A social structural reinterpretation of ‘the burden of acting White’: a hermeneutical analysis

Abstract

This essay explores how social psychologically the social structure of capitalist inequality has given rise to the Black–White achievement gap. This critical understanding is a reinterpretation of the ‘burden of acting White’ hypothesis, and suggests that research on the achievement gap should focus on how the Black–White achievement gap is more a result of two interrelated epiphenomena, ‘mismatch of linguistic structure’ and ‘mismatch of linguistic social functions’, which result from the class structure in Black America as opposed to a ‘burden of acting White’, the idea that Black students intentionally underachieve because of racialized peer pressure which, culturally, associates academic achievement and success with White Americans.

Keywords:

• ideological domination
• linguistic structure
• capitalism
• underclass
• underachievement
• Blacks
• African Americans
• John Ogbu

Notes

1. Pierre Bourdieu's (1984) theory of social reproduction refers to several forms of ‘capital’ (cultural, economic, symbolic, and social). I will not go into details about Bourdieu's social reproduction theory, what I will say, however, is that the ‘capital’ references refer to the institutional norms, resources, connections, etc., that one needs in their respective societies’ to participate in its cultural, economic, symbolic, and social life. Bourdieu posits that the possession of, for the most part, middle class ‘capital’ is assumed by the educational system in contemporary society, but is not taught. Thus, education theorists (i.e., James Coleman), who have operationalized Bourdieu's concept, conclude, poor students enter school at a disadvantage (i.e., they lack ‘middle class capital’), which leads to their ‘poor’ achievement.