The Construction of Whiteness
An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Race Formation and the Meaning of a White Identity
Published on 5. July 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-4968-1829-4 (ISBN)
Description
This volume collects interdisciplinary essays that examine the crucial intersection between whiteness as a privileged racial category and the various material practices (social, cultural, political, and economic) that undergird white ideological influence in America. In truth, the need to examine whiteness as a problem has rarely been grasped outside academic circles. The ubiquity of whiteness-its pervasive quality as an ideal that is at once omnipresent and invisible-makes it the very epitome of the mainstream in America. And yet the undeniable relationship between whiteness and inequality in this country necessitates a thorough interrogation of its formation, its representation, and its reproduction. Essays here seek to do just that work. Editors and contributors interrogate whiteness as a social construct, revealing the underpinnings of narratives that foster white skin as an ideal of beauty, intelligence, and power.
Contributors examine whiteness from several disciplinary perspectives, including history, communication, law, sociology, and literature. Its breadth and depth makes The Construction of Whiteness a refined introduction to the critical study of race for a new generation of scholars, undergraduates, and graduate students. Moreover, the interdisciplinary approach of the collection will appeal to scholars in African and African American studies, ethnic studies, cultural studies, legal studies, and more. This collection delivers an important contribution to the field of whiteness studies in its multifaceted impact on American history and culture.
Contributors examine whiteness from several disciplinary perspectives, including history, communication, law, sociology, and literature. Its breadth and depth makes The Construction of Whiteness a refined introduction to the critical study of race for a new generation of scholars, undergraduates, and graduate students. Moreover, the interdisciplinary approach of the collection will appeal to scholars in African and African American studies, ethnic studies, cultural studies, legal studies, and more. This collection delivers an important contribution to the field of whiteness studies in its multifaceted impact on American history and culture.
Reviews / Votes
Concentrating on the conjunctures of whiteness in the United States and committed to an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach, the essays of this volume analyze the development of whiteness in profound studies. In impressive investigations based on a comprehensive evaluation of primary sources, the papers exemplify the sociocultural, socioeconomic, and sociopolitical construction of whiteness. . . . The editors of The Construction of Whiteness have compiled a groundbreaking collection, demonstrating the necessity and productivity of a historically orientated analysis of whiteness."" - Wulf D. Hund, professor of sociology, University of Hamburg""Adding to an intriguing and challenging field of study, this volume of essays presents the major recent scholarship on the ideology of racial identity in American history. With brilliance and great perception, this collection provides a multidisciplinary approach (history, English, law, communication, sociology, and more) that broadens the focus beyond a mere commentary on generalized culture and legalities. Grappling with forces and factors affecting the creation and meaning of whiteness, this in-depth examination uncovers the deeply intertwined relationship between racial identity and politics. The surprising juxtaposition of ideas pulls the reader into an emotional landscape that covers over two hundred years of US history. These are sweeping ideas, bracing and challenging. They mercilessly expose the complexity and tension endemic in racial identity."" - Orville Vernon Burton, author of The Age of Lincoln: A History
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Jackson
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
413 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4968-1829-4 (9781496818294)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Stephen Middleton | David R. Roediger | Donald M. Shaffer
The Construction of Whiteness
An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Race Formation and the Meaning of a White Identity
E-Book
04/2016
Princeton University Press
€29.49
Available for download
Persons
Stephen Middleton, Starkville, Mississippi, is professor of history and director of African American studies at Mississippi State University. He is the author of The Black Laws: Race and the Legal Process in Ohio, 1787-1860.
David R. Roediger, Lawrence, Kansas, is foundation professor of American studies and history at University of Kansas. He is the author of Seizing Freedom: Slave Emancipation and Liberty for All.
Donald M. Shaffer, Starkville, Mississippi, is associate professor of African American studies and English at Mississippi State University. His work has appeared in the Southern Literary Journal and the Western Journal of Black Studies.
David R. Roediger, Lawrence, Kansas, is foundation professor of American studies and history at University of Kansas. He is the author of Seizing Freedom: Slave Emancipation and Liberty for All.
Donald M. Shaffer, Starkville, Mississippi, is associate professor of African American studies and English at Mississippi State University. His work has appeared in the Southern Literary Journal and the Western Journal of Black Studies.