This series examines the interrelations of politics and society, bringing together articles from an international and interdisciplinary community of scholars. This title examines global perspectives on the political economy of race and ethnicity.

The study of racial and ethnic relations has become one of the most written about aspects in sociology and sociological research. In both North America and Europe, many "traditional" cultures are feeling threatened by immigrants from Latin America, Africa and Asia. This handbook is a true international collaboration looking at racial and ethnic relations from an academic perspective. It starts from the principle that sociology is at the hub of the human sciences concerned with racial and ethnic relations.

The continuing reality of racism in the United States is exposed in the revised second edition of "White Racism." Taking issue with those who claim the significance of racism is declining, the authors focus on a series of notorious racial incidents, including the Rodney King beating, revealing this "dirty little secret of American life" as a fundamental social practice embedded in cherished cultural and political institutions.

"White Racism" probes white racism in contemporary society. Central to the book's analysis is a careful documentation of key events which demonstrate the process of racial victimization. The authors focus on "notorious cases", including the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles and its aftermath. The analysis of lesser known anti-black activities - on a liberal college campus, in a heartland city, and in chain restaurants - reveal the everyday character of white racism. The authors' accounts give special attention to the role of stereotyping and rumour, black reaction to white racism, and the mass media's role in ritualized enactment of racialized events.