Racism and Anti‐Racism in Families: Insights from Performativity Theory

Abstract

Possibilities for anti‐racism within the spaces of family life have not yet been contemplated in any depth in the extant anti‐racism literature. To address this, the first section of this paper demonstrates that families are a potentially critical site for anti‐racism, reviewing a large body of evidence demonstrating the key role families play in socialisation processes and in the development of racial attitudes. I also look at what can be gleaned from the literature on interethnic intimacy. The second section turns to the possibilities for anti‐racism within families, suggesting that too little is known about how members of families negotiate instances of racism, or the strategies used to restage or subvert racist discourses and practices within the family. The potential for anti‐racist performances to challenge expressions of racism in families has largely been overlooked in the international literature. I argue that the framework of performativity has utility for analysing responses to racism in families. Performativity theories conceptualise individual acts/utterances of racism and anti‐racism as enacting broader cultural values and structures. Viewing racism in families through theories of performativity directs us to consider how racist speech can be disrupted or strategically rejected and, hence, identify possibilities for anti‐racism.

Racial Socialization Practices Among White American Parents: Relations to Racial Attitudes, Racial Identity, and School Diversity

“…Families vary widely, however, in the frequency and content of familial discussions about race and racism (D. Hughes et al, 2006; Lesane-Brown, Brown, Tanner-Smith, & Bruce, 2010; Nelson, 2015; Priest et al, 2014). Many White parents communicate (either explicitly or implicitly) that race is a topic that should not be discussed openly (Bartoli et al, 2016; Pahlke et al, 2012; Vittrup, 2016).…”

“…Children's racial attitudes are influenced in part by the ways that parents and other adults choose to talk about race (Bigler & Wright, 2014;Cabrera, Kuhns, Malin, & Aldoney, 2016;Nelson, 2015;Pahlke et al, 2012;Pauker, Apfelbaum, & Spitzer, 2015;Segall, Birnbaum, Deeb, & Diesendruck, 2015). Families vary widely, however, in the frequency and content of familial discussions about race and racism (D. Hughes et al, 2006;Lesane-Brown, Brown, Tanner-Smith, & Bruce, 2010;Nelson, 2015;Priest et al, 2014). Many White parents communicate (either explicitly or implicitly) that race is a topic that should not be discussed openly (Bartoli et al, 2016;Pahlke et al, 2012;Vittrup, 2016).…”

"So Much for Darwin" - An Analysis of Stormfront Discussions on Race

“…The broader question becomes what, if anything, can be done to eradicate racism and anti-Semitism before it manifests itself in ugly rhetoric on Stormfront and other online sites that cater to avowed racists? According to Nelson (2015), strong families are critical for controlling racist attitudes since socialization processes are so important to child development. Parents, as exemplified by their own behavior and speech, maintain a huge influence over their children's lives.…”

Identifying and filling racism data gaps in Victoria: A stocktake review

“…Domestic spaces, like home environments and neighbourhoods, have surprisingly little data collected about them (see, for example, Nelson, 2015;. Only a few of the studies we identified examined racism at home (or at a relative or friend's home), or in the neighbourhood or by neighbours (examples include ACCS, BNLA, LEAD, NATSISS and Face Up to Racism).…”

“…Only a few of the studies we identified examined racism at home (or at a relative or friend's home), or in the neighbourhood or by neighbours (examples include ACCS, BNLA, LEAD, NATSISS and Face Up to Racism). Research has shown the housing sector to be a hotspot for racial discrimination (McDonald et al, 2016;Nelson et al, 2015), but there is limited regulatory oversight or collection of data in these settings, and we rely mostly on anecdotal evidence. Likewise, we were unable to find routine racism data collection by major housing organisations.…”