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Writer's pictureChaire UNESCO en démocratie, citoyenneté mondiale et éducation transformatoire

New Book on Whiteness / Nouveau livre sur la blanchitude

Whiteness is a narrative. It is the privileged dimension of the complex story of "race" that was, and continues to be, seminal in shaping the socio-economic structure and cultural climate of the United States and other Western nations. Without acknowledging this story, it is impossible to understand fully the current political and social contexts in which we live. Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness explores multiple analyses of whiteness, drawing on both past and current key sources to tell the story in a more comprehensive way. This book, co-edited by Paul R. Carr and his two colleagues Virginia Lea and Darren E. Lund, features both iconic essays that address the social construction of whiteness and critical resistance as well as excellent new critical perspectives.

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La "Blanchitude", ou « Whiteness » en anglais, est un récit. Il s'agit du récit des notions de "privilège" et de "pouvoir" ancrées dans l'histoire complexe des "races", des notions qui continuent à façonner les relations, les structures socioéconomiques et le climat culturel, particulièrement aux États-Unis, et en général, ailleurs en Occident. Il est donc impossible de bien comprendre le contexte politique et social dans lequel nous vivons sans reconnaître la force et les impacts de ce récit. Ce livre « Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness”, codirigé par Paul R. Carr et ses deux collègues Darren E. Lund et Virginia Lea, explore la “blanchitude” selon divers angles adoptés par des auteurEs clés qui font une narration du phénomène. Le livre comprend des textes éloquents qui analysent la construction sociale de la « blanchitude » et font un survol de stratégies de résistance critique pour la contrer, tout en ouvrant sur de nouvelles perspectives critiques. Le livre a été publié par Peter Lang en février 2018.

Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness: Views from the Past and Present

Contents

Figures

Acknowledgements

Introduction: Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness

Virginia Lea, Darren E. Lund and Paul R. Carr

Section I The Social Construction of Whiteness and Critical Resistance

1.  Romancing the Shadow

Toni Morrison

2. Whiteness as Property

Cheryl L. Harris

3. The Prehistory of the White Worker: Settler Colonialism, Race and Republicanism before 1800

D. R. Roediger

4. Slavery and Race: The Southern Dilemma

G. M. Frederickson

5. The Invention of the White Race—And the Ordeal of America

T. W. Allen

6. Obscuring the Importance of Race: The Implication of Making Comparisons Between Racism and Sexism (Or Other -isms)

Trina Grillo and Stephanie M. Wildman

7. More than Skin Deep: Understanding the Deep Sources of White Resistance and Key Tools for Addressing It

Heather W. Hackman and Susan Raffo

8. Deconstructing Whiteness: Discovering the Water

Kelly E. Maxwell

9. Disrupting Denial and White Privilege in Teacher Education

Darren E. Lund and Paul R. Carr

10. Imaging Whiteness Hegemony in the Classroom: Undoing Oppressive Practice and Inspiring Social Justice Activism

Virginia Lea and Erma Jean Sims

11. A Chronic Identity Intoxication Syndrome: Whiteness as Seen by an African-Canadian Francophone Woman

Gina Thésée

12. Nothing to Add: A Challenge to White Silence in Racial Discussions

Robin DiAngelo

13. The Elephant in the Room: Picturebooks, Philosophy for Children and Racism

Darren Chetty

Section II - New Critical Perspectives on Whiteness

14. Stop Telling that Story! Danger Discourse and the White Racial Frame

Robin DiAngelo

15. Whiteness and Intersectionality Theory

Cynthia Levine-Rasky

16.  No Place Like Home? Reconceptualizing Whiteness as Place│Space Within Teacher

Education

Melissa Winchell

17. Academic Advising and the Maintenance of Whiteness in Higher Education

Geneva L. Sarcedo and Cheryl E. Matias

18. “We Acted Like a Genocidal Country When We Are Clearly Not One”: Exploring the Complexities of Racialization and the Structuring Forces of Whiteness in a High School Classroom

Tana Mitchell Contents

19. Whiteness and White Privilege: Problematizing Race and Racism in a “Color-blind” World, and in Education

Paul R. Carr

20. A Hidden Door Outside the Law: Mapping Whiteness and Symbolic Alibis for Crimes Against First Nations People

John L. Hoben

21. An Epistemic Instruction Manual: The Blinding Whiteness of the Australian National Curriculum

Glen Parkes

22.  How Did We Get Here? The Role of Whiteness (White Privilege and White Supremacy) in the Current Environmental Crisis

Heather W. Hackman

23. “Does It Make Me White If…?”: registers of Whiteness in the Blog “stuff White People Like”

Nichole E. Grant

Contributors

Advance Praise

“In this time of bolstered white supremacy locally and throughout the world, I can imagine few interventions as timely and urgent as Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness. Lea, Lund, and Carr have assembled a stunning range of writings— from both earlier and contemporary scholars—who lay bare the endemic and enduring nature of whiteness as normative ideology, its damage to educational and social justice, and our role in dismantling and reimagining race. Packed with troubling insights, this book is one I must read again. Read and reread this book and answer its call to action.”

–Kevin Kumashiro, Author of Against Common Sense; former Dean of the School of Education, University of San Francisco

“In Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness, Virginia Lea, Darren Lund, and Paul Carr present a marvelous collection of first‐rate essays that probe the roots and workings of whiteness from multiple vantage points. The essays, ranging from classics in the field to new works reflecting on identity, teaching, and disruption of whiteness, should be in the hands of everyone who is trying to figure out how to dismantle white supremacy.”

–Christine Sleeter, Professor Emerita, California State University, Monterey Bay

“Simply put, Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness is the most compelling collection on whiteness and racism I have read. Lea, Lund, and Carr have assembled a powerful collection of essays from a range of voices, vocations, and positionalities that together are equal parts challenging and accessible, philosophical and action‐demanding. I could feel my consciousness growing as I read.”

–Paul C. Gorski, Associate Professor of Social Justice and Human Rights, George Mason University; Founder of EdChange and the Equity Literacy Institute

“Readers will find the contributions in this book important to the discourse and understanding on how whiteness is played out in various contexts in society. Through a series of chapters inspiring authors offer a variety of perspectives that are necessary and important in educational discourse. Critical Multicultural Perspectives on Whiteness will be a valuable resource to teacher educators, and indeed all courses at colleges and universities as they engage students in some of the challenging issues of the day. The chapters in this book will encourage and stimulate dialogue on an important topic. This book is indeed a valuable contribution to this effort.”

–Ann E. Lopez, Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto; President‐Elect, the National Association for Multicultural Education

“This book is a treasure trove of classic and to‐be‐classic pieces on whiteness and white racial literacy. I can’t wait to get this into the hands of my students!”

–Özlem Sensoy, Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University; Co‐author of Is Everyone Really Equal?

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