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Equality Works: How One Race Equality Centre Conceptualises, Articulates and Performs the Idea of Equality in Scotland Brandi Lee Dennell Submitted for the degree of Ph.D. in Social Anthropology University of Edinburgh 2011 Table of Contents Declaration............................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements............................................................................................. iv Abstract ............................................................................................................... v Abbreviations...................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction........................................................................................................ 1 Aims .................................................................................................................... 4 Overview ............................................................................................................. 5 2. Context ............................................................................................................. 10 Race Legislation ................................................................................................ 12 Equalities in Scotland......................................................................................... 15 Belonging .......................................................................................................... 18 No Problem Here ............................................................................................... 21 Egalitarian Scotland ........................................................................................... 22 One Scotland...................................................................................................... 24 Campaign Poster ................................................................................................ 28 How Strong a Claim on Scottishness? ................................................................ 32 3. Methods: Insider and Outsider ....................................................................... 39 Conducting Fieldwork........................................................................................ 44 Participant Observation...................................................................................... 48 Document Analysis ............................................................................................ 49 Archival Materials ............................................................................................. 50 Power, Engagement and the Researcher ............................................................. 51 Home is Where the Heart is…Or is it? ............................................................... 53 Ethical Issues, Writing the Politics of Representation......................................... 60 Reflections on Writing ....................................................................................... 64 Post-fieldwork Practice ...................................................................................... 67 4. Theories............................................................................................................ 71 Equality: from Theory to Practice....................................................................... 72 Mainstreaming in Theory................................................................................... 76 Personal Belonging ............................................................................................ 78 Race, Ethnicity, Religion.................................................................................... 80 Racism and Anti-Racism.................................................................................... 89 Myth .................................................................................................................. 94 Nation Formation............................................................................................... 96 The Cultivation of Concern.............................................................................. 100 5. History of CERES ......................................................................................... 105 CERES Documents.......................................................................................... 107 Evolution of Equality Terms .............................................................................111 New Scotland................................................................................................... 125 The Future of CERES ...................................................................................... 128 6. A Day in the Life: Working on Equality at CERES ..................................... 132 Organisations ................................................................................................... 134 Materials and Objects....................................................................................... 137 Equality Work.................................................................................................. 139 Relationships ................................................................................................... 141 Locating CERES within the Network............................................................... 148 The Morality of Equality Work ........................................................................ 156 7. Identity Wheels: Navigating Equality in Programme Development and Delivery .............................................................................................................. 162 Identity Wheel Layers ...................................................................................... 164 How do Identity Wheels Promote Equality? ..................................................... 172 Choosing Equalities ......................................................................................... 175 Delivering the Programme ............................................................................... 183 Measurement ................................................................................................... 188 The Project's Hidden Agenda ........................................................................... 189 8. Roundtable: Performing an Agenda and Commitment to Race Equality Work................................................................................................................... 195 Performing the official agenda ......................................................................... 198 Concerning the Agenda.................................................................................... 202 Priority............................................................................................................. 203 Support and Guidance ...................................................................................... 207 Leadership ....................................................................................................... 208 Funding.............................................................................................................211 The Agenda’s Subtext...................................................................................... 214 Performing Equality......................................................................................... 217 9. Conclusion...................................................................................................... 221 Review of Analysis .......................................................................................... 221 Methodological Learning ................................................................................. 223 Contribution..................................................................................................... 225 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 226 Future Research ............................................................................................... 229 Works Cited ....................................................................................................... 231 ii Declaration I declare that this thesis is entirely my own work and has not been submitted for any other degree or qualification. iii Acknowledgements There are many individuals to whom I owe deep gratitude for supporting me throughout this thesis. First, this work would not have been possible if not for the generosity of the CERES staff who readily embraced me with kindness.