The Politics of Identity, Ethnography and the Link between Academia and Society: An Interview with Claire Alexander
No. 77 (2021-07-01)Author(s)
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Carolina Ramírez
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Carol Chan
Abstract
In this conversation, Claire Alexander discusses the overlap between her social research and biographical trajectories, showing us how shifts in academic work are linked to broader transformations, in this case, linked to the politics of identity, ethnicity, and race in the United Kingdom. Alexander also tells us about the meaning and value of ethnographic work, including her experience of “revisiting” places and maintaining links with her research participants over time. Strongly influenced by Stuart Hall, Claire also talks about the importance of communicating ideas to and generating dialogues with those outside of academia. She reflects on her interdisciplinary academic collaborations and work with civil society organizations, and invites us to be committed to and engaged with our contexts and social transformation.
References
Alexander, Claire. 1996. The Art of Being Black: The Creation of Black British Youth Identities. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Alexander, Claire. 2000. The Asian Gang: Ethnicity, Identity, Masculinity. Oxford: Berg.
Alexander, Claire. 2011. “Making Bengali Brick Lane: Claiming and Contesting Space in East London.” The British Journal of Sociology 62 (2): 201-220. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-4446.2011.01361.x
Alexander, Claire. 2013. “Contested Memories: The Shahid Minar and the Struggle for Diasporic Space.” Ethnic and Racial Studies 36 (4): 590-610. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2012.674542
Alexander, Claire. 2018a. “The ‘Public Life’ of the Bengal Diaspora: Performing Religion, Gender and Generation in the Boishakhi Mela.” Sociology 53 (2): 229-245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038518785769
Alexander, Claire. 2018b. “Breaking Black: The Death of Ethnic and Racial Studies in Britain.” Ethnic and Racial Studies 41 (6): 1034-1054. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2018.1409902
Alexander, Claire, JoyaChatterji, and AnnuJalais. 2016. The Bengal Diaspora: Rethinking Muslim Migration. London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Alexander, Claire, VictoriaRedclift, and AjmalHussain. 2013. The New Muslims. Runnymede Trust. https://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/Runnymede_The_New_Muslims_Perspective.pdf
License
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