King, S., 2004, How the english countryside became white: rethinking histories to understand contemporary debates on social inclusion., in: OPENspace, ‘Open space, people space’, OPENspace, Edinburgh
- Author : King, S.
- Year : 2004
- Published in Book : Open space, people space
- Abstract in English : Amongst increasing concerns that the English countryside is predominantly a white space, this paper advances a critique of how the countryside has been racialised as a terrain of whiteness. The paper is based on PhD research that responds to the pressing need for studies of ethnicity in the English countryside to turn their attention to constructions of whiteness. It begins by outlining why critical studies of whiteness are relevant to the English countryside and how they contribute a fresh perspective to social inclusion debates. It then offers a brief account of how the English countryside was historically constructed as white-imagined space to further the understanding that race issues are just as relevant to the countryside as to the city. Through a critical focus on the National Trust, the paper illustrates how white and countryside identities have been variously co-constructed from the late 19th century to today. The paper concludes by arguing that understanding the historical processes of white racialisation is a crucial step in working towards social inclusion in the contemporary English countryside.
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: whiteness, English countryside, rural, preservation, National Trust, social inclusion. [paper 6 p.]