Within the broader framework of a research programme on the reproduction of racism in discourse and communication, the present article examines the prominent role of the denial of racism, especially among the elites, in much contemporary text and talk about ethnic relations. After a conceptual analysis of denial strategies in interpersonal impression formation on the one hand, and within the social-political context of minority and immigration management on the other, various types of denial are examined in everyday conversations, press reports and parliamentary debates. Among these forms of denial are disclaimers, mitigation, euphemism, excuses, blaming the victim, reversal and other moves of defence, face-keeping and positive self-presentation in negative discourse about minorities, immigrants and (other) anti-racists.
Antaki, C. (1988) `Structures of Belief and Justification', in C. Antaki (ed.) The Psychology of Ordinary Explanations of Social Behaviour, pp. 60-73. London: Academic Press.
2.
Arkin, R.M. (1981) `Self-Presentation Styles', in J. T. Tedeschi (ed.) Impression Management: Theory and Social Psychological Research, pp. 311-333. New York: Academic Press.
3.
Barker, M. (1981) The New Racism. London: Junction Books.
4.
Billig, M. (1988) `The Notion of “Prejudice”. Some Rhetorical and Ideological Aspects', Text8: 91-110.
5.
Boskin, J. (1980) `Denials: The Media View of Dark Skins and the City', in B. Rubin (ed.) Small Voices and Great Trumpets: Minorities and the Media, pp. 141-147. New York: Praeger.
6.
Brewer, M.B. (1988) `A Dual Process Model of Impression Formation', in T.K. Srull and R.S. Wyer (eds) Advances in Social Cognition, Vol. 1, pp. 1-36. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
7.
Brown, P. and Levinson, S.C. (1987) Politeness: Some Universals in Language Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8.
Cody, M.J. and McLaughlin, M.L. (1988). `Accounts on Trial: Oral Arguments in Traffic Court', in C. Antaki (ed.) Analysing Everyday Explanation. A Casebook of Methods, pp. 113-126. London: Sage.
9.
Dovidio, J.F. and Gaertner, S.L., eds (1986) Prejudice, Discrimination and Racism. New York: Academic Press.
10.
Essed, P.J.M. (1987) Academic Racism: Common Sense in the Social Sciences. University of Amsterdam: Centre for Race and Ethnic Studies, CRES Publications, No. 5.
11.
Essed, P.J.M. (1991) Understanding Everyday Racism. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
12.
Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
13.
Hartmann, P. and Husband, C. (1974) Racism and the Mass Media. London: Davis-Poynter.
14.
Lauren, P.G. (1988) Power and Prejudice: The Politics and Diplomacy of Racial Discrimination. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
15.
Miles, R. (1989) Racism. London: Routledge.
16.
Murray, N. (1986) `Anti-Racists and Other Demons—The Press and Ideology in Thatcher's Britain', Race & Class27: 1-19.
17.
Phizacklea, A. and Miles, R. (1979) `Working Class Racist Beliefs in the Inner City', in R. Miles and A. Phizacklea (eds) Racism and Political Action in Britain, pp. 93-123. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
18.
Said, E. W. (1981) Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World. New York: Pantheon.
19.
Schlenker, B.R. (1980) Impression Management: The Self-concept, Social Identity and Interpersonal Relations. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
20.
Scott, M. and Lyman, S. (1968) `Accounts', American Sociological Review33: 46-62.
21.
Taguieff, P.-A. (1988) La force du préjugé. Essai sur le racisme et ses doubles. Paris: Editions de la Découverte.
22.
Tedeschi, J.T. ed. (1981) Impression Management. Theory and Social Psychological Research. New York: Academic Press.
23.
Tedeschi, J.T. and Reiss, M. (1981) `Identities, the Phenomenal Self, and Laboratory Research', in J.T. Tedeschi (ed.) Impression Management. Theory and Social Psychological Research, pp. 3-22. New York: Academic Press.
24.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1984) Prejudice in Discourse. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
25.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1987a) Communicating Racism: Ethnic Prejudice in Thought and Talk. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
26.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1987b) `Elite Discourse and Racism', in I. Zavala, T.A. van Dijk, and M. Diaz-Diocaretz (eds) Approaches to Discourse, Poetics and Psychiatry, pp. 81-122. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
27.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1988a) News Analysis. Case Studies of International and National News in the Press. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
28.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1988b) News as Discourse. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
29.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1988c) `The Tamil Panic in the Press', in T.A. van Dijk, News Analysis, pp. 215-254. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
30.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1991). Racism and the Press. London: Routledge.
31.
Van Dijk, T.A. (1992) `Elite Discourse and the Reproduction of Racism', in J. Stanfield and R.M. Dennis (eds) Methods in Race and Ethnic Relations Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage (in press).
