Abstract
In the last decade or more the question of unemployment among young black workers, particularly in relation to the 16–25 age group, has become one of the central concerns of race relations policies. Every incoming government has declared itself in favour of the pursuit of equal opportunity in the youth labour market, and equal access to jobs for all young people, regardless of racial background, ethnic origin or colour. In addition, state agencies of various kinds, ranging from the Commission for Racial Equality, the Manpower Services Commission and the police, have become preoccupied with the implications of relatively high levels of unemployment among young blacks for social order and stability.1 What is equally clear, however, is that the increasing politicisation of this issue has done little to break down the entrenched processes of discrimination against young blacks in the labour market.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
A fuller discussion of the relationship between youth unemployment and law and order issues is to be found in J. Benyon (ed.), Scarman and After (Pergamon, 1984) pp.163ff.
3. M. Edelman, Politics as Symbolic Action: Mass Arousal and Quiescence (Chicago University Press, 1972) ch. 1.
M. Edelman, Political Language: Words that Succeed and Policies that Fail (Academic Press, 1977) p.16.
6. For a fuller discussion of the ‘social time bomb’ image over time see: G. Fisher and H. Joshua, ‘Black Youth and Social Policy’, in E. Cashmore and B. Troyna (eds), Black Youth in Crisis (Allen & Unwin, 1982) pp.129-42.
A. H. Halsey, ‘Race Relations: The Lines to Think On’, New Society (19 Mar. 1970) pp.472–4.
Department of Education and Science, Immigrants and the Youth Service (DES, 1967); Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration, The Problems of Coloured School Leavers (HMSO, 1969).
Community Relations Commission, Unemployment and Homelessness (CRC, 1974).
Home Affairs Committee, Sub-Committee on Race Relations and Immigration, Racial Disadvantage (HMSO, 1981).
A comparative and conceptual discussion of these notions can be found in R. P. Lowry, Social Problems (D.C. Heath, 1974); W. Ryan, Blaming the Victim (Vintage Books, 1978).
Commission for Racial Equality, Youth in Multi-Racial Society (CRE, 1980) p.10.
20. Manpower Services Commission, London Regional Office, London Employment Review 1982 (MSC, 1982) pp.25–6.
A discussion of the influence of this approach in relation to education can be found in B. Troyna, ‘Multicultural Education: emancipation or containment?’ in L. Barton and S. Walker (eds), Social Crisis and Educational Research (Croom Helm, 1984) pp.75-97.
Manpower Services Commission and Commission for Racial Equality, Ethnic Minorities and the Special Programmes for the Unemployed (Manpower Services Commission, 1979) pp.5-7.
Manpower Services Commission, Corporate Plan 1982–86 (Manpower Services Commission, 1982) p.l6.
Manpower Services Commission, Corporate Plan 1983–87 (Manpower Services Commission, 1983) p.30
S. Fenton et al., Ethnic Minorities and the Youth Training Scheme, Research and Development Paper No.20 (Manpower Services Commission, 1984). R. Means et al., ‘Implementation of Social Goals in Labour Market Policy: the Case of Black
Youth, Equal Opportunities and the Youth Training Scheme’, Policy and Politics, 13, 1 (1985) pp.72-83.
W. Whitelaw, ‘Speech to the Birmingham Community Relations Council’, 11 July 1980, p.3.
See S. Castles, Here for Good: Western Europe’s New Ethnic Minorities (Pluto Press, 1984).
Commission for Racial Equality, The Race Relations Act I976 - Time for a Change? (CRE, 1983).
See J. Williams, From Institutional Racism to Anti-Racism: the Relationships between Theories, Policies and Practices, unpublished MSc Thesis, University of Aston, 1984.
D. Dunn, ‘Black Youth, the Youth Training Scheme and the Choice at 16’, Multiracial Education, 11, 3 (1983) pp.7-22.
C. Offe, Contradictions of the Welfare State (Hutchinson, 1984), provides a balanced overview of some of the most important debates on this question.
Commission for Racial Equality, Annual Report for I983 (CRE, 1984) pp.3-4.
Greater London Training Board, GLC- Training for Jobs (GLC, 1984). The full implications of the GLC’s initiatives in this field have still to be studied, so it is quite difficult to assess the actual changes which they have helped to bring about. An assessment from the GLC itself can be found in a report called On the Road to Equality (GLC, 1984).
Commission for Racial Equality, Annual Report for I982 (CRE, 1983) p.3.
M. Loney, ‘The Youth Opportunities Programme: Requiem and Rebirth’, in R. Fiddy (ed.), In Place of Work (Falmer Press, 1983) p.30.
An overview and critique of post-1979 employment policies can be found in J. Fairley and J. Grahl, ‘Conservative Training Policy and the Alternatives’, Socialist Economic Review I983 (Merlin Press, 1983) pp.137-53.
An early and clear argument along these lines can be found in S. Hall et al., Policing the Crisis (Macmillan, 1978) pp.327ff.
Department of Employment, Employment - the Challenge to the Nation, Cmnd 9474 (HMSO, 1985)
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1986 Zig Layton-Henry and Paul B. Rich
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Solomos, J. (1986). Training for What?: Government Policies and the Politicisation of Black Youth Unemployment. In: Layton-Henry, Z., Rich, P.B. (eds) Race, Government and Politics in Britain. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-18395-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-18395-1_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-39350-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-18395-1
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)