Monica McDermott - Whiteness in America

1 Title page Whiteness in America Monica McDermott polity

2 Copyright page

3 Acknowledgments

4 1 Introduction

5 2 The Invisible Privilege of WhitenessLearning about Race Learning about Race in the Family Whiteness Invisible Hegemonic Whiteness

6 3 Whiteness Visible Stigma Defensive Transcendent

7 4 Attitudes and Culture Social Attitudes Attitudes toward Politics Attitudes toward Race and Immigration Whiteness and Culture

8 5 Whiteness Mobilized Explicit Use of Whiteness in Social Movements Implicit Use of Whiteness in Social Movements Organized Whiteness

9 6 The Future of White Racial Identity The Effects of a Shrinking White Population Stronger Boundaries around Whiteness Weaker Boundaries around Whiteness Is There an Ideal Form of Whiteness?

10 References

11 Index

12 End User License Agreement

1 Cover

2 Contents

3 1 Introduction

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Monica McDermott

polity

Copyright © Monica McDermott 2020

The right of Monica McDermott to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published in 2020 by Polity Press

Polity Press

65 Bridge Street

Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK

Polity Press

101 Station Landing

Suite 300

Medford, MA 02155, USA

All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7456-7218-2

ISBN-13: 978-0-7456-7219-9(pb)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McDermott, Monica, 1971- author.

Title: Whiteness in America / Monica McDermott.

Description: Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA : Polity, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “The invisible root of racial inequality”-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020000124 (print) | LCCN 2020000125 (ebook) | ISBN 9780745672182 (hardback) | ISBN 9780745672199 (pb) | ISBN 9781509531189 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Whites--Race identity--United States. | United States--Race relations--Social aspects. | Race awareness--United States. | Equality--United States.

Classification: LCC E184.A1 M3475 2020 (print) | LCC E184.A1 (ebook) | DDC 305.802973--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020000124

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020000125

Typeset in 11 on 13pt Sabon

by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NL

Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International Limited

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Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.

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This book reflects the many conversations I have had with colleagues and students over the years. In particular, the students in my seminar on whiteness at the University of Illinois communicated the importance of understanding the manifestations of white privilege in their lives. Additionally, Helen Marrow provided useful comments, as did Jonathan Skerrett and two anonymous reviewers. Finally, I thank Rebecca Sandefur for her detailed comments, support, and encouragement.

When Americans think about race, “white” is often the furthest thing from their minds. To have a race is to be black, Asian, Latina/o or American Indian. Yet whiteness colors so much of social life in the United States, from the organization and maintenance of social structures to an individual’s sense of self. Why is there such a disconnect?

Before being able to answer this question, it is important to understand just what the term “white” means. Determining who is considered white—or black, or American Indian, or any other race—may seem obvious. In common conversation, people are said to appear visually as though they belong to a particular race. So, for example, membership in the category “white” is automatic if one has light skin, straight hair, and blue eyes. However, it is not the case that the possession of a given set of physical attributes automatically designates membership of a particular racial group. The meaning of race and any corresponding physical identifiers are deeply embedded in power relations (Omi 2001). This construction of whiteness is a central part of the social construction of race itself. Race is a result of social relations, not simply a reflection of the enduring attributes of any particular group of people. Hence the category “white” changes its meaning and shifts its boundaries in different times and places. Sometimes it goes unnoticed by the majority group, while at other times whites are readily seen, even by themselves.

Although the privilege of whiteness has touched, in some way, every part of the globe, its manifestation in America is relatively unique.