Got Solidarity? Challenging Straight White College Men to Advocate for Social Justice

Description

The 21st Century in the United States continues to be marked by persistent disparities between members of different classes, races, genders, and sexual orientations. Influencers of this society seem bent on polarizing citizens along their diverse identities, often blaming those already disadvantaged for the nation’s apparent plights. Elite white men still benefit from a political, economic, and social hegemony and some ardently resist an egalitarian society. Preserving American democracy rests in the hands of young Americans committed to equity and social justice. In Got Solidarity?, Jörg Vianden reports the results from the Straight White College Men Project, a nationwide qualitative study of how heterosexual white college men experience or perceive campus and community diversity issues. In college, few white men tend to engage in majors, discussions, or courses on diversity, inclusion, equity, or social justice. Indeed, many white men say that they have "no place" in these discussions, and more commonly assert that "diversity is not about them." Using a sociological perspective, the author chronicles their upbringing in families and schools, their perspectives on race, gender, and sexual orientation, as well as their trepidations on challenging oppression they notice taking place around them. Their stories lead to a renewed understanding of how white disengagement constrains progress toward a just society. This book offers strategies for enhancing college teaching and learning, adds to the body of research on identity development theory, and provides implications for improving campus climates, fostering social justice advocacy, as well as re-designing programs promoting understanding of human differences. Written especially for straight white male college students, as well as for educators at all levels, this book　underscores the critical need for whites to raise consciousness, activate empathy, and build solidarity with members of minoritized social groups. Given the current American predicament, Got Solidarity? makes a timely contribution to our understanding of masculinity and endeavors to create a just society. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 Building Solidarity and Challenging Social Justice Advocacy in Straight White College Men Individuals or Members of a Collective Male Culture? Straight White Men’s Solidarity Methods and Data Sources Why Study Straight White College Men? Straight White Male Vianden – My Position in Writing this Book The Purposes of this Book Critical Whiteness Chapters Overview A Caveat Note 2 Growing up White and Male: Learning about Diversity in Communities, Schools, and Families The Backdrop: A White Man’s World U.S. Demographics of Race, Gender, and Class White Male Overrepresentation in U.S. Society Learning and Interacting Across Difference in Communities and Schools White Habitus, White Racial Frame, and Gender Intensification Summary 3 What’s in it for Me? Defining, Experiencing, and Considering Engaging in Diversity in College Diversity Defined Institutional Missions of Diversity Straight White Men Defining Diversity Experiencing Diversity in College What White Men Learn from Diversity Experiencing Diversity in College Coursework Considering Engagement in Co-Curricular Diversity Initiatives White College Men’s Identities, Resistance, and Fragility Summary 4 White is Norm: Acknowledging Privilege, Power, and Oppression on Campus Privilege, Power, and Oppression in Contemporary America Perceived Drawbacks of Being a Straight White Man on Campus Perceived Benefits of Being a Straight White Man on Campus Invisibility of Whiteness and Colorblindness Summary 5 It’s Hard to Speak Up: Challenging Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia White Male Misbehavior in College Straight White Men as Campus Climate Creators Racist, Sexist, and Homophobic Joking Bystanders Influenced by Normative Peer Culture Standing by or Standing up: Straight White Men’s Perceptions of Intervening Oppression “You Don’t Want to be That Guy”: Fearing Social Consequences Summary 6 What’s my Responsibility? Strategies to Engage Straight White College Men in Social Justice Straight White Men’s Critical Consciousness Straight White Men’s Social Empathy What’s My Responsibility? Strategies to Engage Straight White College Men in Developing Solidarity and Advocacy for Social Justice Conclusion – A Call to Action Appendix A – Research Sites Appendix B – Sample Demographic Information References Index