Race, Ethnicity, and Sub-Branch codes
Items are coded, not people
In the ic3csi Culture Market the items are racialised, not the visitors. Each entry in the Market is an item of cultural value that carries three codes:
- Race code (IC) – the racial group connected to the item, for example: IC3, IC5, IC6.
- Ethnicity – the cultural or national community linked to the item, for example: Black Caribbean, Turkish, Chinese, Dschang / Bamileke.
- Sub-Branch – a deeper community or locality code, for example: IC3-BCRB-N15-001.
These codes describe the cultural origin of the item, not a personal profile of a named individual. Visitors can search by codes and post public comments under items, but there are no personal user accounts or login profiles in this model.
Why codes are required
The ic3csi Culture Market is a racialised culture bazaar. It does not hide race and ethnicity in the background. Instead, it brings them to the front so that trade can be seen, studied, and understood as part of reparatory justice work.
Codes are attached to items by ic3csi. They are used to show:
- Which racial group is connected to the item (Race code).
- Which cultural / national / community branch is linked to the item (Ethnicity code).
- Which detailed line or local community it comes from (Sub-Branch code).
No codes, no listing. Items in the Culture Market must carry codes so that the racialised pattern of culture and trade can be made visible.
Race codes (IC codes)
Race codes are based on the IC codes used in UK policing and monitoring. In the Culture Market they are used to mark the racial group linked to each item. Examples:
- IC1 – White
- IC2 – Mediterranean
- IC3 – Black
- IC4 – Asian
- IC5 – Chinese / East Asian
- IC6 – Arab / North African / Mixed
- IC9 – Unknown / Other
The Culture Market is especially concerned with IC3 Black and IC6 Mixed-Black people, but items can be linked to any race code where it is accurate and clearly described.
Ethnicity codes
Ethnicity codes describe which cultural, national, or historical community is connected to the item within its race code. They follow the spirit of the UK 16+1 self-defined ethnicity system but are written in clear language. Examples:
- Black Caribbean
- Black African
- Turkish
- Kurdish
- Chinese
- Yoruba
- Dschang / Bamileke
- Other clearly named communities as needed
In the Culture Market, Race and Ethnicity travel together. An item might be coded as “IC3 – Black Caribbean”, “IC6 – Turkish”, or “IC5 – Chinese”. Ethnicity codes help people search for items and knowledge from particular communities.
Sub-Branch codes
Sub-Branch codes go one level deeper. They identify the specific line, village, town area, or local community linked to the item within its Race and Ethnicity. They can follow a pattern, such as:
IC3-BCRB-N15-001
- IC3 – Race code (Black)
- BCRB – Ethnicity short code (Black Caribbean)
- N15 – Local area or postcode zone
- 001 – Line, household, or sequence number
ic3csi can propose and apply Sub-Branch codes as needed. The goal is to show the depth of culture and community, not just a single national label.
How codes appear on items
A Culture Market item always shows its codes. For example:
Item: Hot Caribbean food stall – N15 — Race IC3 — Ethnicity Black Caribbean — Sub-Branch IC3-BCRB-N15-001
An item can also say who it is for, such as “For IC3 Black community” or “For Turkish community”. This allows both the cultural origin and the target community to be visible.
Next steps
When you are ready, you can:
- Browse example items to see how codes are used in practice.
- Plan and agree Sub-Branch code patterns for different communities.
- Use the Culture Market as an IC-coded catalogue of items for investigation and teaching.