Ethnicity and academia: Closure models, racism models and market models

The paper addresses racism, discrimination, equal opportunities policies, i nstitutional cultures, and the pressures of markets in influencing the posi tion of minority ethnic groups in academia. The representation and position of minority ethnic groups among academic staff in UK higher education has previously been little studied. Data from the Higher Education Statistical Agency records and from new surveys are presented and analysed. Representat ion is low especially among some groups, but is growing among younger secti ons of academic staff, and is much higher in some academic subject areas th an others. Analysis of terms of contract and of seniority by ethnic groups suggests that minorities are significantly less well placed within the prof ession. An important distinction is between British and non-British nationa lity in assessing ethnicity and academic posts; non-British staff may be se en as part of a global labour market, especially in fixed term contract res earch work. The evidence is evaluated alongside a re-exploration of princip al models for explaining ethnic disadvantage in labour markets: closure, di scrimination, equal opportunities, institutional racism and markets. The au thors conclude that a combination of the last two models offers the best pr ospect of a full explanation.