Routledge The Body, Authenticity and Racism (Routledge Research in Race and Ethnicity)

The modern world may believe that authenticity empowers us to be our true selves. However, is this really true for all people? Would authenticity be accepted by others if it does not fit within the conceptions of those who embody "nationally authorised" attributes? Drawing upon an in-depth study of young children in Dublin’s North inner city, The Body, Authenticity and Racism offers detailed insight into how racism is created and perpetuated within 7–9-year-old boys’ interactions with one another. Indeed, through unique empirical data, this enlightening title demonstrates the importance of discussing the body when examining racism – not only in how the body is judged and racialised by other people, but how it is an apparent medium through which racism operates and disappears into. Garratt also explores how masculinity, belonging to a local area and being accepted as ‘Irish’ is intricately interwoven within gendered and racist assumptions; which comes not only from wider discourses but are actively constructed and reconstructed by children themselves. Using a Bourdieusian method of analysis and phenomenological philosophy, this book ultimately highlights the role of authenticity in hiding racism amongst children. A timely volume, it will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers interested in fields such as Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Irish Studies and Masculinities Studies. Review This is a a fascinating and accessible account of social relations among primary school children in Dublin. Drawing on high quality empirical data the book highlights the links and tensions between race, racism, authenticity, the body and embodiment. Essential and timely, this book needs to be read. Alice Bloch, University of Manchester, UK The Body, Authenticity and Racsim insists on the need to think about embodiment in relation to racism. Drawing on fascinating fieldwork access the child's-world-view of race, identity and belonging in the Northside of Dublin, Garratt explores the racialised nature of authenticity, honesty and masculinity. Bridget Byrne, University of Manchester, UK A thorough, critical and highly engaging read that delves deeply into the lifeworlds of boys of immigrant background in Dublin. Rich ethnographic accounts are mapped theoretically providing important insights or relevance to scholars and practitioners in diverse fields of education, gender studies, migration and social policy. A book I will be recommending to my students. Dympna, Professor in the School of Education, University of College Dublin, UK About the Author Lindsey Garratt is a Research Associate in the University of Manchester in the Department of Sociology