Negotiating whiteness through brownness: using intersectionality and transactional theory to capture racialised experiences of university campus life
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the potential of using dialogue between intersectional and pragmatist theorising of transactional social relations. By considering tensions within intersectional research, a position is developed which utilises a mutual constitution approach to intersectional theory and the dynamic, ongoing, complex social relations captured in pragmatist theorising. It is argued that from this position race and ethnicity become actions in which, for example, Whiteness and Brownness are defined in ongoing relation to each other. Example data from a pilot study, designed to explore experiences of campus life, is analysed using this action sense of race. The ‘Racing’ of experience within the data identifies how Whiteness and Brownness become constituted through a Male, South Asian, Muslim student’s experience of studying sport. Whiteness in this context becomes secular, partying, and sporty-bravado-competitive, while Brownness is supressed Islamic, working not to perpetuate crude Brown-Muslim stereotypes and upset convivial, post-racial discourses. It is envisaged that further data collection from student experiences of studying on the university campus will help to develop deeper insight, and importantly, dialogue about race, ethnicity and privilege.Citation
Ward, G., Richards, R. and Best, M. (2022) Negotiating whiteness through brownness: using intersectionality and transactional theory to capture racialised experiences of university campus life, Studies in Higher Education, 47(8), pp.1736-1749, DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2021.1957814Publisher
RoutledgeJournal
Studies in Higher EducationAdditional Links
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2021.1957814Type
Journal articleLanguage
enDescription
This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis) in Studies in Higher Education on 26/07/2021, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.1957814 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.ISSN
0307-5079EISSN
1470-174Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/03075079.2021.1957814
Scopus Count
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/