2.6: ‘Racialization’ and racism

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OpenLearn Diversity & Difference in Communication
The Open University

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Section 1 made the point that attributing fixed ‘differences’ to particular groups can be seen as an exercise of power, by which certain people are defined as ‘other’, and usually as inferior. ‘Racialisation’ can be described as the process by which people are defined according to apparent differences of skin colour, national origin or other attributes, and positioned as different from the (usually white) majority.

The following series of linked activities gives you an opportunity to explore how ‘racialisation’ works in practice, and its implications for interpersonal communication in health and social care.