IngentaConnect Educating for anti-racism: producing and reproducing race and pow...

Author: Sonn, Christopher¹

Source: Race, Ethnicity and Education, Volume 11, Number 2, July 2008 , pp. 155-166(12)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

In this paper I explore some of the issues associated with teaching about race, culture, and ethnicity in a psychology program. These curriculum initiatives are part of a broader agenda of raising awareness about racialised oppression and exclusion and contributing to the development of ways of researching and practicing psychology that are transformative and culturally sensitive. I overview the broader context and describe our subject and the guiding principles. This is followed by a description and analysis of two events in the classroom that illustrate the ways in which students differentially respond to the challenges posed by writings that challenge taken-for-granted understandings of race. Part of the analysis shows that students can often engage in the reproduction of oppressive practices and invest in whiteness. It is suggested that more than single semester subjects are required to promote and support the development of critical capacities for anti-racism practice.

Keywords: critical pedagogy; whiteness; racism; Indigenous Australians; psychology

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/13613320802110266

Affiliations: 1: School of Psychology, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

Educating for anti-racism: producing and reproducing race and power in a university classroom