Michael Banton
Encyclopedia
Michael Banton is a British
social scientist
known primarily for his publications on racial and ethnic relations.
in 1950, Banton conducted research on the settlement of New Commonwealth immigrants in the East End of London
for which he received the degree of PhD from the University of Edinburgh
. He subsequently wrote books about the settlement of rural immigrants in Freetown
, Sierra Leone
, and on the behaviour of the white British towards New Commonwealth immigrants. His book The Policeman in the Community, a comparative study of policing in Scotland
and the USA, was the first book-length sociological study of the police.
Banton became best known for his book Race Relations (1967), which summarised contemporary social science knowledge of that field. This phase of his writing concluded with a volume, The Idea of Race, in which he introduced into the English language the concept of racialization
as a process by which the idea of race as a physical category was socially utilized to organise perceptions of the populations of the world. Up to this point his work reflected sociological orthodoxy.
Starting in 1976, Banton’s criticisms of that orthodoxy strengthened. In Racial and Ethnic Competition (1983) he advanced a rational choice theory. The book ended with a discussion of what constituted `good’ racial relations; it concluded that good racial relations would be ethnic relations. He has been critical of accounts of majority-minority relations in Europe that interpret them in the light of conceptions conventional in the USA.
Recalling Max Weber’s statement that he became a sociologist `in order to put an end to the mischievous enterprise which still operates with collectivist concepts’ Banton has observed that `ethnic group’ is a collectivist concept. There are ethnic categories and those who are assigned to an ethnic category may come to form a group, but do necessarily do so. From this starting point he has developed a theory of social categories.
Whereas Banton has been much concerned with the improvement of concepts and theories in this field, he has also written on measures for the reduction of racial discrimination. He served as an elected member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination from 1986 to 2001 and as its chairman for 1996-98.
, University of Edinburgh, 1954–65, and professor of Sociology, University of Bristol
, 1965-92.
He was President of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 1987-89, and President of the Sociology section, (1970–71) and the Anthropology section, (1985–86) within the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He was President of the Ethnic, Race and Minority Relations section of the International Sociological Association
1990-94, and Director of the Social Science Research Council Research Unit on Ethnic Relations, 1970-78. He was editor of Sociology, 1966-70.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
social scientist
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
known primarily for his publications on racial and ethnic relations.
Academic contribution
After graduating from the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1950, Banton conducted research on the settlement of New Commonwealth immigrants in the East End of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for which he received the degree of PhD from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He subsequently wrote books about the settlement of rural immigrants in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, and on the behaviour of the white British towards New Commonwealth immigrants. His book The Policeman in the Community, a comparative study of policing in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the USA, was the first book-length sociological study of the police.
Banton became best known for his book Race Relations (1967), which summarised contemporary social science knowledge of that field. This phase of his writing concluded with a volume, The Idea of Race, in which he introduced into the English language the concept of racialization
Racialization
Racialization refers to processes of the discursive production of racial identities. It signifies the extension of dehumanizing and racial meanings to a previously racially unclassified relationship, social practice, or group...
as a process by which the idea of race as a physical category was socially utilized to organise perceptions of the populations of the world. Up to this point his work reflected sociological orthodoxy.
Starting in 1976, Banton’s criticisms of that orthodoxy strengthened. In Racial and Ethnic Competition (1983) he advanced a rational choice theory. The book ended with a discussion of what constituted `good’ racial relations; it concluded that good racial relations would be ethnic relations. He has been critical of accounts of majority-minority relations in Europe that interpret them in the light of conceptions conventional in the USA.
Recalling Max Weber’s statement that he became a sociologist `in order to put an end to the mischievous enterprise which still operates with collectivist concepts’ Banton has observed that `ethnic group’ is a collectivist concept. There are ethnic categories and those who are assigned to an ethnic category may come to form a group, but do necessarily do so. From this starting point he has developed a theory of social categories.
Whereas Banton has been much concerned with the improvement of concepts and theories in this field, he has also written on measures for the reduction of racial discrimination. He served as an elected member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination from 1986 to 2001 and as its chairman for 1996-98.
Career
He was Lecturer, and subsequently Reader, in Social AnthropologySocial anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
, University of Edinburgh, 1954–65, and professor of Sociology, University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, 1965-92.
He was President of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 1987-89, and President of the Sociology section, (1970–71) and the Anthropology section, (1985–86) within the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He was President of the Ethnic, Race and Minority Relations section of the International Sociological Association
International Sociological Association
International Sociological Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific purposes in the field of sociology and social sciences...
1990-94, and Director of the Social Science Research Council Research Unit on Ethnic Relations, 1970-78. He was editor of Sociology, 1966-70.
Books
- The Coloured Quarter (Cape, 1955)
- West African City (OUP, 1957)
- White and Coloured (Cape, 1959)
- The Policeman in the Community (Tavistock, 1964)
- Roles (Tavistock, 1965)
- Race Relations (Tavistock, 1967)
- Racial Minorities (Fontana, 1972)
- Police-Community Relations (Collins, 1973)
- The Race Concept co-author Jonathan Harwood (Praeger, 1975)
- Racial and Ethnic Competition (CUP, 1983)
- Promoting Racial Harmony (CUP, 1985)
- Investigating Robbery (Gower, 1985)
- Racial Theories (CUP, 1987, second edition 1997)
- Racial Consciousness (Longman, 1988)
- Discrimination (Open UP, 1994)
- International Action against Racial Discrimination (OUP, 1996)
- Ethnic and Racial Consciousness (Longman, 1997)
- The International Politics of Race (Polity, 2002).
Some recent articles
- `Decision-taking in the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’ pp 55–78 in Philip Alston & James Crawford, editors, The Future of UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring. 2000 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- `Historical and Contemporary Modes of Racialization’ pp. 51–68 in Racialization: Studies in Theory and Practice, edited by Karim Murji and John Solomos. 2005 Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Reviews
In Racial Theories Michael Banton presents a broad historical and typological overview of academic theories of race (he doesn't cover popular conceptions). He also touches on topics such as ethnicity and discrimination, and suggests his own ideas. The overall result is perhaps a little unfocused: the typological classification scheme seems artificial in places and some odd topics receive detailed attention (presumably reflecting Banton's own special interests). But anyone interested in the subject will find plenty in Racial Theories.