What Do We Mean by "Antiracism"? Mapping Definitions of Antiracism in Education

• In Event: Exploring Contours of Race and Culture in the Educational Lives of Youth

Abstract

“Anti-racism” has received considerable mainstream attention in recent years. However, both in public usage and in research, the term is rarely defined. Clear definitions matter because they shape studies of racial injustice and the design of anti-racist interventions. In this critical literature review, we examine how anti-racism has been defined in educational research articles invoking anti-racism published between 2010-2021 (N = 169). Findings show that: 1) few articles (24%) explicitly defined anti-racism; and 2) among those that did, articles drew from a small set of similar conceptual work. Although these definitions generatively emphasized structural racism and racialized power relations, we argue that greater definitional diversity and specification is needed to address the malleability of racist formations across local contexts.

Authors

• Niral Shah, University of Washington

• Susan Yang Hsun Hou, University of Washington