From critical whiteness studies to a critical study of whiteness: restoring criticality in critical whiteness studies

ABSTRACT

This theoretical article critically reflects on critical whiteness studies (CWS), particularly addressing the critique that CWS does not have racial theory and therefore cannot be considered a theoretical framework in which to analyse race. Reflecting on existing literature that interrogates whiteness in teacher education; we contend that to centre racial justice in education research a critical study of whiteness must be employed, drawing from the work of scholars of Colour. Therefore, we provide a variety of transdisciplinary theories from critical scholars and scholars of Colour – from conflict theory to racial psychoanalysis – to undergird the analytic framework of CWS. We also offer implications of a critical study of whiteness approach to education research, hoping that it not only combats whiteness in society and education but changes the way we conduct research.

KEYWORDS:

• Whiteness
• teacher education
• race
• Black
• educational research
• critical whiteness studies

Special note

To scholars who study whiteness: be forever diligent, critical, and ever so hopeful for a better society.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. We purposely capitalise ‘of Color’ and other non-white races (e.g., ‘Black’) in order to reverse the normalisation of whiteness.

2. We strategically include the word ‘critical’ to highlight scholars of Colour who use critical dispositions like that of conflict theory. We do this to avoid the oft-repeated trope that being a scholar of Colour means one believes in criticality. This is not our contention. Instead, we recognise that beyond skin colour, ideological and epistemological standpoints matter, and if such standpoints are not critical of the overarching system of white supremacy, they do not meet our definition of ‘critical scholars of Color.’ As such, there are white scholars who do use a critical disposition of race; but for the purposes of this chapter, we focus purposefully on critical scholars of Colour because they are too often denied recognition for their work. For an example see (Morris 2017).