'Whiteness' as a class

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 8/28/05 | Dimitri Vassilaros

[Crackingham]

Montgomery College in Maryland is offering a course on the unbearable lightness of being white. Whiteness Studies is intended to stimulate reflection and research into how people "become white." Please, no Michael Jackson jokes. Please.

"Course participants will look at changing definitions of 'White' or 'Caucasian' over time; examine how people learn the norms, behaviors, and roles of this status; and address tensions of those who feel 'forced to choose' one label or another."

The teacher will be the school's program director of diversity management -- Laura M. White. Yes, White. Her training includes "white privilege" conferences and one titled "What White People Can Do About Racism."

"It is about looking objectively on how whiteness is imposed on you and then how to deal with it," Ms. White said. As opposed to looking subjectively on how it is imposed. Or something.

"Colleges and universities are moving to infuse the entire curriculum with multicultural perspectives," White said. Math and science included.

Look for kinder and gentler integers and isotopes that celebrate diversity. The course probably will reference antebellum terms like quadroon, octoroon and maybe even sextupleoon. Black Irish, too.

But there is so much more to being what we white people call "white." As the course description reminds us, whiteness can be viewed as a powerful social and legal construct put in place over centuries to provide access and leverage for opportunities. It's often taught and reinforced nonverbally and through subtle sanctions for going outside "the rules."

[bannie]

I belong to one race: The Human Race.

Any whining about other races is just divisory, and I thought THAT was what we were trying to get past.

[sit-rep]

Look, a lot of folks here onthis thread came out like Yosemite Sam as soon as they saw a couple views, and got confronted by theirs. The bottom line is since we live in a multicultural country/world...well maybe not the world, just US, Canada, and the EUros... Why not make it a multicultural entertainment instead of 40% white and white, 40% black man, white woman, and 20% the rest...why not make it the way it is?

This is what I mean by my attendance here.

[Petronski]

You can tell TIVO which shows you like, and watch them when YOU want, without the commercials. Cyborg is right (as usual): you want one, and it would be good for you.

[mjtobias]

Cyborg, one of FR's resident pin-up girls.

I can attest to that.

I bet you never met her.

[cyborg]

Well I didn't get where you were coming from either but I think you're expressing a concern for your childrens' viewing and how it may affect them. Realise that there are a lot of commercials you may just be watching at the wrong time and during different shows. Ad companies do a lot of demographic polling and that's what they're coming up with. I don't see the slant about race that you do BUT I will say that they make men look pretty dumb when they think women are watching. You can have two white people and it'd STILL be a bad commercial anyway.

[cyborg]

We're getting married :-)

[tortoise]

Cultural Milkshake

Heh. That phrase keeps putting bad images in my easily distracted mind. I'll never be the same...

[Clemenza]

Toby, I have seen several pictures of the lovely 'borg. Oddly enough, when I was still living in NY, the one Freep that I missed was the one she attended.

[cyborg]

http://search.ebay.com/tivo-recorder_W0QQfrppZ50QQfsopZ1QQmaxrecordsreturnedZ300

Here it is...there's all kinds of things to worry about on television besides racist/racial whatnot. There's sex, man hating, leftist BS,etc, filthy cartoons and such.

[cyborg]

LOL! Yeah. Oh what could have been :SIGH: :O)

[phoenix0468]

Well, good for you. I don't whine about anyone else, FYI. I think what we are trying to get past is some people living the victim lifestyle to the hilt thereby dragging the rest of the world down like an anchor.

Your assertion that you are part of the "Human Race" is trite and old hat. You are part of a specific ethnic group. Your ancestors came here from somewhere else (unless you are Native American, and evidence suggests they came here from somewhere else too), therefore you have some sort of heritage whether you choose to embrace it or not.

To ignore your ethnicity and ancestry is to ignore what makes you you.

[sit-rep]

<"Weapons holstered and I tip my hat befor turning and drifting off into the sunset...">

SR

[Petronski]

You're marrying Clemenza?

[Serb5150]

Reminds me of that bullsh*t 'black experience' homework assignment I was given awhile back.

[righttackle44]

Now arench'yall ashamed of being white?

Dad-burned white boys, anyway!

[cyborg]

LMAO wow you KNOW I've been on FR too long. I'm turning around and creeping away slowly....

[Petronski]

***It's junk 99.9% except for the Hitler Channel.

LOL

[mjtobias]

What!??

But I thought...nay!!!

I thought...I mean I saw you with my own eyes that day in Manhattan.

You must be joking. Yes, you're joking.

[mjtobias]

That's when I met her.

I mean I didn't speak to her. But believe you me, she's a babe.

Ok. Now you just confirmed you two are not getting married.

What a relief!!!!

[cyborg]

getting married to petronski... I got my men mixed up hehe! ;o)