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Confronting Young People's Perceptions of Whiteness: Privilege or Liability?
Author(s) -
McKinney Karyn D.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2008.00126.x
Subject(s) - privilege (computing) , disadvantage , sociology , perception , ethnic group , race (biology) , liability , gender studies , social psychology , aesthetics , psychology , law , anthropology , political science , art , neuroscience
Using the autobiographies of 193 young whites, I show how contemporary whiteness is characterized by a tension between perceptions of whiteness as a liability versus a privilege. I discuss how many young whites believe whiteness to be both a cultural and economic disadvantage and suggest how these perceptions can interfere with antiracism. Finally, I suggest some pedagogical strategies for educators to use in teaching students about race and ethnicity that might help to dislodge some of these fictions of whiteness.