As long as it isn't culturally derived. REH
----- Original Message ----- From: "Harry Pollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Keith Hudson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Harry Pollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Selma Singer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 3:37 PM Subject: Re: [Futurework] ) Hue and Cry on 'Whiteness Studies' > Keith. > > We don't need a "fair playing field" in the universities. We need the best > scholars without regard to race, or skin color, or anything else but their > capacity most effectively to use the university resources. > > Playing with test scores and suchlike is road to disaster. > > The combination of poor students and "soft" courses is a disastrous > direction for universities to follow yet we seem to be going that way. > > Large numbers of blacks inhabit our penitentiaries - mostly because they > commit more than half the homicides and about 80% of the violent crimes > (from 13% of the population). > > As you may know, I've visited hundreds of high schools. I noticed and was > confirmed by the teachers, that on the East Coast, classes of black > Americans that contained a number of West Indian blacks, the results were > much better than all American black classes. > > Why did the West Indians have this effect? > > Different background - morality system? Don't know. > > Harry > > --------------------------------------------------- > > Keith wrote: > > >Harry, > > > >I think you're being much too cynical. I don't see why American state > >universities shouldn't adopt affirmative action in the case of > >Black-Americans. But if they do, they ought also to adopt negative action > >in the case of Asian-Americans. The universities could then have a level > >playing field for black, white or yellow. > > > >There's actually a quite simple method that would achieve fair results > >without having to devise arbitrary points systems which compensate for > >poor reading and writing ability. SATS results could be multiplied > >inversely according to average racial IQs (or according to brain size). > >Thus all Black-Americans' SATS score could be multiplied by 100/85, and > >Asian-Americans' by 100/106 (or by 1347/1267 and 1347/1364 respectively by > >using brain size). > > > >I think some sort of adjustment should also be applied in the case of > >prosecutory zeal by the police and prison sentencing by the courts. In > >England we have tens of thousands of West Indian and African-born UK > >citizens in jail, but only a few hundred Indian and Pakistani UK citizens > >and, disgracefully, no more than half-a-dozen Chinese-UK citizens. > > > >Incidentally, here's a little story from my better-half. She taught in one > >of the "worst" schools in Bristol for over 20 years. She reckons that > >there were only two sorts of children who never caused any trouble (and > >were also consistently among the brightest). These were the children of > >the fairground travellers and the Chinese. > > > >Keith Hudson > > > >At 21:19 24/06/2003 -0700, you wrote: > > > >>Selma, > >> > >>This is just part of the absolute nonsense that surrounds unimportant > >>differences in complexion. How these people in universities can waste > >>their time on this is beyond belief. > >> > >>Academe would be put to better use if they taught their students > >>plumbing, or something else equally useful. > >> > >>Harry > >>---------------------------------------------------- > >> > >>Selma wrote: > >> > >>>It is my not so humble opinion that this kind of thing is absolutely > >>>essential if we are ever to honestly confront the issues of race in this > >>>country. > >>> > >>>Selma > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > Hue and Cry on 'Whiteness Studies' > >>> > An Academic Field's Take on Race Stirs Interest and Anger > >>> > By Darryl Fears > >>> > > >>> > Washington Post > >>> > Friday, June 20, 2003; Page A01 > >>> > > >>> > AMHERST, Mass. -- Naomi Cairns was among the leaders in the privilege > >>>walk, and > >>> > she wasn't happy about it. > >>> > > >>> > The exercise, which recently involved Cairns and her classmates in a > >>>course at > >>> > the University of Massachusetts, had two simple rules: When the moderator > >>>read > >>> > a > >>> > statement that applied to you, you stepped forward; if it didn't, you > >>>stepped > >>> > back. After the moderator asked if you were certain you could get a bank > >>>loan > >>> > whenever you wanted, Cairns thought, "Oh my God, here we go again," and > >>>took > >>> > yet > >>> > another step forward. > >>> > > >>> > "You looked behind you and became really uncomfortable," said Cairns, a > >>> > 24-year-old junior who stood at the front of the classroom with other > >>>white > >>> > students. Asian and black students she admired were near the back. > >>> "We all > >>> > started together," she said, "and now were so separated." > >>> > > >>> > The privilege walk was part of a course in whiteness studies, a > >>> > controversial and relatively new academic field that seeks to change how > >>> > white people think about race. The field is based on a left-leaning > >>> > interpretation of history by scholars who say the concept of race was > >>> > created by a rich white European and American elite, and has been used to > >>> > deny property, power and status to nonwhite groups for two centuries. > >>> > > >>> > Advocates of whiteness studies -- most of whom are white liberals who > >>> hope > >>> > to dismantle notions of race -- believe that white Americans are so > >>> > accustomed to being part of a privileged majority they do not see > >>>themselves as > >>> > part of a race. > >>> > > >>> > "Historically, it has been common to see whites as a people who don't > >>> have > >>>a > >>> > race, to see racial identity as something others have," said Howard > >>>Winant, a > >>> > white professor of sociology at the University of California at Santa > >>>Barbara > >>> > and a strong proponent of whiteness studies. "It's a great advance to > >>>start > >>> > looking at whiteness as a group." > >>> > > >>> > Winant said whiteness studies advocates must be careful not to paint > >>> white > >>> > heritage with a broad brush, or stray from the historical record. > >>> > Generalizations, he said, will only demonize whiteness. > >>> > > >>> > But opponents say whiteness studies has already done that. David > >>> Horowitz, > >>>a > >>> > conservative social critic who is white, said whiteness studies is > >>> leftist > >>> > philosophy spiraling out of control. "Black studies celebrates blackness, > >>> > Chicano studies celebrates Chicanos, women's studies celebrates > >>> women, and > >>> > white > >>> > studies attacks white people as evil," Horowitz said. > >>> > > >>> > "It's so evil that one author has called for the abolition of whiteness," > >>>he > >>> > said. "I have read their books, and it's just despicable." > >>> > > >>> > Whiteness studies, said Matthew Spalding, is "a derogatory name for > >>>Western > >>> > civilization." Its study is important only to those who think "black > >>>studies > >>> > and > >>> > Chicano studies haven't gone far enough in removing the baggage of > >>> > Anglo-European traditions," said Spalding, director of the Center for > >>>American > >>> > Studies at the Heritage Foundation. > >>> > > >>> > "The notion that you can get rid of a historical tradition as a way to > >>> > further current . . . concerns strikes me as intellectually misleading," > >>> > Spalding said. "It makes certain assumptions and looks for certain > >>>outcomes. > >>> > It's close-minded." > >>> > > >>> > Whiteness studies can be traced to the writings of black intellectuals > >>>such as > >>> > W.E.B. DuBois and James Baldwin, but the field did not coalesce until > >>>liberal > >>> > white scholars embraced it about eight years ago, according to some who > >>>helped > >>> > shape it. > >>> > > >>> > Now, despite widespread criticism and what some opponents view as major > >>> > flaws in the curriculum, at least 30 institutions -- from Princeton > >>> > University to the University of California at Los Angeles -- teach > >>> courses > >>> > in whiteness studies. > >>> > > >>> > The courses are emerging at a pivotal time. Scientists have determined > >>>that > >>> > there is scant genetic distinction between races, and the 2000 Census > >>>allowed > >>> > residents to define themselves by multiple racial categories for the > >>> first > >>> > time. > >>> > Dozens of books, such as "The Invention of the White Race," "How the > >>> Irish > >>> > Became White" and "Memoir of a Race Traitor," are standard reading for > >>>people > >>> > who study whiteness. Recently, the Public Broadcasting System aired a > >>> > documentary titled "Race: The Power of an Illusion." > >>> > > >>> > "If you ask 10 people what is race, you're likely to get 10 different > >>> > answers," said Larry Adelman, who conceived, produced and co-directed > >>> that > >>> > documentary. "How many races would there be? Where did the idea come > >>>from?" > >>> > > >>> > At U-Mass., those questions and others were raised in "The Social > >>> > Construction of Whiteness and Women," one of two whiteness studies > >>> courses > >>> > Cairns took last semester. > >>> > Read and Discuss > >>> > > >>> > The students, about three-quarters of them white, slid into desks and > >>> > unloaded giant book bags, which were stuffed with required reading. The > >>> > books included Theodore Allen's "The Invention of the White Race: Racial > >>> > Oppression and Social Control," which argues, in part, that the > >>> collection > >>> > of European immigrants into a white race was a political act to control > >>>the > >>> > country. > >>> > > >>> > Arlene Avakian, the chairman of the U-Mass. women's studies department, > >>>sat on > >>> > a > >>> > wide desk, let her legs dangle and asked the class to discuss the > >>> ideas of > >>> > racial privilege, environmental comfort and social control. Not all > >>> of her > >>> > students had taken part in the privilege walk -- it was conducted in > >>>another > >>> > course -- but many of them had. > >>> > > >>> > Winnie Chen, 22, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, said it pained > >>> her to > >>> > deal with race every day when her white peers seemed to rarely think > >>> about > >>> > it. She tried to discuss race with a white friend once, she said, but he > >>> > felt ambushed. > >>> > > >>> > "He said I was pulling a Pearl Harbor on him," she said. "It is so > >>>difficult > >>> > for > >>> > them to think there is another lens. He talked about Irish oppression. I > >>>asked, > >>> > 'Have you ever considered why you're no longer oppressed here when > >>> Asians, > >>> > blacks and Hispanics still are?' " > >>> > > >>> > A white student raised her hand and said she and a friend had gone to a > >>>hall > >>> > reserved for black student affairs, and the friend said she didn't feel > >>> > comfortable. > >>> > > >>> > Brandi-Ann Andrade, a 21-year-old junior who is black, rolled her eyes. > >>>"So > >>> > what?" she asked. "I never feel comfortable here. I'm a student at a > >>>school > >>> > where most people are white. The only time I feel comfortable is when I'm > >>>at > >>> > home." > >>> > > >>> > Dan Clason-Hook, 24, a white senior, said, "White students would > >>> never say > >>> > that we own the campus, but [whites] feel they do." > >>> > > >>> > The desire to always feel comfortable in their skin is something white > >>> > people feel entitled to, said Avakian, who is white. The dominant group > >>> > wants to control its environment, to own it. > >>> > > >>> > The students listened without objection, but they don't always. Avakian > >>>said > >>> > two > >>> > students in an earlier semester had challenged her, questioning why she > >>>taught > >>> > the course. After some discussion, Avakian recalled, they concluded her > >>>reason > >>> > was white guilt. > >>> > > >>> > Avakian dismissed that conclusion. "It's the suppressed history I'm > >>> > interested in teaching," she said. "White people can't know ourselves and > >>> > our country without knowing this history." > >>> > > >>> > Although whiteness studies teachers adopt different approaches for > >>>different > >>> > courses, they draw on the same reading of history. > >>> > > >>> > That reading traces the invention of race to the time and social class of > >>> > Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in the late 18th century not only that "all > >>>men are > >>> > created equal" in the Declaration of Independence, but also this, > >>> from his > >>> > "Notes on the State of Virginia": > >>> > > >>> > "I advance it, as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether originally a > >>> > distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are > >>> inferior to > >>> > the whites in the endowments both of body and mind." > >>> > > >>> > >From such sentiments, whiteness studies advocates say, race was > >>> invented, > >>> > and the idea of white superiority was crucial to justifying slavery and, > >>> > later, the dispossession of Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians. > >>> > > >>> > "Jefferson believed in majority rule, but what majority was he in?" said > >>> > historian James O. Horton of George Washington University. "He wasn't in > >>>the > >>> > majority in terms of gender. He wasn't in the majority in terms of class. > >>>The > >>> > only majority he was in was race." > >>> > > >>> > Horton said poor white workers often joined black slaves and freemen in > >>> > popular rebellions in the 18th century. For example, he said, Crispus > >>> > Attucks, a black man, was among the first to die when an interracial mob > >>> > confronted British soldiers in the "Boston Massacre," five years before > >>>the > >>> > American Revolution started. > >>> > > >>> > But something happened between that time and Andrew Jackson's presidency > >>>in > >>> > 1828, Horton said. "Property laws were struck down, allowing white people > >>>at > >>> > the > >>> > bottom of society to vote based on race in 1807. At the same time > >>> that was > >>> > done, > >>> > race laws were put into its place. > >>> > > >>> > "There is this constant message hammered at poor white people," Horton > >>>said. > >>> > "You may be poor, you may have miserable lives right now, but . . . the > >>>thing > >>> > we > >>> > want you to focus on is the fact that you are white." > >>> > > >>> > In the 19th and 20th centuries, "race science" was used by Supreme Court > >>> > justices to deny rights, property and citizenship to various Asian > >>> > immigrants. > >>> > > >>> > In the housing boom that followed World War II, black veterans were > >>> denied > >>> > new federally backed mortgages that helped build white suburbs. > >>> > > >>> > Avakian said that if American history curriculums "told that story, this > >>> > would be a different country." > >>> > > >>> > "Slavery and genocide coexist with democracy and freedom," she said, and > >>> > that's what whiteness studies teaches. "President Andrew Jackson presided > >>> > during the mass murder of Indians. If we knew in detail how slavery > >>>existed > >>> > alongside freedom, we would have to change the national narrative." After > >>>Class > >>> > > >>> > Chen said Avakian's course made her more aware of how the sense of > >>>belonging > >>> > corresponds to skin color. "I would never not choose to be someone's > >>>friend > >>> > because they are white, but I think it's important to have friends of > >>>color," > >>> > she said. > >>> > > >>> > Jya Plavin, a 20-year-old sophomore who is white, said the course "was > >>> > really, really hard . . . both personally and as a white person, because > >>>you > >>> > really want to take the focus off you and your whiteness." > >>> > > >>> > Clason-Hook said that the class was the only one he knew of that > >>>explicitly > >>> > spoke of whiteness, and that it helped him realize that "other classes, > >>>like > >>> > economics, politics and history, are about whiteness. They are written by > >>>and > >>> > are about white people." > >>> > > >>> > He said later that confronting whiteness, day to day, is challenging. "I > >>>am > >>> > racist. It's not on the surface, but it's in me. Day to day I hear racist > >>> > comments, and people don't even know what they're saying." > >>> > > >>> > Andrade said she thought "the class was beneficial, because it brings to > >>> > light that white people, too, are racialized." > >>> > > >>> > Thinking back on the class discussion a few days later, Andrade wondered: > >>> > "In a culture that puts whiteness on top, what is blackness? When you > >>> look > >>> > at whiteness, blackness is always in the negative." > >>> > > >>> > Cairns, who had sailed through the privilege walk, said whiteness studies > >>> > helped her understand race a little better. "My social group has always > >>>been > >>> > white," she said. "I've noticed that, and I've started to look beyond my > >>> > group." > > > **************************************************** > Harry Pollard > Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles > Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 > http://home.attbi.com/~haledward > **************************************************** > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.489 / Virus Database: 288 - Release Date: 6/10/2003 > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
