Conceptual foundations for teaching about whiteness in intercultural communication courses

Abstract

This essay addresses the growing interest in incorporating whiteness studies into intercultural communication curriculum. It first explores why the area of whiteness has not been addressed heretofore and gives a brief overview of the interdisciplinary foundations of whiteness studies. It then presents four current topics in whiteness studies: the historical “whitening”; of some U.S. immigrant groups, white privilege, the discursive and communication patterns of U.S. whites, and representations of whiteness in popular culture. For each topic, conceptual foundations are briefly described, followed by examples of relevant scholarship and finally several strategies for incorporating this material into intercultural communication courses.

Keywords:

• intercultural communication education
• whiteness
• white identity
• white privilege