Race and representation

the long version

"Race and representation pioneers innovative use of the British Election Study and features the results of the 1997 Ethnic Minority Election Study. It provides a direct and extensive comparison between ethnic minorities and the electorate as a whole. The study also contains an in-depth look at party strategy, ethnic minority attitudes on key issues and policies, and the lessons to be learned from the performance of black and Asian parliamentary candidates. It is a major re-examination of the role of ethnicity in shaping political outlook and voting choice." "The book is concerned with the political integration of Britain's ethnic minorities. This question is tackled by comparing the patterns and styles of electoral participation among white and ethnic minority groups. In particular, the analysis aims to uncover whether electoral abstention, orientation towards issues and party alignment are primarily circumstantial, as existing research suggests is the case among the white population. This approach enables the book to make a substantial contribution to the debate over how far ethnicity is a major stand-along cleavage in British electoral behaviour." "This book will be essential reading for students, teachers, and scholars interested in the involvement of Britain's ethnic minorities in the democratic process. It will also have extensive appeal among activists, policy-makers and opinion formers concerned with ethnic diversity, race relations and political inclusion."--BOOK JACKET.