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This thesis seeks to make visible the presence and voices of minority ethnic households in rural communities by addressing the ‘place blindness’ in research on ethnicity / ‘race’, and the ethnicity / ‘race’ blindness in rural literature. The overall aim of this thesis is to develop an understanding of the lived experiences and perspectives of minority ethnic households and individuals in parts of rural Scotland, and the Highlands and Islands in particular. The emphasis is on exploring the contingent, flexible and changing interaction between ethnicity / ‘race’ and rurality. This is achieved by drawing on four separately commissioned studies which were undertaken between 1998 and 2004, and were re-analysed for the purposes of this thesis. Within the context of these studies, the thesis examines the ways in which the social and spatial demography of rural minority ethnic households, and particular conceptualisations of rural have been mobilised to shape ideas and practices about belonging in parts of rural Scotland. In particular, the studies explore the ways in which minority ethnic households, parents/carers and young people across the four studies have felt they have been ‘invisible’ in relation to policy and service delivery issues, and developed strategies to overcome their marginalisation. The thesis concludes that the relationships, experiences and practices based on ethnicity / ‘race’ have to be understood as being grounded in specific spatial, national, local, historical and material contexts which are dynamic. It stresses the need to move away from binary accounts portraying minority ethnic groups as always ‘passive victims’, and the ‘host’ communities as invariably ‘perpetrators’ of racism, by recognising the importance of taking into account the cross-cutting nature of individual identities and experiences, deconstructing ‘white’ and recognising the countervailing forces of constraints and agency within this context.

The development of affordable housing often involves a contentious siting process. Proposed housing developments frequently trigger concern among neighbors and community groups about potential negative impacts on neighborhood quality of life and property values. Advocates, developers, and researchers have long suspected that some of these concerns stem from racial or class prejudice, yet, to date, these assumptions lack empirical evidence. My research seeks to examine the roles that perceptions of race and class play in shaping opinions that underlie public opposition to affordable housing. Such opposition often earns the label "Not in my Backyard" (NIMBY). The application of a mixed-methods approach helps determine why the public opposes the development of affordable housing in their neighborhoods and towns. The focus group and survey results provide a rich understanding of the underlying attitudes that trigger opposition to affordable housing when proposed nearby. This study demonstrates that stereotypes and perceptions of the poor and minorities are particularly strong determinants of affordable housing opposition. This research improves our understanding of public attitudes toward affordable housing attitudes, leading to a more focused and effective policies and plans for the siting of affordable housing. The results provide advocates, planners, developers, and researchers with a more accurate portrayal of affordable housing opposition, thereby allowing the response to be shaped in a more appropriate manner. / text

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