What led so many intellectuals, politicians and scientists to believe in, and insist on, the existence of race? In exploring this question this book examines themes in the history of race, including nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, eugenics, biopolitics, fascism, Nazism and communism, from 1789 to the present day. "Race and Modernity" provides an easily accessible, but conceptually challenging, synthesis of the current research into the relationship between race and modernity, richly illustrated with reference to primary source material. Specifically, the book examines how societies the world over appropriated the concept of race as a vehicle for transmitting social and political messages that transgressed political differences and opposing ideological camps. The authors examine case studies from the UK, the United States, Japan, Romania, Greece and Sudan, among others, and use these to chart the emergence and evolution of the concept of race, and look at the legacy of these ideas for the present day.

Maria Sophia Quine demystifies the population policies of fascist regimes by looking at them in the wider context of how societies in general reacted to the profound economic changes brought by industrialization. Population Politics in Twentieth Century Europe:
* provides an original, comparative treatment of European population policies
* gives the historical background to twentieth-century population policies
* considers topics such as racism and sexism in Nazi ideology, Eugenics in England, family allowance schemes in France, and sterilization
* synthesizes the latest research in different fields and countries.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203410599

Maria Sophia Quine demystifies the population policies of fascist regimes by looking at them in the wider context of how societies in general reacted to the profound economic changes brought by industrialization. Population Politics in Twentieth Century Europe: provides an original, comparative treatment of European population policies gives the historical background to twentieth-century population policies considers topics such as racism and sexism in Nazi ideology, Eugenics in England, family allowance schemes in France, and sterilization synthesizes the latest research in different fields and countries.

The idea of race may be outdated, as many commentators and scholars, working in a broad range of different fields in the sciences and humanities, have argued over many years. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most persistent forms of human classification. Theories of race primitivism (the idea that there is a 'natural' racial hierarchy and ranking order of 'inferior' and 'superior' races), race biologism (the belief that people can be classified by genetic features which are shared by members of racial groups), and race essentialism (the notion that races can be defined by scientifically identifiable and verifiable cultural and physical characteristics) are deeply embedded in modern history, culture and politics. Historicizing Race offers a new understanding of this reality by exploring the interconnectedness of scientific, cultural and political strands of racial thought in Europe and elsewhere. It re-conceptualises the idea of race by unearthing various historical traditions that continue to inform not only current debates about individual and collective identities, but also national and international politics. In a concise format, accessible to students and scholars alike, the authors draw out some of the reasons why race-centred thinking has, in recent years, re-emerged in such shocking and explicit form in current populist, xenophobic, and anti-immigration movements.