Sociology of Whiteness

Abstract

The past 20 years have witnessed a tremendous accumulation of research in whiteness studies in general, and in the sociology of whiteness in particular. In contrast to the earliest days of research in this subfield, much recent work has moved beyond preoccupations with whiteness as a seemingly invisible, default racial category to instead consider whiteness as a complex identity and basis of structural privilege and neocolonial dominance. Predominantly autobiographical and strictly theoretical work has been augmented by sophisticated empirical studies from a variety of methodological traditions. Contemporary scholars continue to grapple with epistemological concerns and the issue of how to dismantle that which is totalizing and hegemonic. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 48 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Does an Immigrant Health Advantage Exist Among US Whites? Evidence from a Nationally-Representative Examination of Mental and Physical Well-Being

“…Inequality research often uses US-born, non-Hispanic Whites as the reference group to measure US health disparities, with less attention paid to diversity among Whites, particularly White immigrants. White immigrants make up a sizable portion (17%) of the US foreign-born population, yet are surprisingly absent in the overwhelming majority of research on US racial/ethnic inequality [4], immigrant health [24], and even in studies that examine Whiteness and White racial identity [40]. The current study addresses these oversights by disaggregating US Whites by nativity status and examining differences in six measures of health that tap into dimensions of mental and physical well-being.…”

Donald Trump’s Appeal

“…Whitelash can be understood as a phenomenon incited by appealing to voters' whiteness through populist rhetoric. McDermott and Ferguson (2022) outline how questions about the impact of "racialized rhetoric" on "the visibility of whiteness" are emerging across countries where anti-immigration and racist politics are taking hold (261).…”

“…How can a white settler colonial structure be in place simultaneous to white people being alienated? This view is not an either/or, as there has been progress in acknowledging race and working towards inclusivity, and whiteness has grown more complex than dichotomous understandings of colonizers versus the colonized (Ahmed 2007;McDermott and Ferguson 2022).…”

“…Indeed, whitelash is associated with whiteness, where being white motivates certain actions (Ahmed 2007). McDermott and Ferguson's (2022) article highlights that many key political events associated with domestic politics, such as Trump's elections and its subsequent actions, have made whiteness more visible. Some scholars argue that whites hold such beliefs to the extent that they feel like the "principal victims of discrimination," replacing blacks (Scott and Andersen 2020, 414).…”

Ethnic‐racial socialization in mono‐racial Asian American and Pacific Islander families: A 21‐year systematic literature review

“…There is a need for research on ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) in AAPI families (Juang et al, 2017;Museus et al, 2013;Museus & Kiang, 2009), especially given the COVID-19 pandemic and related anti-Asian hate (Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, 2020) and Black Lives Matter (BLM) and the associated national racial reckoning. Families are engaging in ethnicity-race-related conversations in new ways (Anand & Hsu, 2020;McDermott & Ferguson, 2022), and research is needed to understand the patterns and consequences in AAPI families. ERS is the process by which parents teach their children about their own and others' ethnicity-race (Hughes et al, 2006).…”