A New Democratic (Dis)Order: Race, Identity, and Political Mobilisation in France and the UK, c.1970-Present

Identity has become one of the most powerful mobilising forces in contemporary democratic politics.

Since the 1970s, social movements based around race, gender, religion, language or sexuality have challenged traditional political structures and undermined the legitimacy of broad-based political parties. While some have argued that identity politics offers unique opportunities for citizens to participate in the democratic process, others have maintained that it damages the fabric of democratic politics by setting different groups against each other.

By stepping back from the polemic and seeking to historicise identity politics, this project provides the basis for a better understanding of the power of identity in contemporary European politics. It does so by looking at various forms of claims-making by racialised communities in France and the UK, including race-based mobilisation and the opposition to it. The ultimate aim is to explore how identity politics has reshaped democracy in two diverse European societies.

Principal Investigator: Dr Emile Chabal, University of Edinburgh