I wasn't suggesting that archaeology is of absolutely no interest to ethnic minorities, only that we should be tackling the issue of general community interest not spotlighting certain individual groups. If we are to target ethnic minorities why not also target single mothers, HIV positive people, gays & lesbians as minority groups.
I would agree with John Wood's community consultation excercise, only that I would urge you include the whole community not just one group. I would also suggest that you are clear about why you are targeting ethnic groups. Is it because we feel that because they live in the UK they should (or ought to) be interested in archaeology (which can seem a fairly obscure past time to many people anyway) or is it because there is a genuine interest from a particular group which needs to be addressed. We must not assume that because we (ie. white, generally middle-class, people) find the subject fascinating, that groups of people with very different cultural backgrounds and values also do.
As I said before - PC thought and action carried out merely for PC sake is meaningless and insulting to the very groups one is targetting.
Rob Bourn
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