Post-racial pedagogy - challenges and possibilities

Against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about how best to conceptualise, confront and ultimately eradicate racism, this paper seeks to critically examine the relevance of 'post-racial' thinking, both in a general sense, but also in relation to education. The argument is framed around a concern that multi-cultural, and to a lesser extent, anti-racist approaches have become hostage to the very same essentialising practices around 'race' thinking that they seek to challenge. This is best illustrated in the plethora of racial, ethnic, geographic, national and religious categories that are currently deployed my many educational institutions in the furtherance of 'equality and diversity' policy objectives. In setting out some of the underpinning ideas and controversies linked with the idea of 'post-racial', the paper offers some tentative suggestions as to how a 'post-racial pedagogy' could be manifested in pedagogical practices.