Racism Is a Misunderstanding": Rhetorically Listening to White Students' Performances of Race
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University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Fall 2009 "Racism is a misunderstanding": Rhetorically listening to white students' performances of race Meagan Rodgers University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Rodgers, Meagan, ""Racism is a misunderstanding": Rhetorically listening to white students' performances of race" (2009). Doctoral Dissertations. 503. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/503 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "RACISM IS A MISUNDERSTANDING": RHETORICALLY LISTENING TO WHITE STUDENTS' PERFORMANCES OF RACE BY MEAGAN RODGERS B.S., The Ohio State University, 1996 M.A., University of Akron, 2002 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In English September, 2009 UMI Number: 3383326 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI® UMI Microform 3383326 Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 This dissertation has been examined and approved. / tun-*-, N UfbJ\j Dissertation Director, Dr. Thomas R. Newkirk Professor of English ££ IJUOCSL- Jessica Enoch, Assistant Professor of English versity of Pittsburgh Dr. Robin Hackett, Associate Professor of English CS* r^i'rScU Drjggsa Kirsch, Professor of English Sntle^Univetsity Dr. Paula M. Salvio, Professor of Education VJU^ \\k Z~&$Oi Date DEDICATION In memory of my mother, Jan Rodgers. I still feel her quiet, constant support. In honor of my father, Ted Rodgers, and my brother, Brian Rodgers. Thanks for the empathy and the laughter. m ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have had the distinct privilege of working with Tom Newkirk as my dissertation director. His enthusiasm for the project helped me believe in the work at times when I was less than confident. Tom pointed me toward several key resources that shaped my thinking during this research. Though Tom was consistently supportive, he has also been a hands-off director. The dissertation you hold in your hands is entirely the result of my own labor. I am proud of this accomplishment, and I thank Tom for his guidance. I am also grateful to Jessica Enoch for her interest in this project and her generous feedback throughout. Though Jess moved to another university as I was beginning my dissertation research, she agreed to remain on my committee. I am grateful to her for staying on. Thanks also to Robin Hackett, who I encountered late in my time at UNH. Our paths did not cross during my coursework, but she agreed to be a part of my committee after learning about my interests. Robin has always helped me re-envision my work by coming at it from an angle slightly different from my own. I appreciate Gesa Kirsch's willingness to sign on to my dissertation after I had already begun work on it. Gesa has been generous with her time, feedback, and support. Her input on research ethics has been particularly valuable. I am also lucky to have had Paula Salvio on my committee. Paula was interested in this project from our first meeting. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She was a great IV resource for brainstorming and trying on possibilities. I thank her for her time and attention. I owe a debt of thanks to everyone who has been a part of the composition dissertation group at UNH. My conversations with Christina Ortmeier-Hooper, Kate Tirabassi, Abby Knoblauch and Mike Michaud at Telly's helped me form my research questions and design my study. The feedback from Steve Simpson, Jeff Ringer, Mike Garcia, Mike DePalma, and Joleen Hanson over coffee in the MUB helped me continue to believe in the value of the project when writing became frustrating. I would be remiss if I did not also recognize Katherine Gillen for the countless conversations over lunch at Young's, coffee at Breaking New Grounds, and sandwiches at the Bagelry. Kate is a great big-picture thinker. I was able to talk through new ideas and try on different options through conversations with her. Leah Williams has also been a great source of support, popcorn, and red wine throughout this process. I am lucky to have Leah and Kate in my life. Last, though certainly not least, I thank the students and teachers who gave me a few hours of their time to participate in this study. Though they must remain nameless, their willingness to be a part of my research is what made the project possible. I hope that I have represented their words fairly and accurately. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication iii Acknowledgements iv Abstract ix CHAPTER PAGE Introduction 1 1 LITERATURE REVIEW, STUDY DESIGN, THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.... 5 1.1 The Present Study 7 1.2 Research Questions 8 1.3 How my study contributes 8 1.4 Positioning myself- theoretical considerations for a white researcher discussing race 9 1.5 Summary of findings 11 1.6 Situating the study 12 1.7 Theoretical Framework 20 1.8 Background for Research Method 23 1.9 Research Method: the Present Study 27 1.9.1 Text Selection 28 1.10 A Word about Race and Discrimination 30 1.10.1 First voice 30 vi 1.10.2 Second voice 31 1.10.3 Third voice 33 1.11 Transcripts 34 2 THEMES IN RACIAL CONVERSATIONS 36 2.1 Common Sense 37 2.2 Whites on Race: A Review 42 2.3 Popular Culture 45 2.4 Themes in Racial Conversations 47 2.4.1 "Racism is a misunderstanding": it will decrease as ignorance decreases ... 48 2.4.2 "If you make fun of somebody, make fun of everybody": equal opportunity 54 2.4.3 "Laughing at them" or "laughing at ourselves": the (attempted) satire exception 61 2.4.4 "That's what's happened to our brains": the influence of the media 66 2.5 Conclusion 70 3 CLASSROOM PERFORMANCES OF RACIAL TOPICS 71 3.1 Racial discourse and Racial Discourse 73 3.2 Performance 75 3.3 Performances on Race by First Year Writing Students 78 3.4 Performances of Whiteness by Students 100 3.5 Teachers' Reactions to Students' Performances 102 3.6 Teachers as Performers of Whiteness 110 4 INTENT AND EFFECT 114 vii 4.1 Developing Intent/Effect 117 4.2 Revealing Intent/Effect 117 4.3 Conclusions 134 5 Conclusions 136 5.1 The Content of Racial Talk: Implications 138 5.2 Racial Discussions as Performances: Implications 139 5.3 Intent/Effect: Implications 141 5.4 Contribution to Composition 141 5.5 Metacommentary: The Dissertation as a Performance of Whiteness 142 NOTES 143 BIBLIOGRAPHY 145 APPENDIX 150 Vlll ABSTRACT "RACISM IS A MISUNDERSTANDING": RHETORICALLY LISTENING TO WHITE STUDENTS' PERFORMANCES OF RACE by Meagan Rodgers University of New Hampshire, September, 2009 This study describes white student talk about race in terms of performance. I show what white talk regarding race looked like in my study, thus inviting the reader to reflect on her own experiences in terms of performativity and common sense. Recognizing student talk as a complex performance enables us to introduce the practice of rhetorical listening into the classroom in order to encourage students with differing common senses to work toward mutual understanding. The dissertation is based on an empirical multivocal study in which white first year writing students and teachers were asked to comment on a racial text, reflect on their commentary, and then discuss a video of a racial conversation among first year writing students. I argue that individuals draw on discourses when performing in order to demonstrate common sense while maintaining social relationships. White students' common sense is underwritten by epistemological ignorance of structural white privilege. The inability to recognize and validate assertions of white privilege is a result of this ignorance. I suggest the intent/effect heuristic as a functional practice of rhetorical listening. This practice can disrupt the weight of authority of common sense in order to ix reveal racial assumptions and privilege. I also reflect on this dissertation as my own performance of whiteness. INTRODUCTION As a white female growing up in a Midwestern suburb that was 96% white,11 was largely unaware of race, except when it came to learning about or interacting with minorities. To my young mind, race was synonymous with black, Asian, or Native American. In other words, if a teacher had said "we're going to talk about race today," I'd assume we'd talk about anyone but whites. I don't think this experience is at all uncommon—not to my high school peers in the class of 1992, and not to the students who populate first year composition classrooms today. I hadn't seen that my whiteness afforded me tangible benefits until I was 26 years old and in an M.A. program at a large Midwestern urban state university.