Transcript WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 11
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT - Assumptions
 1. Racism is a basic and integral part of U.S. life
and permeates all aspects of our culture and
institutions.
 2. White Americans are socialized into U.S. society
and, therefore, inherit the biases, stereotypes, racist
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the society.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT - Assumptions
 3. The level of White racial identity development
in an interracial encounter affects the process and
outcome of our relationships.
 4. How Whites perceive themselves as racial
beings seems to be strongly correlated with how
they perceive and respond to racial stimuli.
Consequently, race-related reality of Whites
represent major differences in how they view the
world.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT - Assumptions
 5. It seems to follow an identifiable sequence. There is an
assumption that White Americans who are born and raised
in the United States, may move through levels of
consciousness regarding their own identity as racial beings.
 6. The most desirable development is not only the
acceptance of whiteness, but also defining it in a
nondefensive and nonracist manner. There is an
understanding that to deny the humanity of any one person
is to deny the humanity of all.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase One – Naiveté
 Early childhood marked by naïve curiosity about race.
 Tendency to be innocent, open, and spontaneous regarding racial
differences.
 May notice differences, but awareness of social meaning are absent or
minimal.
 Racial awareness and the burgeoning social meanings occur between the
ages of 3-5 years.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Two – Conformity
 Characteristics of naiveté may be maintained.
 Minimal awareness of self as a racial/cultural being.
 Strong belief in the universality of values and norms governing behavior.
 Unlikely to recognize the polarities of democratic principles of equality
and the unequal treatment of minority groups.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Two – Conformity
 Compartmentalization of contradictory attitudes,
beliefs and behaviors (i.e., can believe people are
people, but treat minorities differently).
 Because of naiveté and encapsulation, it is possible
for two diametrically opposed belief systems to
coexist in your mind.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Two – Conformity
 (a) Uncritical acceptance of White supremacist
notions which relegates minorities into the inferior
category with all the racial stereotypes.
 (b) Belief that racial and cultural differences are
considered unimportant. This allows Whites to
avoid perceiving themselves as “dominant” group
members, or of having biases and prejudices.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Two – Conformity
 The primary mechanism used in encapsulation is
denial; denial that people are different, denial that
discrimination exists, and denial of your own
prejudices. Instead, the locus of the problem is seen
to reside in the minority individual or group.
 In her own White racial awakening, Peggy
McIntosh (1989) stated:
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Two – Conformity
 “My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as
an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged
culture. I was taught to see myself as an individual whose moral state
depended on her individual moral will....Whites are taught to think of
their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so
that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will
allow ‘them’ to be more like ‘us.’
 While the Naiveté stage is brief in duration, the Conformity stage can
last a lifetime.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Three – Dissonance
 Obliviousness breaks down when Whites become aware of
inconsistencies.
 Becomes conflicted over irresolvable racial moral dilemmas that are
frequently perceived as polar opposites: believing they are nonracist, yet
not wanting their son or daughter to marry a minority group member;
 Belief that “all men are created equal”, yet seeing society treat people of
color as second class citizens; and not acknowledging that oppression
exists to witnessing it (beating of Rodney King and the unwarranted
persecution of Wen Ho Lee).
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Three – Dissonance
 Become increasingly conscious of whiteness and
may experience dissonance, resulting in feelings of
guilt, depression, helplessness or anxiety.
 Movement into the Dissonance phase occurs when
Whites are forced to deal with the inconsistencies
that have been compartmentalized or encounter
information/experiences at odds with their denial.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Three - Dissonance
 Dissonance may make Whites feel guilty, shameful, angry,
and depressed. Rationalizations may become the manner
used to exonerate their inactivity in combating perceived
injustice or personal feelings of prejudice: “I’m only one
person, what can I do” or “Everyone is prejudiced, even
minorities”.
 As these conflicts ensue, Whites may retreat into the
protective confines of White culture (encapsulation of the
previous stage) or move progressively toward insight and
revelation (resistance and immersion stage).
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Four - Resistance and Immersion
 Whites begin to question and challenge their racism. For the
first time, they begin to realize what racism is all about, and
their eyes are suddenly opened.
 Racism becomes noticeable in all facets of their daily lives
(advertising, television, educational materials, interpersonal
interactions, etc.). A major questioning of their racism and
that of others mark this phase of development. In addition,
increasing awareness of how racism operates and its
pervasiveness in U.S. culture and institutions are the major
hallmark at this level of development.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Four – Resistance and Immersion
 Likely to experience considerable anger at family
and friends, institutions, and larger societal values,
that are seen as having sold them a false bill of
goods (democratic ideals) that were never practiced.
 Guilt is also felt for having been a part of the
oppressive system.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Four – Resistance and Immersion
 The "White liberal" syndrome may develop and be
manifested in two complementary styles: (a) the paternalistic
protector role or (b) an over identification with the minority
group. In the former, Whites may devote energies in an
almost paternalistic attempt to protect minorities from abuse.
 May actually even want to identify with a particular
minority group (Asian, Black, etc.) in order to escape their
Whiteness.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Four – Resistance and Immersion
 May resolve this dilemma by moving back into the protective
confines of White culture (Conformity stage), again experience
conflict (dissonance), or move directly to the Introspective stage.
In many cases, they may develop a negative reaction toward their
group or culture. While they may romanticize People of Color,
Whites cannot interact confidently with them because you fear
making racist mistakes.
 The discomfort in realizing that they are White and that their
group has engaged in oppression of racial/ethnic minorities may
propel them into the next stage.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Five – Introspection
 This phase is most likely a compromise of swinging from an extreme of
unconditional acceptance of White identity to a rejection of Whiteness.
It is a state of relative quiescence, introspection and reformulation of
what it means to be White.
 Realize and no longer deny that they have participated in oppression,
that they benefit from White privilege, and that racism is an integral part
of U.S. society. Less motivated by guilt and defensiveness, accept
Whiteness, and seek to define own identity and that of one’s social
group.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Five – Introspection
 May ask questions: “What does it mean to be White?”
“Who am I in relation to my whiteness?” “Who am I as a
racial/cultural being?”
 Feelings or affective elements may be existential in nature
and involve feelings of lack of connectedness, isolation,
confusion and loss.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Five – Introspection
 Asking the painful question of who you are in relation to your racial
heritage; honestly confronting your biases and prejudices; and accepting
responsibility for your Whiteness is the culminating outcome of the
introspective stage.
 New ways of defining your White EuroAmerican social group and
membership in that group become important.
 No longer deny being White, honestly confront your racism, understand
the concept of White privilege, and feel increased comfort in relating to
persons of color.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Six - Integrative Awareness
 Reaching this level of development is most characterized as:
 (a) Understanding self as a racial/cultural being.
 (b) Awareness of sociopolitical influences with respect to racism,
 (c) Appreciation of racial/cultural diversity,
 (d) Rooting out buried and nested racial fears and emotions.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Six – Integrative Awareness
 Formation of a nonracist White EuroAmerican identity emerges and
becomes internalized. Begin to value multiculturalism, comfortable
around members of culturally different groups, and feel a strong
connectedness with members of many groups.
 Inner sense of security and strength to function in a society that is only
marginally accepting of integratively aware White persons.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Six – Integrative Awareness
 This status is different from the previous one in two major ways: (a) It is
marked by a shift in focus from trying to change people of color to
changing the self and other Whites, and (b) it is marked with increasing
experiential and affective understanding that were lacking in the
previous status.
 Successful resolution of this stage requires an emotional catharsis or
release that forces you to relive or reexperience previous emotions that
were denied or distorted. The ability to achieve this affective upheaval
leads to a euphoria or even a feeling of rebirth and is a necessary
condition to developing a new nonracist White identity.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Seven – Commitment To Antiracist Action
 Most characterized by social action. There is likely to be a consequent
change in behavior, and an increased commitment toward eradicating
oppression as well.
 Seeing “wrong” and actively working to “right it” require moral
fortitude and direct action. Objecting to racist jokes, trying to educate
family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers about racial issues, taking
direct action to eradicate racism in the schools, workplace, and in social
policy often in direct conflict with other Whites.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Process
 Phase Seven – Commitment to Antiracist Action
 Become increasingly immunized to social pressures for conformance
because reference group begins to change.
 In addition to family and friends, will begin to actively form alliances
with persons of color and other liberated Whites. They will become a
second family giving validation, and encouraging continuance to the
struggle against individual, institutional and societal racism.
WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT – Summary
 First, you must actively place yourself in new and oftentimes
uncomfortable situations that impel you to question yourself as a
racial/cultural being, and to increase awareness of racial issues,
especially racism.
 Second, change must occur in the form of new insights, attitudes and
behaviors that lead to a realization of your role in the perpetuation of
racism.
 Third, considerable and continuing energies must be devoted to the
maintenance of a healthy White racial identity. In other words, change
is not enough in the face of societal forces that serve to squelch or
punish dissent.
 Fourth, you must take action to eradicate racism.