Whiteness
Whiteness
- Jesse HartleyJesse HartleyUniversity of Houston
- , and Quinn HafenQuinn HafenColorado State University
Summary
An overview of whiteness and its relevance to social work is provided. Whiteness is defined in the context of Black scholarship on the subject and subsequently conceptualized as hyper-visible to people of color and seemingly invisible to whites. The normative social construction of whiteness is explored as both an ideology of superiority and as prized property. Overt and covert manifestations of whiteness are delineated, including white ignorance, overfocus on white privilege, white saviorism, predatory white antiracism, and whitelash. These manifestations of whiteness are then illustrated and examined in social work education, practice, and research. The impacts and implications of social work’s reproduction of whiteness are discussed and recommendations from scholars of color are presented.
Subjects
- Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
- Social Justice and Human Rights
- Social Work Profession
