Habits of Whiteness

Reviews / Votes

In his autobiography, Malcolm X issued a challenge to 'well-meaning' whites to work within their own communities to solve the problem of racism. A growing body of scholarship by white theorists on white privilege reflects an effort to do just this. In Habits of Whiteness, MacMullan (Eastern Washington Univ.) brings a fresh perspective to this ongoing discussion. In seeking to answer the question of why racism lingers in a society where the vast majority of whites profess a belief in the equality of all races, MacMullan employs John Dewey's pragmatic model to identify racism as a habit. As such, it is a 'pre-reflective cognitive or behavioral practice'--natural and invisible. The work of Du Bois, whom MacMullan considers a pragmatist, provides the basis for his substantive critique of white racism. MacMullan's aim, however, is not merely to identify the nature of the problem, but to offer hope of a resolution. Dewey's interactionist model of knowledge allows MacMullan to posit a reconstruction of the habits of whiteness, replacing them with positive contributions to the world--unique 'cultural gifts' identified by Du Bois as possessed by each race, including whites. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above. -- ChoiceB. J. Hall, California State University, East Bay, November 2009 "MacMullan takes responsibility for his habits and investments in whiteness as an encouraging example... delicate, but courageous." -Lucius T. Outlaw, author of On Race and Philosophy "One of the clearest statements of why Dewey and Du Bois are both committed to the pragmatist project of human brotherhood." -Bill E. Lawson, co-author of Between Slavery and Freedom "In his autobiography, Malcolm X issued a challenge to 'well-meaning' whites to work within their own communities to solve the problem of racism. A growing body of scholarship by white theorists on white privilege reflects an effort to do just this. In Habits of Whiteness, MacMullan... brings a fresh perspective to this ongoing discussion. In seeking to answer the question of why racism lingers in a society where the vast majority of whites profess a belief in the equality of all races, MacMullan employs John Dewey's pragmatic model to identify racism as a habit. As such, it is a 'pre-reflective cognitive or behavioral practice'-natural and invisible. The work of Du Bois, whom MacMullan considers a pragmatist, provides the basis for his substantive critique of white racism. MacMullan's aim, however, is not merely to identify the nature of the problem, but to offer hope of a resolution. Dewey's interactionist model of knowledge allows MacMullan to posit a reconstruction of the habits of whiteness, replacing them with positive contributions to the world-unique 'cultural gifts' identified by Du Bois as possessed by each race, including whites.... Recommended." -Choice, November 2009