Rethinking Rachel Doležal and Transracial Theory

Description

Using real-life examples, this book asks readers to reflect on how we―as an academic community―think and talk about race and racial identity in twenty-first-century America. One of these examples, Rachel Doležal, provides a springboard for an examination of the state of our discourse around changeable racial identity and the potential for “transracialism.” An analysis of how we are theorizing transracial identity (as opposed to an argument for/against it), this study detects some omissions and problems that are becoming evident as we establish transracial theory and suggests ways to further develop our thinking and avoid missteps. Intended for academics and thinkers familiar with conversations about identity and/or race, Rethinking Rachel Doležal and Transracial Theory helps shape the theorization of “transracialism” in its formative stages. Acknowledgements Contents Chapter 1: The Current State of (Trans)racial Discourse Introduction Puzzle Cases What We Talk about When We Talk about Race What the Responses to Rachel Doležal Reveal about Our Racial Beliefs How Earlier Cases of White-to-Black Racial Identification Inform Our Discussion of Doležal How Political Orientation is Related to Racial Identification What Might Limit or Legitimate Black Identity Works Cited Chapter 2: Pathways for Further Developing (Trans)racial Discourse Preamble Why “Passing” Is Problematic Why We Should Be Wary of Social Conservatism Why We Need to Examine Individual vs. Collective Identity and Self-Identification Why We Need to Consider Transgender Identity and Learn from the Hypatia Crisis Why Ideal/Non-Ideal Theory Might Help Why We Should Avoid Certain Ways of Thinking Conclusion: Where We Go from Here Works Cited Index