All white people understand cultural differences from a platform of relative privilege, affecting their personal and professional interactions. How should they respond when confronted with this knowledge? This introductory book looks at the concept of whiteness, and shows how individuals can ‘unmask’ their own whiteness and take meaningful steps to break down unconscious bias and structural racism.
Exploring how colonial history resulted in white privilege, this book examines how that privilege manifests today in a culturally diverse world, and the links between the rise in far-right politics and anti-immigration rhetoric that led to Brexit and Donald Trump’s election. It looks at the pressures on privilege and white populations, with candid reflections on how even well-meaning white people may project unconscious bias in their everyday lives. There are also dedicated chapters on training to raise awareness of white privilege in professional organizations.
Exploring how colonial history resulted in white privilege, this book examines how that privilege manifests today in a culturally diverse world, and the links between the rise in far-right politics and anti-immigration rhetoric that led to Brexit and Donald Trump’s election. It looks at the pressures on privilege and white populations, with candid reflections on how even well-meaning white people may project unconscious bias in their everyday lives. There are also dedicated chapters on training to raise awareness of white privilege in professional organizations.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
In this book Judy Ryde makes an impassioned and well-argued contribution to the ever-growing body of work on whiteness which is designed to challenge what people who are read as racially white think about themselves. Building on her earlier contribution rooted in her work in caring professions and particularly psychotherapy, this new work takes a broader stance to consider the social damage wreaked by socially constructed racial hierarchy where whiteness is positioned at the pinnacle.
Anyone interested in making reparation for the privileges and wages of whiteness should read this book.
A long awaited and comprehensive resource for all interested in how white people are still benefiting by their privilege and the role that white supremacy plays in our understanding of this. It is an unusual book as Judy is herself white. Essential reading if you identify as white and if you don't.
Written in an accessible and engaging style, this book not only charts where white privilege comes from, but also offers possible ways we can start to challenge society's structural inequalities. In doing so, it boldly examines one of the most divisive, yet important and powerful, social constructs of our time: race.
This book will appeal to those of a critical/radical persuasion but that should not stop all practitioners from heeding its message.