Introduction to Structural Inequity in Higher Education

Race is a confusing idea because it is a construct, but one that can feel very real, with all too real racist outcomes. Race is not a biological fact. Forms of scientific racism, such as Eugenics, chose specific physical characteristics (in their case, things like skin colour, hair texture, skull shape and weight) to try and statistically differentiate between groups of people and link these statistics to politically salient features such as criminality or intelligence. Linking physical characteristics or sometimes social, cultural and political practices to race is called racialisation and is usually oppressive. Contemporary scientific research has debunked any underlying biological basis for race. Nonetheless, race is still an influential construct that shapes many aspects of our lives, from educational outcomes to access to high-quality health care.

Racism is a form of oppression that comes from discriminating against people (individuals, groups, communities or whole countries and continents) on the basis of race. The process of racialisation inscribes racist frameworks across many different things: institutional metrics, people’s hair, cultural practices. These frameworks operate to create hierarchies by ‘othering’ certain groups. It is important to note that in the UK, such frameworks enshrine Whiteness as both an invisible and universal form of being human, against which everyone else is negatively compared. In this sense, everyone in the UK experiences racism and racialisation, but White people experience these practices as forms of personal and structural advantage. This is evidenced in data on educational achievement, health outcomes, employment statistics and more.

We can think of racism in two related ways. First, people and groups can be purposefully racist. That is, racist people can and do enact racist abuse towards other people. This can take many forms, from the obviously violent and threatening to workplace discrimination.

Many people think that this is all racism is. However, it is also important to think of racism as a structural inequality because it has been found to shape whole systems as well as thoughts and behaviours. For instance, in the UK, the education system is considered structurally racist, as is the legal system. From this perspective, we are all working within racist structures and likely to enact racism unless we actively work against it. It is possible to be racist even if you did not purposefully racially abuse someone on the way to work today.

Seeing racism as structural and individual is crucial for understanding, challenging and changing embedded racist practices as well as individual acts of racism. Many people who experience racist discrimination in the UK second-guess whether their experience was racist or not. This is because structural racism can feel hard to pin down unless you know about it. For instance, when Black colleagues are greeted in meetings as the catering staff, or when Chinese colleagues endlessly have their names mispronounced and are talked over in meetings, these are forms of racism. If we are unable to recognise and talk about racism, it is hard to challenge or change these practices.

Simply learning facts about inequality does not automatically disrupt racialised power dynamics. Moving beyond basic awareness requires addressing several structural traps that maintain the status quo.

First, active and systematic "white ignorance" shows that structural ignorance is not merely an accidental gap in knowledge. It is actively produced, maintained, and institutionalised to protect privilege and shield dominant groups from confronting their complicity in systemic harm.

Second, the "intellectualisation" trap treats racial equity as a purely academic exercise, converting a real material struggle over power and resources into a comfortable training task. Organisations can host workshops and adopt equity terminology while leaving their hiring, funding, and decision-making structures completely unchanged.

Third, performative solidarity and co-optation occur when awareness exists without structural change, leading to superficial gestures. Institutions frequently adopt popular anti-racist language to satisfy funder requirements or project a progressive image, while quietly diluting radical community priorities into safer, neutral projects.

Finally, educational efforts often relieve guilt instead of sharing power, easing institutional discomfort without surrendering decision-making control and ultimately reinforcing the very power imbalances they claim to fix. Overcoming systemic ignorance
requires moving beyond passive awareness to active accountability, shared decision-making authority, and sustained long-term institutional commitment.

In public engagement and community-university partnerships, dismantling ignorance requires changing everyday routines, administration, and institutional relationships.

1. Take off the “academic hat”: Instead of sticking to strict agendas or academic rules, create flexible spaces for open, caring conversations that focus on what the community really needs. Don’t force official definitions or complicated reviews on community partners. Let them describe and shape their work in their own way.
2. Take over the admin work without taking over: Support your partners by handling some background work. Handle tasks like setting up meetings, tracking schedules, or preparing funding documents so community partners don’t have to. Make sure support doesn’t mean taking control. The community should always make the main decisions.
3. Provide direct, flexible funding: ensure communities have the resources they need. Avoid standard grants that keep money within universities and come with strict rules. Secure funding that goes straight to local organisations so they can cover costs and decide how best to use it.
4. Asset-based engagement: Start with what the community already does well. Build on their strengths, stories, and ideas instead of focusing on what’s missing. Use your access to resources and influence to back up community projects and help share power fairly.

Use these questions to examine whether your everyday choices are reinforcing racial inequity:

• Where in our engagement work are we treating racism as a lack of knowledge rather than a power balance problem?
• Are our racial equity discussions leading to changes in our budget and decision-making, or just to better language?