Perpetuation of Whiteness Ideologies in U.S. College Student Discourse

Abstract

Utilizing discourse from college students who participated in a three-day seminar on systemic racism, intersectionality, and white privilege, this study examines and critiques ideologies within college students’ discourse that are foundational to whiteness. Three ideological discourses emerged before, during, and after the seminar – Liberal Pluralism, Meritocracy, and “Reverse Racism.” The discourses were analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis and findings are presented from the study that include the implications of ideological discourses that perpetuate the pervasiveness of whiteness and white privilege. The paper concludes with implications for communication scholars and educators, most specifically those who teach intercultural communication.

Keywords:

• Whiteness
• ideology
• pedagogy
• racism
• privilege
• discourse

Acknowledgements

Dr Putman would like to thank her co-facilitator for this study, Matt Jackson, and her advisor and mentor Dr Mary Jane Collier for her support and guidance throughout this study and beyond.

Notes

1. In the analysis, student names have been changed to protect their identities and the letters A and B are used to indicate the two facilitators. Participants’ self-reported racial identities and age group are included next to their names. See Table 1 for a full list of participants’ identity positions according to their self-reported data.