Learning Whiteness: Education and the Settler Colonial State

Sriprakash, Rudolph and Gerrard write: ‘There is an ongoing need to hold in tension, and be deeply conscious of, the past that endures in the present as much as there is a need to hold in tension, and work actively with, the capacity of education to be hopeful and violent.’ (p. 88, emphasis original). This statement illustrates their admirable capacity to sit with the paradoxes of politics, education and time all at once. This apparent contradiction, that education can be hopeful and violent, is the foundational paradox of educational research, policy and practice; education is too often presented as a panacea we could use more of. In this fiercely quotable, incisive and unapologetic book, Sriprakash, Rudolph, and Gerrard show clearly that education, in its broadest sense, is often the site, vehicle and result of white supremacy and (settler) colonialism. Analysing education in the unceded land widely referred to as Australia, their main argument is that whiteness is an educative project, weaved together through co-constitutive material, epistemic and affective elements, and creating subjectivities in a systematic and systemic manner by delivering ‘lessons’. The argument unfolds over three parts: the first two chapters expose theoretical considerations and contributions; the second part addresses the material, epistemic and affective aspects of learning whiteness; and the last part presents a manifesto-like meditation, premised on the simple, yet crucial, belief that it is possible to think and live otherwise.

From the beginning, the reader is invited into an unequivocally complex and interdisciplinary analysis. Sriprakash, Rudolph, and Gerrard engage with a wide range of authors, making the conceptual underpinnings of Learning Whiteness original, broad, generous and generative. The way the analysis is conducted by marrying different and seemingly incompatible theoretical frameworks into one analytic voice, is testament to the authors’ care and collegiality, and proof of their ability to embrace paradox and complexity. Beyond a valuable lesson in co-authorship, the book’s contributions are multiple; one of the most important contributions is the explicit connection between whiteness, the (settler colonial) state and education – a very welcome and compelling argument that has often been missing in Education Studies. That the state is ‘pedagogical’ does not require a huge interpretative leap; however, the idea that the (settler) state delivers lessons in white supremacy through education, has not, to the best of my knowledge, been outlined quite as clearly before. Educational research, policy-making and practice are collectively guilty of marginalising inquiries and actions aimed at challenging the role of education in racial domination. Thus, seeing education dissected through the lenses of racial capitalism, decoloniality and the white possessive is refreshing and inspiring. In a similar vein, I appreciated the wake-up call the authors deliver regarding the state of our field: the authors clearly articulate that arguing for reform aimed at ‘effectiveness’, ‘improvement’ and ‘catch up’ actively de-radicalizes education, and might, indeed, contribute to the maintenance of the very inequalities we seek to dismantle. Why we are comfortable, as a field, to not address the origins of educational inequalities directly, should be a question we ask ourselves more regularly.

It is impossible to effectively summarise all the nuances captured within this book; nevertheless, it is worth highlighting some key insights. Importantly, the authors present white supremacy and settler colonialism as structural, yet socially constructed and, thus, destroyable. Exposing the logic of the white possessive as the deep, but destructible underpinning of the settler state, transmitted and implemented through education – through the ‘pedagogies of the state’ – is a necessary contribution. Having outlined these considerations, the authors then dissect the material, epistemic and affective dimensions of whiteness and of the pedagogies of the state. Employing the racial capitalism theoretical framework, the authors argue that settler colonialism, racial violence and capitalism are inextricably intertwined. They do so by discussing the processes of enclosure and dispossession of Indigenous peoples and land, the racialised division of labour, and the extraction of value necessary for the functioning of education systems. This analysis highlights that a just future cannot be achieved without material reparations, including the redistribution of resources and land. Following on from this, they address the epistemic dimensions of education: the knowledge transmitted in classrooms, created in educational research, constructed and disseminated through educational policy and curricula, but also produced by media, politicians and other actors. The authors reveal how education and knowledge have deep political impacts by showing the rationalisations of white ownership enabled through education, and required by the state – ultimately, they highlight that education is not at all neutral and can, indeed, be the vehicle of dehumanisation. Furthermore, the authors delve into what they term ‘affective pedagogies’, the feelings produced and projected through educational spaces, practices and materials. They discuss white superiority, benevolence, fragility, woundedness, anxiety and defensiveness, arguing that feelings are not merely individual chemical or psychological states, but also collectively felt emotional experiences produced by the settler state and its centres of power. Affective states can uphold structures of domination by legitimating white supremacy and the white possessive logic.

Whilst the arguments outlined in Learning Whiteness are sharp, clear and politically necessary, the book feels unfinished at times. The breadth of the analysis makes some ideas appear unexplained or tangential; each chapter could be a section with multiple sub-chapters of in-depth analysis. Relatedly, I would have also liked to read the authors’ expansion of their own concepts more. At times the analysis feels like a collage of syntheses; the concepts the authors propose, such as ‘feeling-states’ or ‘temporal project of settler colonialism’, remain explained too little. This speaks to the fact that this is not just a book, but an epistemic and political project – I hope Learning Whiteness is the successful start of a wider research agenda.

Overall, the book is not exhaustive, nor perfect, but is a crucial toolbox – one I will be using in classrooms for years to come. Whilst the authors do make a call to action, they do so reminding us of the importance of sitting with critique and embracing complexity. I am left wondering what pedagogical fora we need to create in order to face critique intergenerationally and imagine that which we have been taught is unimaginable: a world without domination. I wholeheartedly recommend this excellent book to teachers, students, parents, activists, and all who consider themselves invested in education.