Theoretical Framework of the Study

I am writing my critical reaction journal based on my readings in regards to a two writings titled, “Seeing More Than Black and White” by Elizabeth Martinez (1998) in “Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology,” [edited by] Margaret L Andersen; Patricia Hill Collins, 2013, (8th Edition ed., pp. 85-90) and “Color-Blind Privilege” by Charles A. Gallagher (2003) in “Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology,” [edited by] Margaret L Andersen; Patricia Hill Collins, 2013, (8th Edition ed., pp. 91-95).

Schools systematically subjugate minority and black students when a school’s enrollment contains a huge racial majority. If students have no exposure to persons of different ethnicities, cultures, races, and religions, then these students will experience culture shock when they confront “other” people. Even in our class, we talk about black and minority students as another group, one that differs from “us.” We think about the inequalities in school systems as problems we need to fix, not as problems that have influenced our thinking and affect us as prospective teachers. For example, a white graduate student with

In this spellbinding lecture, the author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son offers a unique, inside-out view of race and racism in America. Expertly overcoming the defensiveness that often surrounds these issues, Wise provides a non-confrontational explanation of white privilege and the damage it does not only to people of color, but to white people as well. This is an invaluable classroom resource: an ideal introduction to the social construction of racial identities, and a critical new tool for exploring the often invoked – but seldom explained – concept of white privilege.

The overarching theme of critical race theory is centered on race and racism, however in higher education, critical race scholars recognize that racial identity and this form of oppression (racism) intersects with other subordinated identities (such as gender, class, religion, ability/disability, sexual orientation, etc.) and forms of oppression (sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc.) to influence People of Color’s lived experiences (Bartlett & Brayboy, 2005; Brayboy 2005; Kumasi, 2011; Lynn & Adams, 2002; Solórzano & Yosso, 2001). This means that in higher education, critical race theory challenges the dominate discourse on race and racism as it relates to educational theory, policy and practice (Solórzano, 1998).

Hope, E., Skoog, A., & Jagers, R. (n.d.). It 'll Never Be the White Kids, It 'll Always Be Us: Black High School Students ' Evolving Critical Analysis of Racial Discrimination and Inequity in Schools. Journal of Adolescent Research, 30, 83-112. doi:10.1177/07435584I4550688

It is also a “boundary spanning” activity in that it requires active involvement from people both within and outside of the classroom context, often resulting in participant contributors who represent a variety of generations, ethnicities, social groups, and experience levels (Billig and Furco, 2002, p.vii). Service-learning is designed to reduce the boundaries between an institutional campus environment and the community around it. It is designed to connect learning to real experience through service and reflection (Ball and Schilling, 2006; Becker, 2000). As a baseline to facilitate this development, service-learning is distinct from other types of community service and civic engagement experiences in that the service-learning experience must not only have a service and reflective component but also be clearly tied to the curriculum through learning objectives and theoretical underpinnings (Bloomquist, 2015; Pritchard, 2001). As Barbara Holland, former Director of the U.S. National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, shared, “Service-learning is all in the hyphen. It is the enrichment of specific learning goals through structured community service opportunities that respond to community-identified needs and opportunities.” (Kenworthy-U’Ren, Taylor, and Petri, 2006: 121).

This purpose of this paper is to define the field of Critical Whiteness Studies, explore key CWS concepts and next steps with a focus on schools, then conclude with what this author has learned (and unlearned) from CWS, being as vigilant as possible to follow Ahmed’s caution about my own white privilege and positionality.

The deep but subtly entrenched nature of white privilege into the American social structure is problematic because it creates complications to overcoming this type of racism. The difficulty in detecting white privilege facilitates the denial of the role white privilege plays in affecting an individual’s living experience in America. The reality is that white privilege does make a difference in the opportunities available to certain individuals. However, this difference is not as subtle. The biggest problem white privilege poses, aside from the discrimination and bias it employs, is that it is difficult to identify. Due to its intrinsic nature, eradicating its effects requires a reconstruction of the white supremacist American social system.

This paper examines how white privilege continues to be constructed today within schools and how teachers have a large role in it. In today’s society, many can go through their lives without understanding what it is or how it effects other people. White privilege is how a person’s lighter skin color benefits them directly from birth and that person doesn’t have to do anything in order to gain these privileges. These privileges are good and usually don’t have any negative consequences for the person receiving them. However, those who do not have white privilege face discrimination and end up paying the price in the future. This paper will uncover the hardships that people face when dealing with white privilege in schools, how it continues to be constructed in society, and how we as a society can become more aware to this problem.

White privilege, ignorance, and blindness are not valid reasons for minimizing racial oppression or social injustice. The reach of white privilege is extensive yet rarely recognized by white individuals. Most individuals are not aware of their white privilege or the subtle "accommodations" that are afforded white individuals not shared by African Americans. White privilege affords those of white identity all-inclusive membership privileges that insulate them from the historical, institutionalized rules long-favoring whites at the expense of black oppression. This privileged lens further perpetuates blindness of not seeing the advantages given to those unaffected regardless of status, character, or merit. Stories of “historically invisible sufferers” as they stand in solidarity must be given the platform to give their accounts. An analysis of white privilege reveals blindness to the moral responsibility of the effects of racism: authenticating the need of further exploring white privilege, opening dialogue, increasing awareness, and facilitating change.

White privilege has been identified as the unspoken and often unseen advantages that white people benefit from in various aspects of everyday life, based on nothing more than the colour of their skin (Robbins et al. 2014:98). White privilege creates a social hierarchy in American society, in which white is normative, and at the top of the hierarchy, and anything else is deviant (Gallagher 2003:25). This paper will demonstrate how white privilege serves as a visual barrier for white people, through which they are blind to the everyday struggles of people of colour. Most people who live with white privilege remain blind to the ways in which their privilege both helps them, and harms others. The experience of Jennifer Cramblett and Amanda Zinkon,

Right on the first page in chapter six it discusses the privilege groups discomfort about discussing privilege. Yes, it is true for so many and for those who don’t feel discomfort, I call you brave and open minded. But, it is a hard thing to discuss especially with a non-privileged group of individuals. I, for one also feel discomfort and defensive sometimes in those situations, and that could be from a number of different reasons. Whether it is because I feel guilty, ashamed, judged, etc. For this I will talk about race, for those who are white, we are born this way, we didn’t choose to be white and there’s nothing you can do about it. You were born into the privileged group here in America. But, it is something that we need to accept and admit to, we are the privileged group but, we don’t because of this nasty stigma about race. Race has turned into this sharp word that scares people when it is mentioned. We, as educators need to change the stigma of that word. We need to make it so people of privilege and non privilege can discuss privilege and race with out discomfort or being offended. In this class, our race discussion had brought up white privilege and at first it was not comfortable but, as you admit to it, the easier it is to discuss.

According to Kathleen Flecky and Lynn Gitlow, service-learning is defined as, “learning that occurs in experiences, reflection, and civic engagement” (Flecky & Gitlow, 2011). In recent years more universities are implementing service learning into their curriculum. A key concept of service learning is civic responsibility. Civic responsibility can simply be defined as your responsibilities as a citizen. As will be shown later in this paper, service learning can have many benefits not only to a student, but also to the community members

Racism and privilege are two topics which often at times are controversial to discuss. My thoughts of this course will help give me awareness of self and culture. This course will educate me on cultural identity on a Marco level. I'm intrigued to know, what are my classmates’ perspectives on white privilege? I'm looking forward to working collectively as a class to formulate ideas that can assist in our development as social workers. I'm aware that I may unintentionally disrespect a classmate in regard to a particular topic. I'm nervous to hear my classmates’ response, on certain discussions we will have throughout the semester. However, this year the challenge I will encounter is knowing when I’ve done enough in my ability to help a person

For decades, it has been well known that the workforce is stratified, if not calcified, by race. The labor economy isn’t merely laminated because different races and ethnicities cluster in different scores. What is not known, are the oblivious individuals who don’t recognize that being White is “normal” and seeing others as different from normal. They notice that the privilege of being able to assume acceptance as “normal” members of society in a world full of cultural differences. White Americans believe they are equal opportunity employers and it’s a barrier most people of color continually battle. This intentional act of “normal”, is reflected upon how an individual in a nominal education attainment could have a poor measure of labor-market skills because schools vary widely in quality leaving students with the inability to perform well on standardized tests. In “The Invisible Whiteness of Being” written by author Derald Wing Sue, he reveals the unacknowledged advantages white Americans receive and how whiteness is considered to be normative and ideal, automatically conferring dominance on fair skinned people. Education experiences for minority students have continued to be substantially separate and unequal. Curriculum quality affects educational opportunity and with the dramatic differences in the labor economy due to white privilege, the only way to a healthy and equal lifestyle is the quality of the education minorities receive. Another prime example of proving the