Changing conceptions of racism in the Netherlands. From interpersonal bias to racism as institutional

Abstract

This paper draws on an analysis of public policy discussions in the Netherlands to demonstrate an increased salience of the term institutional racism. We show that two major public debates played a pivotal role in bringing this about: political mobilisations against the Black Pete tradition and discussions about ethnic profiling. We also show how underneath the seemingly widely shared idea that institutional racism exists, there are diverging understandings as to what it is exactly and what is needed to combat it. One is a broad, structuralist view that sees institutional racism as one manifestation of systemic racism in Dutch society. The other is a narrow, legalistic view that defines it as indirect racial discrimination by and within institutions. In the conclusion we reflect on the consequences of these two diverging conceptualisations for antiracist policies, practices and institutions in the Netherlands.