A Comprehensive Review of Literatures on White Teacher Identities: From Race-Resistant to Race-Visible

• In Event: White Teachers, Where Are You Now? New Research on White Teacher Identity: Identifications—Processes—Becoming

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to provide a review of literatures on White teacher identity signalling second-wave White teacher identity studies for capacitating a White teaching profession for teaching diverse students.

Reviewing literatures on Critical White Studies and Critical White Studies in Education, this essay recognizes contributions of critical White studies to preservice and professional teacher education programs. Advancing yet simultaneously reaching beyond White teachers’ race-evasive/ /White ally identities, this literature review identifies new trends in understanding White teachers’ identities.

Further developing critical White studies perspectives, this literature review uses documentarian methods of intellectual history found in Pinar’s (2006) notion of synoptic texts for rendering a comprehensive development of Critical White studies and critical literatures on White teachers. Existing understandings of White teacher identity come from the introduction of critical White studies into preservice and professional teacher education curriculum and professional development programs. Critical White studies, a sub-category of critical race theory, emerged from cultural studies (Dyer, 1988; Hall, 1981), feminist theory (hooks, 1992; Frankenberg, 1992; McIntosh, 1988), critical legal studies (Delgado & Stefancic, 1997), and labor history (Ignatiev, 1995; Roediger, 1994). Critical White studies, a burgeoning field of cultural criticism in the 1990s and early 2000s, made several contributions to teacher education curriculum and professional development programs. First, critical White studies, among its contributions, emphasized that White racism exists not just in individuals’ consciousnesses but also in assumptions about values, knowledge, and social-historical reality. Second, critical White studies, in emphasizing White racism in assumptions, posited an inherent Whiteness in social-historical reality providing White people with privileges. Drawing on critical White studies, critical literatures on White teachers studied the immediate critical classroom intervention along with responses of preservice and profession teachers (e.g., Berlak, 1999; Henze, Lucas, & Scott, 1998; Hyten & Warren, 2003, Marx, 2004, 2008; Marx & Pennington; 2003; McIntyre, 1998, 2002; Sleeter, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2001). By-and-large, Critical literatures on White teachers reported on White teachers’ race- evasive, or conversely, White ally identities.

Recently, research drove at new trends in critical White teachers’ literatures (Author 1; Author 2; Author 3; Asher, 2007; Lensmire, 2011; Lowenstein, 2009; McCarthy, 2003; Raible & Irizarry, 2007). In advancing new trends, this comprehensive literature review develops emergent patterns in recent literatures on White teacher identity relevant to the teaching and learning of preservice and professional teachers. These new trends, emerging on the comprehensive literature review, are:

1.Complex processes of White identity racialization;

2.White teachers’ race-visible professional identities;

3.White teachers’ race-visible curriculum and teaching; and,

4.Continued tensions in White teachers’ understandings and experiences.

Based on the emergent patterns in this literature review supported by panel members’ research, this literature review argues for second wave White teacher identity studies that reach beyond race-evasive identities toward the articulation and capacitation of progressive race-visible professional identifications as key component of preservice and professional teachers on-going education and development.


References for literature review in upload

Authors

• Timothy J. Lensmire, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• James C. Jupp, Georgia Southern University

• Anthony Miele