DePaul University Via Sapientiae College of Education Theses and Dissertations College of Education Fall 2011 FRAMED BY PRIVILEGE: PERPETUATING AND RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY IN WHITE, MIDDLE-CLASS PARENTING Kelly Brianne Baldwin Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/soe_etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Baldwin, Kelly Brianne, "FRAMED BY PRIVILEGE: PERPETUATING AND RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY IN WHITE, MIDDLE-CLASS PARENTING" (2011). College of Education Theses and Dissertations. 18. https://via.library.depaul.edu/soe_etd/18 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Education at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in College of Education Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FRAMED BY PRIVILEGE: PERPETUATING AND RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY IN WHITE, MIDDLE-CLASS PARENTING a thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education DePaul University in partial completion of the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in the Social and Cultural Foundations in Education by Kelly Brianne Baldwin November 2011 DePaul University Chicago, IL Framed by privilege ABSTRACT Framed by privilege: Perpetuating and resisting White supremacy in White, middle-class parenting Kelly B. Baldwin Department of Educational Policy Studies and Research College of Education, DePaul University November 2011 Parenting is a primary site for the socialization of young children, including socialization around issues of race and racism. Giving careful attention to the implications of a socially privileged racial status, this study draws on the personal narratives of three White, middle-class, heterosexual mothers living in Chicago to improve understanding of White, middle-class parenting around issues of race and racism and to critically examine the ways parenting practices relate to larger social Discourses in the United States that perpetuate or disrupt White supremacy. When parenting around issues of race and racism, mothers adherent to White supremacy typically abandoned parenting strategies they found consistently successful for supporting their children’s adoption of specific values in more general parenting contexts. However, women with a broader understanding of racism and with an awareness of children as racially aware and engaged beings were more likely to rebuke racism and seek to enact anti-racist parenting strategies. Keywords: parenting, race, racial privilege, racism, socialization, White supremacy 2 Framed by privilege ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not have been possible without the three women who so generously and openly allowed me a window into their lives as women and as mothers. They have been my greatest collaborators in this work. Day-in and day-out, they engage in the immensely challenging, trying, and rewarding work of parenting – the world’s most complicated and important job. And they had the grace and humility to share their successes and their struggles with me. I am truly humbled. And I am forever grateful. To my teachers – Enora Brown, Karen Monkman, Horace Hall, Beth Catlett, and Ann Russo – Thank you for teaching me what I was looking to learn and so much more. Thank you for letting me cry, for pushing me to keep going, and for having confidence that I could do this work. Special thanks, Dr. Brown, for being my companion every step of this long process. I am so grateful for your guidance, your encouragement, and your support. Thank you. Deepest gratitude as well to Nikki Nudo – there is no doubting that you are the glue that keeps everything (and everyone) running smoothly. To my readers and cheerleaders – Melissa Goodnight, James Blair, Carol Aymar, Kate Stone, Courtney Hrejsa, Rob Garrison, and Bianca Suarez – Through this journey, you have offered honest, critical advice; you have given me strength and courage when I was certain of encroaching failure; and you have been my steadfast friends. You are my inspiration, my motivation, and my comrades in struggle. You remind me to trust in the power of community and in the ways that being in relationship with others opens up possibilities that would be unachievable if undertaken alone. My gratitude to each of you for being exactly who you are is beyond words. I am deeply blessed. And to my family – Mom, Dad, Kristofer, Karen, Eric, and Elissa – What would I do without you? You are my rock. I love you. 3 Framed by privilege We're supposed to fight for freedom, not just the end of slavery. – excerpted from “Remind My Soul,” Akrobatik we can't afford to do anyone harm because we owe them our lives each breath is recycled from someone else's lungs our enemies are the very air in disguise you can talk a great philosophy but… it's the little things you do the little things you say it's the love you give along the way – excerpted from “looking for the holes,” Ani DiFranco we are each other's harvest: we are each other's business: we are each other's magnitude and bond. – excerpted from “Paul Robeson,” Gwendolyn Brooks 4 Framed by privilege TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction p. 10 I. Conceptual Frameworks and Literature Review p. 14 • Conceptual frameworks p. 15 o Race – A social construction and a tangible reality p. 15 o Racism – U.S. social structures, unearned privilege, and racial p. 20 inequality o Racial positionality – An adoption of feminist standpoint theory p. 25 o Whiteness – Personal and structural p. 28 o Ideology of White supremacy p. 31 − Discourse of color-blindness p. 37 − Discourse of meritocracy p. 40 − Discourse of accountability evasion p. 42 − Discourse of individualism p. 45 • Literature review p. 48 o Parenting as socialization p. 48 o White social positionality and racial socialization p. 51 o Young children and race p. 58 • Conclusion p. 65 II. Research Design and Methodology p. 66 • Overview of the methodological approach p. 66 • Purpose of study and research questions p. 68 • Participant selection p. 70 • Data collection, procedures, and analysis p. 72 • Quality concerns p. 76 • Ethical concerns p. 78 • Author’s positionality p. 82 • Study limitations p. 84 III. Findings p. 86 • Perspectives and beliefs on parenting p. 87 o Knowing what to do – Parenting instincts: Where do they come p. 88 5 Framed by privilege from, and do you trust them? o Building character – Who do you want your child to be? p. 92 − Katie p. 92 − Terra p. 94 − Corinne p. 95 o Desiring diversity – With whom or what do you want your child to p. 97 engage? − Diverse activities p. 97 − Diverse cultures p. 98 − Engaging diversity intentionally or by haphazard association p. 99 − The benefits of engaging diversity p. 102 o Acceptance of and comfort with human differences – Who is your p. 105 child in relation to others? o Children learn through experience and are active participants in p. 109 their own learning. • Actions and practices concerning parenting p. 113 − Actions reflect values – Parents are role models in word and p. 113 deed − The importance of aligning words and actions p. 116 − Framing children’s experiences to foster desired values p. 117 • Perspectives and beliefs on race and racism p. 120 o Defining race and its relevance in our modern world p. 121 o Being White – A benefit or a disadvantage? p. 125 o Understanding one's own racial identity – Who am I? And who am I p. 134 in relation to others? − The role of childhood roots in the framing of White women’s p. 134 understanding of their own racial identities − The impact of the proximity of people of color for framing p. 137 White perceptions of race − White perceptions of people of color and finding a “good” mix p. 139 of racial diversity − Claiming the identity of a “good” White person p. 141 6 Framed by privilege o Defining racism – The language we use and what we really mean p. 146 − Racism is both individual and institutional in nature p. 146 − Racism is both blatant and subtle in nature p. 149 − Racism as a continuum rather than a binary p. 152 − Is everyone a little racist? p. 153 − Locating racism in time and space p. 154 o The power of hard work to enable success p. 158 − Katie p. 158 − Terra p. 159 − Corinne p. 161 − Meritocracy and affirmative action p. 162 o Racial change – What is possible? p. 164 − Racial change is possible and has been happening slowly in p. 164 society − Racial change in one’s own life p. 167 − Racial change through parenting p. 170 − Questioning the possibility of supporting racial change in other p. 173 adults o Racial change – Whose job is it to do what? p. 179 • The intersection of perspectives and beliefs on parenting and on race p. 186 and racism o Child development and race – Do young children “see” race or p. 187 understand racism? − Katie p. 187 − Terra p. 192 − Corinne p. 196 − Correlations between learning about race and learning in p. 202 general o Children as racial beings (or not) in a racialized world p. 205 • Actions and practices concerning parenting and race and racism p. 208 o Engaging children in direct dialogue about race and racism – Does p. 209 it disrupt racism or enable it? 7 Framed by privilege − Katie p. 210 − Terra p. 211 − Corinne p. 213 − Intentionally engaging or avoiding dialogue about race with p. 215 children − White families do not have to talk about race or don’t know how p. 217 to talk about race − White families do not talk about race in order to “protect” their p. 218 children o Desiring racial diversity – Issues of inclusion, a desire for more p. 222 diversity, and authenticity − Desiring racially diverse and inclusive environments and material p.