Citizenship and Belonging: Immigration and the Politics of Demographic Governance in Postwar Britain (Migration, Minorities and Citizenship)

James Hampshire explores the politics of immigration in postwar Britain and shows how ideas of race, demography and belonging intertwined to shape immigration policy. It is the first book to explain immigration in terms of the politics of demographic governance - how states manage and regulate their populations - and provides a much needed historical context to current debates. In addition, the book develops new perspectives on the ways in which racialized ideas influenced politics and policy-making. In this timely book, James Hampshire explores the politics of immigration in post-war Britain and reveals how fears about welfare scrounging, public health and miscegenation influenced government policy. Locating immigration policy-making within a wider context of demographic governance - the state's management of population - Hampshire argues that radical ideas saturated post-war debates about immigration and its impact on British society. He shows how the British government appealed to an idea of 'belonging' in order to validate what was, at core, a racialized policy designed to obstruct colonial immigration. With immigration at the top of the current political agenda, Hampshire provides a much-needed background to contemporary debates. Drawing on a wealth of new archival material, his compelling analysis will change the way we think about this important subject. Citizenship and Belonging is required reading for anyone who wishes to understand how Britain became a multi-racial society despite the wishes of its politicians and a majority of its people

Hampshire (politics, U. of Sussex) builds on the idea that the management and governance of demographics is integral to the modern state, a fact which that state knows either consciously or subconsciously as it establishes who it wants to enter, reproduce or live. In the case of Britain, the issue is mainly who had the right to what type of citizenship, as certain citizens of present or past colonies had the option of immigrating to Britain. Hampshire describes how policies and attitudes began to define who belonged and who did not, and the fears about what immigrants would do to welfare and health care. In his analysis he finds that the effects are much more complex and subtle than what most would expect, in part because racial politics complicate nearly aspect of the issue, and overarching every decision is the fear that Britain will actually become a diverse society. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

"In this timely book, James Hampshire explores the politics of immigration in postwar Britain and reveals how fears about welfare scrounging, public health and miscegenation influenced government policy. Locating immigration policy-making within a wider context of demographic governance - the state's management of the population - Hampshire argues that racial ideas saturated debates about immigration and its impact on British society. He shows how the British government appealed to an idea of 'belonging' in order to validate what was, at core, a racialized policy designed to obstruct colonial immigration."--BOOK JACKET Front Matter....Pages i-x The Politics of Immigration, Race and Demographic Governance....Pages 1-15 Citizenship and Belonging: The Development of UK Immigration Policy....Pages 16-44 The Racial Demography of Immigration Controls....Pages 45-78 ‘Coloured Dick Whittingtons in this Land of Socialized Gold’: Immigration and the Welfare State....Pages 79-110 ‘Men Without Women’: Gender, Sex and the ‘Threat’ of Miscegenation....Pages 111-149 Public Health and Immigration Policy....Pages 150-178 The Contemporary Politics of Immigration and Demographic Change....Pages 179-198 Back Matter....Pages 199-252 James Hampshire explores the politics of immigration in postwar Britain & shows how ideas of race, demography & belonging intertwined to shape immigration policy. He offers the perspective of demographic goverance - explaining immigration in terms of howstates manage & regulate their populations