Why deal with racism? A qualitative analysis of the approach to racism taken by local administrations

The article by Reichle and Riese investigates the institutionalization of racism through a qualitative study of local welfare administrations and police departments. To do so, it analyses how racism is treated by local state institutions. It shows that local state institutions respond to racism either through denial or selective professionalization, a term that the authors use to describe the limited effects of singular anti-discrimination measures. Both contribute to the reproduction of racist routines. Denial and selective professionalization depend on individual and organizational factors, such as the institutional and individual understanding of racism, hierarchies and their informal bypassing, and institutional culture. Furthermore, the institutional approach to racism is shaped by the local political climate and the economic context. As a consequence, all of these factors must be addressed in order to challenge institutional racism.