A White Teacher's Paradox: How "Othering" Language Sustains Whiteness When Teaching Racism Through Literature

• In Event: Fighting Whiteness: Race and Racism in Teaching and Teacher Education

Abstract

We explore how a white English Language Arts teacher’s use of “othering” language when discussing racism reinforces the paradox she experiences when teaching racism in literature in a predominantly white classroom. Using Haviland’s (2008) White Educational Discourse and Bonilla-Silva, Lewis, and Embrick’s (2004) “disclosing knowledge of someone close who is racist” testimony, we analyzed small stories that emerged during interviews discussing racism and literature taught. Small story positioning analysis (Bamberg & Georgakopoulou, 2008) reveals this teacher’s use of “othering” language to remain in her safe zone when discussing racism in general and in the literature she teaches. We conclude the paper with implications for professional development to challenge “othering” language in the teaching of racism through literature.

Authors

• Jessica Gott, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Rosie Emerson, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Jill Ramey, Methuen Public Schools

• Christy Bluhm Whittlesey

• Minjeong Kim, University of Massachusetts - Lowell