Legal Constructions of Race in the Netherlands

Why does racial discrimination and inequality remain a problem in modern society? By now, most people accept that the idea that ‘race’, when used to describe people, is not a biological fact, but a social construct. However, explaining how this social construction works in practice can be difficult. This course aims to remedy that difficulty. Using the Netherlands as a case study, it provides historical context and concrete examples of how ‘race’ has functioned as a legal concept throughout history and how laws regulating race have adapted to the postcolonial, some say even post-racial world. By examining how race is enacted through laws in different eras and territories, we will get to the central question of why racial inequality and discrimination persist.