The Great White North - "Whiteness"

Part 1 - Quote

Choose one quote from pp. 43-45 of The Great White North? State the quote in your blog posting, then compare and contrast this quote with your own definition of whiteness by answering these three questions: How do you interpret the meaning of the quote? How does its meaning expose a certain truth about the concept of whiteness? Does your definition of the concept prove or disprove (agree or disagree with) the perception of the chapter’s author, James Frideres?

"Privilege is hard to see for those who were born with access to power and resources" - ( Carr & Lund pp. 44)

I thought this was a very insightful quote. The concept being expressed is that whiteness (at least the dimension of whiteness that relates to privilege) is, in large part, defined by non-whites, as privilege is most tangible and concrete for those people who were not born into it. Whites have never known anything other than their racial privilege, as such it is hard for them to comprehend the reality of it or the impact it has on the lives of non-whites. This idea exposes the invisibility of whiteness to whites. Furthermore, the notion that racial identity belongs only to non-whites implies that to be white means to be a part of the "norm" - to be human rather than to be defined by your race. I had honestly never considered that before, but having been confronted with with it in the reading, I can see the truth in what Frideres is saying.

My own definition of whiteness and Frideres parallel one another in some ways, but I would not say that I embrace his definition of whiteness in its entirety. I agree that whiteness relates to privilege that white people receive based on their racial identity. I agree that whiteness is viewed in our society as the norm, and that other ethnicities are labeled as the other. However, I think that to claim that the entire concept of whiteness is the invisible and ubiquitous nature of white privilege is rather shallow and one dimensional. I would hope that there is more to whiteness than simply power, privilege and the identity of oppressor just as I would hope there is more to blackness than being underprivileged and oppressed. Am I wrong? Is this issue as clear cut and one dimensional as Frideres seems to be suggesting? Am I just too blinded by the whiteness of my own skin to recognize the truth? It's hard for me to say, and I think that in this debate the reality of my whiteness diminishes my credibility.

Reread the first full paragraph on p. 51. Considering yourself a future teacher, create two open-ended questions that if given the chance you would ask the author, James Frideres, about his ideas in this paragraph as they relate to your (future) teaching practices. Then, for each question, propose your own response to the question. If you believe the question is unanswerable, provide a detailed response explaining why its unanswerable.

Question 1: "How might we, as teachers, address the subject of whiteness with our students without propagating white guilt? In other words, how do we broach the topic without making it seem as though we are accusing the white students of being guilty by sole virtue of the color of their skin?

I think it's important that the subject be addressed with some sensitivity on the part of the teacher. I think a more successful and meaningful way to get the message across would be to allow the students to first reflect on and discuss their own heritages, their own experiences, and their own assumptions. Then you might ask them to consider how the issues they raised themselves relate to the subject of racial privilege, societal norms and biases. By directing the students while still allowing them to come to their own conclusions about the issue, I believe the experience would be much more empowering and a lot less defeating.

Question 2: "What would the impact be of a non-white teacher bringing up the subject of white privilege in the classroom? Would his/her racial identity give him/her more credibility, or would it further the sense of otherness between him/her and his/her white students? Would a non-white teacher need to approach the discussion differently than a white teacher?

Unfortunately I think that, yes, a non-white teacher would most likely encounter different challenges in this context than a white teacher. Honestly, it's hard for me to imagine what they might be, as it is not a situation in which I will likely ever find myself. However, I think that if the subject were addressed properly, a non-white teacher might utilize his or her own experiences with white privilege as a powerful learning tool. In addition, a non-white teacher would likely not be influenced by individual color-blindness, giving him/her more insight into the reality of racial privilege.