Over the weekend I have been thinking about our conversation about whiteness and my slide show and thought I needed to sure up my awareness of what the American Anthropological Association is providing on its website about the issue of race as a social construct. I found some invaluable links. [CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE ABOUT IT]
One is to the PBS website for the video we've been watching a segment of over the last two weeks: Race: The Power of Illusion. We've been watching the episode titled "The Difference Between Us" talking about genetics and difference. On that site was a great site I expect you to visit. It is called IS RACE REAL? Read the ten facts there and check out RACE - The Power of an Illusion . Race Timeline | PBS to see how the definitions of whiteness, Indianness, Asianness, and Blackness have changed since the 1700s. Check out this part of the site recreating the "doll test" among black children about their racial preferences.
Kottak's Chapter 3 on Culture reveals the complex ways anthropologists view the concept and practice of culture. On p. 52-53, Kottak discusses Human and Cultural Rights. I took a few of the items in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the U.N. that I thought might be interesting inside our ongoing conversation about whiteness, culture and the practice of doing anthropology--namely participant-observation (I'll say a bit more about Malinowski than how I left it "useful failures"), ethnography, emic-etic approaches, and working with cultural consultants.Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
For more on white privilege from whites themselves take a look at this blog
Posts
4 comments:
Its funny how some "white people" live in a denial about the white privilege. I guess when you are apart of it, it becomes impossible to judge your own-self actions. I decided to have a little experience and ask my husband to give me definition of a white culture; So, he told me everything but really nothing. when i confronted him about the white privilege the first reaction was thats racist, you shouldn't say it.
So i thought to myself why cant we talk about it?
What is so wrong in accepting the past and try to change the future? I think as an intellectually ever-changing and growing society we should get over the things that make us feel uncomfortable and talk about it, learn from it and improve.
Nina
Bold, compassionate, and powerful what you did Nina!! Having such conversations requires a kind of ruthless compassion of ourselves too. It's not any easier for blacks to think about blackness or Asians to think about Asianness.
Just in reference to the blog link, the first blog (Jan 8) with the quote in the second paragraph - I think is a really interesting point and is also in connection with Nina's quote above. I don't think white people are always aware as to the extent of white privilege. I would think that it is really only if you are the victim of racism or oppression that it is impossible not to be aware of it every day. Awareness is a big step in making progress, so the more we talk about it the better.
Anne-Marie
Check out this FABULOUS website by the AAA (American Anthropological Assn)
http://www.understandingrace.org/
Post a Comment