racism) ?e
are then necessarily involved in a stru((le a(ainst racism in hi(her education and a stru((le
a(ainst neoliberalism) ,his is a stru((le 'or plural anti-racist and anti-capitalist education and
scholarship and a(ainst !hite mar&etised &no!led(e) 3t is a stru((le a(ainst con'ormity to the
neoliberal >race to the bottom and a(ainst the per'ormance o' neoliberal de'ined racial
sub2ectivities in that conte1t) 3t is a stru((le a(ainst those that do most to perpetuate this
culture- and a stru((le 'or solidarity to support those less able to ma&e a stand because o' their
precarious position in this pernicious system) Finally- it is a stru((le 'or alternative educational
and intellectual spaces- 'or the tools to dismantle the masters house- and the traditions and
vision to ma&e another university possible) 0uildin( on 0rars invitation to dialo(ue that is
perhaps another chapter 'or debate)
Ac&no!led(ements
,han&s to 6elen =im and JaaD @ashid and Victoria @edcli't 'or insi(ht'ul input and to JaaD
@ashid 'or su((estin( the epi(ram)
Jotes
1) Flease seeK Anonymous academic) EMy university 2ust pays lip service to e.uality and
diversity)"httpKGG!!!)the(uardian)comGhi(her-education-net!or&Gblo(G2014G'ebG15Guniversity-
diversity-e.uality-academic-anonymous 4February 20145L Jac& Arove- E0lac& scholars still
e1perience racism on campus)"httpKGG!!!)timeshi(hereducation)co)u&Gne!sGblac&-scholars-
still-e1perience-racism-on-campusG2012154)article 4March 20145L @achel ?illiams E,he
university pro'essor is al!ays
!hite)" httpKGG!!!)the(uardian)comGeducationG2018G2anG2;G!omen-bme-pro'essors-academia 4
January 20185) *M+
2) /hanveer Sin(h 0rar) ENuestions 'or a prospective blac&
pro'essoriate)" httpKGG!!!)dar&matter101)or(GsiteG2014G08G81G.uestions-'or-a-prospective-
blac&-pro'essoriateG 4March 20145) *M+
8) 0lac& 0ritish Academics httpKGGblac&britishacademics)co)u&GstatisticsG 4April 20145) *M+
4) %JS httpKGG!!!)ons)(ov)u&GonsGrelGcensusG2011-censusG&ey-statistics-and-.uic&-statistics-
'or-local-authorities-in-the-united-&in(domOpart-1Gr't-&s201u&)1ls 4April 20145) *M+
5) Jathan 7 @ichards Absent 'rom the academyhttpKGGvimeo)comG9B925;12 4%ctober 20185) *M+
B) Anonymous academic) EMy university 2ust pays lip service to e.uality and
diversity)"httpKGG!!!)the(uardian)comGhi(her-education-net!or&Gblo(G2014G'ebG15Guniversity-
diversity-e.uality-academic-anonymous 4February 20145) *M+
9) Sara Ahmed- %n bein( includedK racism and diversity in institutional li'e- 4/urham- J)H)K
/u&e <niversity Fress- 2012) *M+
;) ?e are all %1'ord httpKGG!eareallo1'ord)tumblr)comGIo(P1 4March 20145) *M+
C) 3- too- am %1'ord httpKGGitooamo1'ord)tumblr)comG 4March 20145) *M+
10) @achel ?illiams E,he university pro'essor 3s al!ays
!hite)" httpKGG!!!)the(uardian)comGeducationG2018G2anG2;G!omen-bme-pro'essors-academia 4
January 20185) *M+
11) Ho/7) E6o! ethnic ine.ualities in education are
chan(in()" httpKGG!!!)ethnicity)ac)u&GcensusGHo/7-7ducation-Hensus-0rie'in()pd' 4March
20145) *M+
12) /aniel Martin E3m also an e1pert
onQ"httpKGG!!!)timeshi(hereducation)co)u&GtabletG;A8470/AG200C521)shared 4March
20145) *M+
18) Ash!ani Sharma R San2ay Sharma- Edar&matterK racial recon'i(urations and net!or&ed
&no!led(e production"- tripleH- 11)2- 420185K5;1-
5;;) httpKGGtriplec)atGinde1)phpGtripleHGarticleGvie!G524G518 *M+