Introduction: Race, ethnicity and the curriculum

Abstract

During the past decade the teaching of race and ethnicity has become an important part of the core curriculum in a variety of social sciences and humanities departments. There have also been substantive changes in how the subject is understood and how it is taught. This article outlines some of the key features of these changes and reviews some of the core themes which are raised in the various disciplinary perspectives contained in this special issue. It situates some of the common themes that are to be found across the various disciplines covered in this issue and it pinpoints areas which need more research and critical debate in the future if we are to move forward in our thinking about how to teach race and‐ethnic issues in the present academic environment.

Keywords:

• Ethnicity
• higher education
• race
• racism
• citizenship
• curriculum