Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial Divide [Paperback]

Barbara Trepagnier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1594512132 | ISBN-13: 978-1594512131

Vivid and engaging, Silent Racism persuasively demonstrates that silent racism - racism by people who classify themselves as not racist - is instrumental in the production of institutional racism. Trepagnier argues that heightened race awareness is more important in changing racial inequality than judging whether individuals are racist. The collective voices and confessions of non-racist; white women heard in this book help reveal that all individuals harbor some racist thoughts and feelings. Trepagnier uses vivid focus group interviews to argue that the oppositional categories of racist/not racist are outdated. The oppositional categories should be replaced in contemporary thought with a continuum model that more accurately portrays today's racial reality in the United States. A shift to a continuum model can raise the race awareness of well-meaning white people and improve race relations. Offering a fresh approach, Silent Racism is an essential resource for teaching and thinking about racism in the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Important [because] it addresses white folks who see themselves as not racist. ...This is a group that has been sorely understudied....Highly significant. --Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Duke University

Barbara Trepagnier s fine book on institutional racism is an important statement on this timely topic...Trepagnier s research adds some much-needed scholarly insight to that issue. Her provocative concept of silent racism can be nurtured with insights gained from comparative research across gender and social class...Her work is important to symbolic interactionists because she beings with Herbert Blumer s idea of seeing racism as a social process, but extends it with an honorable commitment to changing race relations through two social mechanisms we hold dear: communication and relationships. --Joseph A. Kotarba; University of Houston in Symbolic Interactions

About the Author

Barbara Trepagnier is Professor of Sociology at Texas State University- San Marcos where she teaches social theory and social psychology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 181 pages
• Publisher: Paradigm Publishers (March 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594512132
• ISBN-13: 978-1594512131
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling And Modern Perspective On Racism, May 31, 2007

By 

Kristina "Kristina B" (Portland, OR, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial Divide (Paperback)

As a graduate student in the field of sociology, I find the ideas presented in this book to be fascinating and presented well. Trepagnier reviews existing theories insightfully and then presents a fresh perspective on a much-discussed topic. In doing so, she offers both compelling evidence for her theories and solutions to the problems she presents. She addresses racism in its most modern form - the hidden, mostly unintentional racism that is within us all and embedded in the very structure of our culture. She does so in a clear, artful manner and without the tedium sometimes associated with books written by academics. I highly recommend this work for students and teachers.

As a well-intentioned white woman myself, the book is revelatory. Many whites, myself included, were taught that racism is bad but did not receive a clear definition. The author shows how our blind stumbling about the topic of racism actually contributes to the problem, even if our avoidance is well-intentioned. Trepagnier dissects modern white people's perspective on race at the day-to-day level and eradicates any confusion about what racism is. If you want to be part of the solution to racism, read this book.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book about race!, July 2, 2007

By 

P. Giuffre (San Marcos, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial Divide (Paperback)

This is an amazing book. Anyone concerned about race and racism should read it! Trepagnier's interviews with white women who are "well meaning" and concerned with racism are enlightening. For example, some of the women discussed (oftentimes, somewhat unconsciously) stereotypes that they have about African Americans. The author challenges readers to stop thinking of ourselves and other people as being in the categories of "racist" or "not racist." Doing so discourages us from becoming what Trepagnier refers to as more "racially aware." I encourage people to read the book, buy it for others, and TALK about the issues it raises. It's one of the ways to increase racial awareness. Given many recent events reported in the media, it's clear that racial awareness is a worthwhile and important goal.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising and insightful, July 3, 2007

By 

Agnes - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial Divide (Paperback)

It's disconcerting to realize that sometimes my best efforts at NOT being racist have been just that. This book helped me realize the necessity of self-examination to expose those ways in which I'm participating in the racial divide, not by obvious acts of prejudice but by leaving my assumptions unchallenged. This is a very important book.