Zannoni’s 1771 Map of the British Isles shows the heart of the “civilised” world – at least according to Adam Smith when he was writing The Wealth of Nations.
Wikimedia Commons/Geographicus Rare Antique Maps
To burnish the virtues of “civilised” Europe, Adam Smith relies on a barrage of racial insults. Where did his information about the so-called “savage peoples” come from in the first place?
Does relentlessly criticising Australia’s human rights record risk doing more harm than good?
Courntey Biggs/AAP
Australia’s human rights record isn’t perfect, but it still good. if Australians aren’t able to take some pride in that and be inspired to do even better, over-the-top criticism could backfire.
Miranda Tapsell used her speech at the Logies to issue a challenge to producers to reflect the diversity of Australia on our TV screens.
AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy
When Miranda Tapsell called for more diversity in Australian television in her Logies speech, she hit the nail on the head. It’s time for Australian producers to take colour-blind casting seriously.
Is it too commonly assumed that racism is a major contributor to the problems of Indigenous Australia?
Len Matthews
Can we trace modern-day racism against Indigenous Australians to the country’s British invaders? Often when trying to extinguish a fire, it is more important to know what sustains it rather than what started it.
A bit of crowd control – nothing heavy-handed.
EPA/Michael Reynolds
Janet Condy, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Once they graduate, they’ll educate South Africans of all race groups – so what happens when student teachers don’t mix across racial lines? A digital storytelling project is bridging gaps.
In the wake of the racist behaviour of a group of Chelsea supporters on the Paris Métro last week, a range of excellent critical commentaries emerged, pondering what these actions signified and how English…
Respected scientists within the recently formed National Research Council proposed building orphanages to study nature vs nurture with respect to racial differences.
Library of Congress
The history of race science is a history of racist science, as epitomized by this proposed but never carried-out experiment from the early 20th century.
Sicily, 1943: Whose blood was this U.S. soldier getting?
NARA
Until 1950 the Red Cross segregated blood. It was thousands of African-Americans during World War II who forced the Red Cross to include them as donors and helped pave the way for activism of the 1960s.
All people have prejudices, but learning more about them could help keep them in check.
Crowd image via www.shutterstock.com.
Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have evolved to allow us to survive and thrive in complex social environments. Accordingly, the behaviors and emotions that help us navigate our social sphere…
How does feeling you inhabit a body different than your own affect your racial biases?
Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Maister et al.
In 1959, John Howard Griffin, a white American writer, underwent medical treatments to change his skin appearance and present himself as a black man. He then traveled through the segregated US south to…
Racial discrimination may have biological impacts lasting across generations.
Orange-studio/Shutterstock
Think about the last time you left the house. Did strangers on the street acknowledge your presence with a smile or avert their glance? Chances are that the answer depended on your age, gender and, of…
Racial disparities in tip size can’t be explained by discriminatory service.
Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock
Within the US restaurant industry, blacks are generally considered comparatively poor tippers. One recent survey of roughly 1,000 restaurant servers from across the nation found that 34% thought blacks…
In 2004, the Indigenous population of Redfern finally struck back at perceived endless police oppression and violence.
AAP/Sam Mooy
The aftermath of the 1934 Kalgoorlie riots, with their death toll of an “Aussie” and a “Slav”, the mass destruction of the homes of the Dings at Dingbat Flat and the rising horror in the town at how the…
When violence erupts, we can be tempted to make judgements about collective responsibility based on our own allegiances, rather than consistent moral principles.
EPA/Ian Langsdon
When should we hold a group morally responsible for a member’s evil? In the wake of the Charlie Hedbo attacks, many will demand answers about Islam’s role in promoting violence. As we brace for the inevitable…
Ridley Scott’s casting choices for Exodus: Gods and Kings are emblematic of a larger, systemic problem in the entertainment industry.
Movie Pilot
Director Ridley Scott recently set off a firestorm when he dismissed those who criticized him for casting white actors as every major character in the recently released Exodus: Gods and Kings, while reserving…
Police violence has dominated American headlines over the past year. The seemingly unaccounted-for police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson brought renewed attention and public protests…
Research Fellow, Institute for Health & Sport, member of the Community, Identity and Displacement Research Network, and Co-convenor of the Olympic Research Network, Victoria University