PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsReviewsTV Review: Mixed Race Britain - How the World Got Mixed Up

BioNews

TV Review: Mixed Race Britain - How the World Got Mixed Up

Published 12 December 2012 posted in Reviews and appears in BioNews 629

Author

Nishat Hyder

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.

'One of the very few universal laws of history is this: whenever and wherever people of different races have been brought together they have always mixed. For most of human history the power of sex managed to undermine the power of race'...


Mixed Race Britain: How the World Got Mixed Up

BBC2, Saturday 8 October 2011

'Mixed Race Britain: How The World Got Mixed Up', BBC2, Saturday 8 October 2011


'One of the very few universal laws of history is this: whenever and wherever people of different races have been brought together they have always mixed. For most of human history the power of sex managed to undermine the power of race'.

Well, perhaps not undermine, but challenge, certainly. The preceding programme synopsis refers to BBC2's recent documentary entitled How The World Got Mixed Up, broadcast on Saturday 8 October 2011, as part of the BBC's Mixed Race Britain season. The programme attempts to document the phenomena of 'mixed race' as a category of ethnicity — or indeed, a lack thereof.

Over the course of the programme we are swept through a five-hundred-year history of 'exploitation and Empire building' that seeks to explain 'mixed race' society. The documentary separately focuses on different episodes in history where interracial relationships were contentious: the American Civil Rights Movement; British colonisation of America and relationship with Native Americans; the African slave trade; the Spanish Conquests in South America; Portuguese colonisation of South India; British colonisation of India; French colonisation of Louisiana; Germany under the Third Reich; and South Africa during Apartheid.

Of course, a mere hour and a half is barely enough time to explain just one of these historical periods and the various nuances — political, economic, social, cultural — that can account for race relations; let alone all of them. And, indeed, such a thorough investigation is not the stated purpose of this documentary. From the outset, the idea of 'tasting the forbidden fruit' is identified as a recurring (perhaps unifying?) theme that explains 'mixed race'. The opening voiceover relates: 'For years interracial sex was one of the great taboos: a world divided by the idea of race shrouded interracial desire in secrecy and shame…'

However, after a relatively bold opening, the documentary disappoints in its explanation of sexual desire subverting racial division. Racial stereotypes of the female 'other' as a beautiful, forbidden object of sexual desire, and the male 'other' as a dangerous, sexual predator, are identified and restated throughout the documentary. But no analysis or explanation of desire vis-à-vis the 'other' or 'outsider' is attempted. Furthermore, related discourses in gender studies are simply ignored. Thus, what emerges is a half-baked account of interracial relations across all time and cultures: the tension between an inexplicable desire for the 'other'; the need to suppress and control the 'other'; and the instinct to maintain racial integrity. A clearer distinction could have been made between the issue of mixed race binary relationship in itself, and the separate issue of that relationship in the broader societal context. The makers of the documentary appeared to attempt to address both issues, but did so in a muddled sort of fashion.

Despite lacking a certain academic depth or rigour, this documentary provides a nice overview of the ebb and flow of the idea of 'mixed race' throughout modern history. It is easy to see the acceptance of mixed race couples as part of a broader, on-going civil liberties movement, and therefore in terms of chronological historical progression. Interestingly, and importantly, the documentary depicts episodes in history of arguably greater diversity and acceptance than today. For example, William Dalrymple, author of 'White Mughals' refers to India during 1780s, where in trading towns such as Calcutta, one third of British households were racially mixed — a higher proportion than that found in some of the most diverse areas of contemporary London. The same commentator also pointed out the parallel between diversity and acceptance corresponding to the height of equal economic and military power (in this case, between the British and the Indians). Subsequent scandals served to disrupt the delicate balance of power, and with it, the society that openly accepted mixed race couples.

The documentary closes with a brief look at the idea of 'mixed race' in present-day Britain. The few minutes devoted to contemporary perceptions of mixed race couples fails to capture the complexities and tension that continues to pervade this issue. But perhaps that will be the subject of another production.

Although sketchy in parts, overall, this was an interesting and well-made documentary that has certainly caused me to think about, and research further, some of the issues concerning the idea of 'mixed race'.

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Comment
13 March 2013 • 4 minutes read

Do we think it matters where our genes come from?

by Sandy Starr

The Progress Educational Trust's 2011 project Genes, Ancestry and Racial Identity: Does It Matter Where Your Genes Come From?, supported by the Wellcome Trust, sought to debate race and ancestry in the context of genetics and to explore the connection (or lack of connection) between genetics and the concept of 'race'...

PET BioNews
Reviews
13 December 2012 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: Mixed Race Britain - Mixed Britannia

by Anoushka Shepherd

In this three-part documentary, George Alagiah recounts the largely untold story of mixed race Britain and the many love stories that overcame extreme social hardship to create it...

PET BioNews
Comment
29 November 2012 • 4 minutes read

Racing ahead in the polls

by Sarah Norcross

Throughout 2011 the charity that publishes BioNews, the Progress Educational Trust, has been running a Wellcome Trust supported project entitled 'Genes, Ancestry and Racial Identity: Does It Matter Where Your Genes Come From?'. The project is now concluding with an online poll which we'd like to encourage all BioNews readers to complete...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
15 November 2012 • 2 minutes read

Genomic studies focus too heavily on Europeans

by Heidi Colleran

Ethnic and racial minorities are in danger of missing out on future medical advances - based on genetic research - because they are under-represented in basic studies, says a review published in Nature Genetics by a team of geneticists from Stanford University and University of California, San Francisco...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
15 November 2012 • 2 minutes read

Human history is written in everyone's genome

by Mehmet Fidanboylu

Two scientists claim to have pushed the boundaries of what can be learned about the ancestral history of the human race from one person's genome. Dr Richard Durbin and Dr Heng Li from the UK's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge used information from the genomes of only seven individuals...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
15 November 2012 • 5 minutes read

TV Review: Should I Test My Genes? The Price of Life

by Daniel Malynn

Adam Wishart's documentary charted his personal journey to discover the secrets hidden in his genes. After his mother's death from breast cancer, Adam wanted to discover whether he too is genetically at risk of developing the disease. Looking at his immediate family history, he found seven of his mother's 14 brothers, sister and cousins died from cancer. Adam's mother, aunt and grandmother all had breast cancer...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Comment
14 November 2012 • 5 minutes read

The contradictory place of race in biology

by Professor Catherine Nash

Over the last decade there has been an intense debate among social scientists, ethicists and, to an extent, scientists themselves over the degree to which new studies of human genetic variation, and their application in the development of drugs targeted at ethnic or racial groups, constitutes a revival of old racial categories...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Comment
12 November 2012 • 4 minutes read

Genetic medalling

by Dr Antony Starza-Allen

Are athletes born or built? Basketball star Michael Jordan's son plays college-level basketball and Muhammad Ali's daughter Laila was named Super MiddleWeight women's boxing champion in 2002. Famous footballer Zinedine Zidane's son Enzo, joined by his siblings Luca and Theo, are all promising young footballers among the Real Madrid cadets...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
31 October 2012 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: The Gene Code - The Book of Life/Unlocking the Code

by Dr Sandy Raeburn

Nearly twenty years ago, a medical school I know well was deciding whether to incorporate the university genetics department. One senior medical professor cautioned that science-focused geneticists would be well advised to stop studying fruit flies, snails and other animal species in favour of 'real genetic research' into human genetics....

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Radio Review: The Life Scientific - Professor Hugh Montgomery

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
20 June 2022 • 5 minutes read

Documentary Review: Our Father

20 June 2022 • 4 minutes read

Podcast Review: How Far Could Genome Editing Go?

13 June 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: Happy Mum Happy Baby – Tom Daley

13 June 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: The Outlook – The shocking truth about my three dads

23 May 2022 • 4 minutes read

Documentary Review: Freezing Fertility

1 August 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: Stories of Our Times – IVF, fraud and 'unwanted' children

25 July 2022 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: DNA Family Secrets – series two, episode six

18 July 2022 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: Spotlight – The babymaker uncovered

11 July 2022 • 4 minutes read

TV Review: DNA Family Secrets – series two, episode three

4 July 2022 • 3 minutes read

Podcast Review: Biohacked Family Secrets – The birth of the sperm bank

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856