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Can We Unlearn Racism? : What South Africa Teaches Us about Whiteness by Jacob R. Boersema (2022, Trade Paperback)

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Product Identifiers

PublisherStanford University Press

ISBN-101503627780

ISBN-139781503627789

eBay Product ID (ePID)14050087810

Product Key Features

Number of Pages320 Pages

Publication NameCan We Unlearn Racism? : What South Africa Teaches Us about Whiteness

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2022

SubjectAfrica / General

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaHistory

AuthorJacob R. Boersema

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.7 in

Item Weight16.1 Oz

Item Length9 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional

LCCN2021-018464

ReviewsThe first ethnographic study of whites after apartheid, Can We Unlearn Racism? is a richly textured account of the lives of the defeated, those who lost social and political power in the course of South Africa's transition to democracy. Telling their stories from the inside out, this stunning work of scholarship reveals how white citizens deal with the present past by repositioning themselves as simply another minority while making claims on group rights in the language of the historically oppressed. Jacob Boersema's book breaks new ground in studies on the sociology of whiteness through the revealing insights promised in the subtitle: What South Africa teaches us about whiteness ., "The first ethnographic study of whites after apartheid, Can We Unlearn Racism? is a richly textured account of the lives of the defeated, those who lost social and political power in the course of South Africa's transition to democracy. Telling their stories from the inside out, this stunning work of scholarship reveals how white citizens deal with the present past by repositioning themselves as simply another minority while making claims on group rights in the language of the historically oppressed. Jacob Boersema's book breaks new ground in studies on the sociology of whiteness through the revealing insights promised in the subtitle: What South Africa teaches us about whiteness ."--Jonathan Jansen, Distinguished Professor of Education, Stellenbosch University, " Can We Unlearn Racism? presents an astute critique showing that the reinvention of White Right politics can be traced to the development of identity politics over the past few decades, and encourages further investigation of transnational White Right linkages."--Christi van der Westhuizen, Social Forces, " Can We Unlearn Racism? makes important theoretical contributions to social scientific and humanistic literatures on Whiteness, racism, and antiracism in South Africa. Boersema's book is a must-read for scholars, teachers, and activists interested in contemporary racial formations and discourses of Whiteness in settler (post)colonial societies."--Sebastian Jackson, Transforming Anthropology, A major contribution to the white racism literature, Boersema's important ethnographic study offers numerous original insights into the current racial situation in South Africa., "A major contribution to the white racism literature, Boersema's important ethnographic study offers numerous original insights into the current racial situation in South Africa."--Joe Feagin, Texas A&M University, "Boersema's account is eloquent, powerful, and deeply thought-provoking. From the nation that was once the ultimate pariah state, he draws insights on the interplay of gender, class, and white identity politics that are highly relevant to anti-racist projects worldwide."--Ann Morning, New York University, Boersema's account is eloquent, powerful, and deeply thought-provoking. From the nation that was once the ultimate pariah state, he draws insights on the interplay of gender, class, and white identity politics that are highly relevant to anti-racist projects worldwide., "Ultimately, the author highlights that racism has not been unlearned in South Africa, but an ongoing commitment to an anti-racist mind-set reflects the hope for transformation.... Highly recommended."--C. L. Lalonde, CHOICE, "While the picture he draws is hardly the hopeful Rainbow Nation that Mandela's inauguration seemed to foreshadow, Boersema's work highlights a reality worth paying attention to: unlearning racism will require much more work. If his work begs the question 'Can we unlearn racism?' his answer is clear: we have a lot more work to do."--Gay W. Seidman, American Journal of Sociology

Dewey Edition23

Dewey Decimal305.809068

Table Of Content1. White without Whiteness 2. Coming to Terms with Whiteness 3. Elites and White Identity Politics 4. Populism and White Minoritization 5. White Embodiment and the Working Class 6. Whiteness at Home 7. Unlearning Racism at School 8. Learning from South Africa

SynopsisIn contemporary South Africa, power no longer maps neatly onto race. While white South Africans continue to enjoy considerable power at the top levels of industry, they have become a demographic minority, politically subordinate to the black South African population. To be white today means having to adjust to a new racial paradigm. In this book, Jacob Boersema argues that this adaptation requires nothing less than unlearning racism: confronting the shame of a racist past, acknowledging privilege, and, to varying degrees, rethinking notions of nationalism. Drawing on more than 150 interviews with a cross-section of white South Africans--representationally diverse in age, class, and gender--Boersema details how they understand their whiteness and depicts the limits and possibilities of individual, and collective, transformation. He reveals that the process of unlearning racism entails dismantling psychological and institutional structures alike, all of which are inflected by emotion and shaped by ideas of culture and power. Can We Unlearn Racism? pursues a question that should be at the forefront of every society's collective consciousness. Theoretically rich and ethnographically empathetic, this book offers valuable insights into the broader sociological process of unlearning, relevant today to communities all around the world.

LC Classification NumberDT1768.W55B64 2021