![]() ![]() In one of many studies illustrating how people may deny being the beneficiaries of privilege, scholars L. As psychologist Eric Knowles and colleagues write, there are at least three possible ways that white Americans react to associations between whiteness and privilege: 1) They can deny inequality exists 2) they can distance themselves from their whiteness or 3) they can work to dismantle the systems that sustain white privilege in the first place (although this strategy, the authors note, is likely the least preferred strategy for most white Americans). »Īnd when white Americans feel that their whiteness is negatively associated with privilege, research demonstrates that how they react is particularly complex. Capitol Was About Maintaining White Power In America Read more. They find this practice more common among white liberals, who tend to be more motivated to protect their self-image as egalitarian. ![]() Psychologists Samuel Gaertner and John Dovidio call this “ aversive racism,” or a form of racial discrimination rooted in avoidance. In fact, studies found that concerns about being seen as racist lead many white people to avoid situations where they may say or do anything that could be construed as racist, including having conversations with Black people. suggesting whiteness may confer privilege or harbor racism.Ī wealth of research on this topic has shown that the discomfort of being associated with either racism or privilege can lead white people to adopt a variety of defensive beliefs and attitudes. The difference then is in how they think other people perceive whiteness, and how they, in turn, handle situations in which their racial identity is called into question, especially when it is uncomfortable, e.g. In sum, white people, both liberals and conservatives, think of their racial identity as having both positive and negative connotations. The most consistent included stereotypes that linked whiteness to racism and bigotry like “biased” and “the KKK,” and stereotypes that linked whiteness to privilege, like “wealthy” and “entitled.” Not all of the traits respondents listed mapped neatly as “racist” or “privileged,” but almost two-thirds of participants listed at least one trait that could be categorized as such. There were also important themes in the kinds of stereotypes listed. Specifically, we have been interested in capturing white Americans’ sense of how their racial identity is viewed by others, especially in light of increased discussions where white Americans are seen as both the perpetrators of racial inequality and the beneficiaries of white privilege. Whiteness is central to white liberals’ political identity, too, especially as white Americans must navigate a social and political world in which whiteness is often and explicitly tied to racial injustice - an uncomfortable association for both white conservatives and white liberals.įor years, we have sought to understand how whiteness and perceived threats to it (in social science lingo, “ social identity threats”) affect white Americans’ perceptions of their standing in society. But “whiteness” isn’t something that only animates the politics of white conservatives. Understanding the grievances and fear fueling white identity politics on the political right is paramount to our politics. Today, Republican lawmakers across the country are working to implement antidemocratic and illiberal policies that threaten to undermine a multiracial democracy all while protecting the power and status of white people. that predates Trump, we can see how his strategy has taken root in states across the country. While white identity politics have a long, sordid history in the U.S. Capitol in defense of white power and white supremacy. Not only did Trump campaign on this message in 2016 and win, but after he lost the 2020 election, some of his supporters were so taken by his message that they stormed the U.S. ![]() His strategy of white identity politics has continued to work. Former President Trump came to power, after all, by using subtle - and not so subtle - language to appeal to millions of white Americans worried that their power and influence in American society are on the decline. White identity is a potent force in American politics with wide-ranging consequences that are increasingly difficult to ignore. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY SCHERER / GETTY IMAGES ![]()
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