This timely handbook responds to the international drive to know more about Whiteness – its origins, its impacts and, importantly, the means for diffusing it. Guided by critical Whiteness theory, the volume deconstructs, decodes and disrupts Whiteness as it is constructed and employed in contemporary and diverse contexts. To do so, the international contributors discuss and critique the role of 21st-century Whiteness across a range of professions and disciplines relevant to the needs of contemporary global citizens. Failure to deconstruct Whiteness as an ideology and the power structure underlying national and global racial inequalities undermines the efforts to improve social, health and economic outcomes for societies and nations on a grand scale.
The handbook is comprehensive in its nature and contents, with 10 themed parts ranging from a more disciplinary-based approach, theoretical frameworks, and methodological frameworks, to different aspects of decolonized approaches to social, health, political and economic well-being. It navigates how various disciplines respond to the pervasive and persuasive nature of Whiteness in their operational settings, across individual, professional, organisational and systemic levels. The volume is unique in its dual focus on deconstructing Whiteness and providing examples and recommendations on how diverse groups seek to decolonize their communities and people through action. Examples and recommendations are discussed with particular focus on: 1) the interconnection between integrating indigenous and diverse knowledges and perspectives in deconstructing Whiteness; 2) the urgency for critical Whiteness discourse, dialogue and professional development across disciplines; and 3) institutional accountability to decolonisation and anti-racism. Considering the ongoing marginalization and institutional racism directed at non-White individuals and communities and the rise of White supremacy movements, critical Whiteness pedagogy and research is more important than ever.
Handbook of Critical Whiteness: Deconstructing Dominant Discourses Across Disciplines is an essential resource for students, educators, academics, researchers, higher education administrators, practitioners, policy-makers, organisational leaders, government stakeholders, and other professionals in social sciences, medicine, STEM, allied/global/public health, legal and political disciplines, and health and social care institutions. It especially engages those interested in decolonisation, critical race theory, critical Whiteness theory, critical multiculturalism, social justice, anti-racism and Indigenous knowledges.
