Critical Whiteness Studies

[hluke]

Hello,

After doing some brief research on the critical race theory (CRT) , I came across a sub-section called 'Critical Whiteness Studies', and have thought it well to give some context to those who have not heard about such a theory.

Critical Whiteness Studies is a legitimate academic field which aims to pinpoint the societal structures that produce white-supremacy. Along with CRT, Critical Whiteness Studies assume that the society as a whole is designed to oppress people of colour.

From what I perceive, it is a field fueled by paranoia. It paints an unrealistic and incoherent view of western society, that we are living in a racist atmosphere: an environment which has never 'repented' or moved forward from the slave era; or at least, it seems apparent that being white and having a conservative and especially Christian worldview makes one somehow connected to the regrettable historical slave trade and thus possessing white-privilege.

Here are some undeniable claims made by the 'Critical Whiteness Study' field.

• Western legal institutions are designed to oppress people of colour and uphold elements of white-supremacy
• A white person has an inherent privilege in society
• America is increasingly controlled by white persons to prevent people of colour from progressing in society
• America's history of racism aligns with today's western society

I invite respectful discussion about this theory. Since I do not live in America, and am only educated on race content on the US media (mostly conservative), I would like to hear some opinions about the racial atmosphere in the states. Is it really so bad that black people are ostracized and discriminated universally? (I think not).

A few disclaimers:
1. I am against all forms of racism and hate fueled violence and division
2. I do not like putting human beings into race categories because we are all made in the image of God equally. So this is only for the purpose of discussion

 

[Sketcher]

Western legal institutions are designed to oppress people of colour and uphold elements of white-supremacy

I don't think so. There were discriminatory laws passed, but that's not the same as the entire legal institution. The legal institution simply provided the context by which the laws could be passed and implemented. The Black Codes and the Jim Crow laws had to be ratified according to the system we had in the US, but if we had a different system such as continental Europe had, the hatred and discrimination would have had different processes available to them by which they could have legally manifested.

A white person has an inherent privilege in society

If by that you mean that certain non-whites will have different experiences, that can be true. Is that a reason for white people in general to feel guilty or pay some kind of a price for this? No.

America is increasingly controlled by white persons to prevent people of colour from progressing in society

That is literally backwards from the direction our country has been heading in since the 1960's.

America's history of racism aligns with today's western society

I would need more clarification as to what this means. What I would say is America is less racist now towards non-whites than it used to be.

 

[hluke]

I don't think so. There were discriminatory laws passed, but that's not the same as the entire legal institution. The legal institution simply provided the context by which the laws could be passed and implemented. The Black Codes and the Jim Crow laws had to be ratified according to the system we had in the US, but if we had a different system such as continental Europe had, the hatred and discrimination would have had different processes available to them by which they could have legally manifested.

If by that you mean that certain non-whites will have different experiences, that can be true. Is that a reason for white people in general to feel guilty or pay some kind of a price for this? No.

That is literally backwards from the direction our country has been heading in since the 1960's.

I would need more clarification as to what this means. What I would say is America is less racist now towards non-whites than it used to be.

Thanks for responding. Some leftists have strong emotions and use strawman to support those emotions.

As to the last point, I agree.
What I wanted to point out is that this theory fails to separate history from modern society. So because of America's apparent racist history, racism still somehow reverberates deeply within America's social institutions.

Here are some phrases:

"...United States has been unsuccessful in bringing about an end to the rampant and violent effects of racism, as numerous acts of racial violence in the media have shown."

"...It is impossible, then, to gain an understanding of systemic racism without understanding how whiteness works, and Dyer claims that whiteness, because it is presumed neutral and normal, can only be studied by making it “strange.”

Critical Whiteness Studies - Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education

So there is a sense in which 'whiteness' or being white still holds connotations of supremacy and black oppression and slave disenfranchisement.

On a side note, the persistent authority appeals made by some democrat or socialist minded people lack logic. It is fallacious for one to assume that because such and such said something, that statement may be credible.

 

[Junia]

whiteness doesn't cause racism. Racists cause racism

 

[hluke]

whiteness doesn't cause racism. Racists cause racism

Amen!

 

[dqhall]

I don't think so. There were discriminatory laws passed, but that's not the same as the entire legal institution. The legal institution simply provided the context by which the laws could be passed and implemented. The Black Codes and the Jim Crow laws had to be ratified according to the system we had in the US, but if we had a different system such as continental Europe had, the hatred and discrimination would have had different processes available to them by which they could have legally manifested.

If by that you mean that certain non-whites will have different experiences, that can be true. Is that a reason for white people in general to feel guilty or pay some kind of a price for this? No.

That is literally backwards from the direction our country has been heading in since the 1960's.

I would need more clarification as to what this means. What I would say is America is less racist now towards non-whites than it used to be.

I lived in Black majority city. I saw an office building full of Black city employees and no Whites. While walking through the same Black neighborhood I was told to get out of here. I seldom heard Black racist anti-White insults. I also met Blacks who were friendly to Whites. It is easier for someone to criticize racism coming from another race than one’s own race. One study showed Blacks vote for Black candidates 95% of the time. Do they falsely presume this is not racism?

 

[hluke]

I lived in Black majority city. I saw an office building full of Black city employees and no Whites. While walking through the same Black neighborhood I was told to get out of here. I seldom heard Black racist anti-White insults. I also met Blacks who were friendly to Whites. It is easier for someone to criticize racism coming from another race than one’s own race. One study showed Blacks vote for Black candidates 95% of the time. Do they falsely presume this is not racism?

Yes the irony and silliness about this theory and the CRT is that the majority of academics in the field are in fact white people in privileged positions, who intentionally create an atmosphere of racial prejudice against the very race of which they are a part: absurd

Nevertheless, there is indeed a false presumption made in this theory. Whiteness studies would no doubt posit that a black community run by black government is still apart of a general systemically racist atmosphere. The argument stems from opposition to a white person in power. For example, white CEO's in that area may be assumed supreme because of their position in office, and thus an argument for white-supremacy and system racism is upheld.

 

[hluke]

So similar to other race theories and socialist agendas, one example of something is transformed into a general picture of society. George Floyd's killing means that police should be defunded. America's African slave trade history means that America are still discriminating against blacks.

A sexist comment made by Trump twenty years ago makes him a sexist.

So it becomes a matter of separating reality and fact from emotion. And as is evident even in the passing of Ginsberg, and ACB's seating, shallow emotion and difference in opinion creates unrest.

 

[dqhall]

Yes the irony and silliness about this theory and the CRT is that the majority of academics in the field are in fact white people in privileged positions, who intentionally create an atmosphere of racial prejudice against the very race of which they are a part: absurd

Nevertheless, there is indeed a false presumption made in this theory. Whiteness studies would no doubt posit that a black community run by black government is still apart of a general systemically racist atmosphere. The argument stems from opposition to a white person in power. For example, white CEO's in that area may be assumed supreme because of their position in office, and thus an argument for white-supremacy and system racism is upheld.

If there is a Black CEO, would you assume the ideology of Black supremacy is at work? I met a former black panther member who told me the pharaohs were dark skinned and they ruled an empire.

I know Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. It was not a political position that was bestowed upon him by racists, but it was many hours working day pay and night on his inventions that afforded him a better life style. His home and lab are preserved as a historical site in Ft. Myers, FL. The tour guide told about him working past midnight and sleeping on a cot in his lab for a few hours before working again. He did not have time to go back into the house to his bedroom.

 

[Redwingfan9]

Hello,

After doing some brief research on the critical race theory (CRT) , I came across a sub-section called 'Critical Whiteness Studies', and have thought it well to give some context to those who have not heard about such a theory.

Critical Whiteness Studies is a legitimate academic field which aims to pinpoint the societal structures that produce white-supremacy. Along with CRT, Critical Whiteness Studies assume that the society as a whole is designed to oppress people of colour.

From what I perceive, it is a field fueled by paranoia. It paints an unrealistic and incoherent view of western society, that we are living in a racist atmosphere: an environment which has never 'repented' or moved forward from the slave era; or at least, it seems apparent that being white and having a conservative and especially Christian worldview makes one somehow connected to the regrettable historical slave trade and thus possessing white-privilege.

Here are some undeniable claims made by the 'Critical Whiteness Study' field.

• Western legal institutions are designed to oppress people of colour and uphold elements of white-supremacy
• A white person has an inherent privilege in society
• America is increasingly controlled by white persons to prevent people of colour from progressing in society
• America's history of racism aligns with today's western society

I invite respectful discussion about this theory. Since I do not live in America, and am only educated on race content on the US media (mostly conservative), I would like to hear some opinions about the racial atmosphere in the states. Is it really so bad that black people are ostracized and discriminated universally? (I think not).

A few disclaimers:
1. I am against all forms of racism and hate fueled violence and division
2. I do not like putting human beings into race categories because we are all made in the image of God equally. So this is only for the purpose of discussion

The notion that white people have some sort of inherent privilege is likely news to poor whites who live in Appalachia and elsewhere.

America was never about white supremacy, even a cursory look at history indicates that northern states opposed slavery. In fact, but for white abolitionists the anti-slavery movement wouldn't have existed in any meaningful way. The founders wanted to limit slave state power, which resulted in the 3/5 rule. That rule isn't about making blacks 3/5 a person, it's about limiting southern power in Congress and the electoral college.

Like it or not, 300 years ago European culture and civilization was more advanced than the rest of the world. (there are other points in history where that wasn't the case) Rather than tearing down western civilization, it would be more useful to society to build up other cultures. Unless of course your goal is worldwide socialism and the destruction of free enterprise.

The idea that America is controlled by white people looking to keep minorities out of power is laughable in light of the fact that we're less than four years removed from having a black President. Outside of government, no one is preventing blacks and other minorities from succeeding in business. The fact that outcomes may not be equal is not evidence of an effort by whites to keep minorities down, it's evidence of different priorities among groups of people.

The left will point to a wage gap and SAT score gap between blacks and whites and conclude that business and education are racist against blacks. However, there is a significant gap between whites and Asians, the latter earning more and scoring better on tests. Is society racist against whites in favor of Asians? Hardly. There are merely different priorities in the Asian subculture, which tends to promote education more than other groups.