Whiteness as ‘Other’: Moving away from cultural normalcy in Soul Man to address complexities in Whiteness as race in contemporary American society

• In Event: Edutainment and Race: A Critique of Mass Media and the (Re)Presentation of Race

Abstract

The existing racial hierarchy in American society has positioned Whiteness as the cultural norm and thus, “invisible.” Mark Watson, in the 1986 film Soul Man not only experiences life as a Black man, but learns an invaluable lesson about what it means to be White in America. Watson’s transition is marked by a subjective reality which projects his being White as an experience of being “othered.” This critique uses Watson’s new awareness of race to argue that Whiteness can be best understood as a situated identity, and that notions of race within contemporary society are indeed contextual and fluid.

Author

• Lindsay Johnson, University of Georgia