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Challenging racialized institutions: a history of Black and Minority Ethnic housing associations in England between 1948 and 2018

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Fava, M 
Stott, N 

Abstract

This paper reviews the history of black and minority ethnic housing associations in England since the arrival of Commonwealth migrants. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Lawrence and Buchannan (2017), we examine the interplay of institutional control, agency and resistance, in a highly racialized context. We identify five phases in the development of grassroots organisers into housing associations, describing the different types of ‘institutional work’ involved in challenging racialized institutions and establishing new institutions. The exercise of episodic power to achieve institutional agency created resistance from powerful actors seeking to maintain systemic power. The growing movement for BME housing fought to establish organizational legitimacy. Achieving this enabled them to serve and represent their communities, but also entailed compromising more radical political agendas. Racialized aspects are largely lacking from institutional theory, as are the actions of racialized individuals and organizations. In looking at a highly racialized context, we hope to contribute to understanding the institutional work done by such groups, and the challenges they face as their efforts develop and become legitimated.

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Keywords

Housing Associations, Racialized institutions, Black and Minority Ethnic, Racism, Commonwealth migrants

Journal Title

Journal of Management History

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1751-1348
1758-7751

Volume Title

26

Publisher

Emerald

Rights

All rights reserved