Marxism, racism and the construction of ‘race’ as a social and political relation: an interview with Professor Robert Miles

Abstract

Robert Miles has made a significant contribution to the field of racism and ethnic studies. In his early work, Miles drew upon structuralist Marxist theorizations of capitalism to offer a historically informed analysis of racism and migrant labour (Miles 1982). This perspective placed political economy at the centre of the study of racism. In addition, Miles' critical discussions with other influential contemporaries such as Paul Gilroy and Stuart Hall (Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) 1982) raised crucial issues concerning the construction of ‘race’ as a social and political relation in Britain (Back and Solomos 2000). However, Miles became most renowned for his critique of the ‘race relations’ paradigm and his insistence that sociologists employ the concept of ‘racialization’ rather than ‘race’ (Miles 1982, 1989, 1993). Overall, Miles' work was rich both in its theoretical clarity and historical depth, and his contributions warrant critical analysis today. The following interview was conducted in December 2009.

Keywords:

• Racism
• racialization
• Marxism
• migration
• anti-racism
• capitalism

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor Chris Berry (Roberts Fund, University of Glasgow), Dr Dickon Copsey (Employability Awards, University of Glasgow) and Professor Nick Watson (Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences, University of Glasgow) for the funding that made this project possible. We would also like to thank our colleagues Carin Runciman and Teresa Piacentini at the Centre for Research on Racism, Ethnicity and Nationalism Postgraduate Group, University of Glasgow, for their financial support. Finally, we would like to thank Professor Bridget Fowler, Professor John Eldridge, Dr Andrew Smith and Professor Satnam Virdee for their help and advice.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen D. Ashe

PROFESSOR ROBERT MILES is Associate Dean for Study Abroad and International Exchange and Professor of Sociology and International Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.ADDRESS: Study Abroad Office, 2009 Fedex Global Education Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3130, USA.Email: [email protected]

STEPHEN DUNCAN ASHE is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. His research aims to offer a Marxist-realist examination of the electoral performance of the British National Party in Barking and Dagenham.

Brendan McGeever

BRENDAN FRANCIS MCGEEVER is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow. His research aims to critically explore Bolshevik attempts to address the issue of anti-Semitism within the working class and the Party rank and file in Russia between 1917 and 1927.