Tug-of-War: Racial Ideologies of School and Community Actors in a Majority-White Suburb

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Power and Resistance in and out of School Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the racial ideologies of school and community actors in a majority white suburb undergoing demographic change. I couple 42 semi-structured interviews with district data, artifacts, and observation. Garnering insights from Bonilla-Silva’s colorblind racism, I found that many actors perpetuated the racial status quo by minimizing the impact of race and superficially applauding “diversity.” However, some actors—particularly in schools—recognized the structural and institutional nature of racism. Furthermore, a number of sites emerged as important racialized spaces and places. In and around these racial battlefields, the racial status quo was eroded or perpetuated. Importantly, these were sites where membership to the suburb was negotiated. I discuss implications for schools and communities.

Author

• Alexandra E. Pavlakis, Southern Methodist University