UCLA

The objective of this study was to examine the methods White women use to navigate race in a student affairs professional setting. White women have a unique lens in interpreting race due to their privileged status as White as well as their subordinate gender status. Using Bonilla-Silva’s colorblind racism and Cheryl Matias’ emotionality of Whiteness framework, this study sought to understand the methods, whether consciously or subconsciously, White women use in their daily encounters with race. A semi-structured interview method was applied to 23 participants at two public institutions of higher education. The interviews focused specifically on how they felt about racial issues in the workplace as well as how participants perceivethemselves as White women in the student affairs profession. A commonality amongst all participants was that their origins of racial understanding began with a colorblind lens. The disruption of the colorblind lens for participants solicited emotional responses to racial discourse and situations. Specifically, anger, avoidance, self-victimization and tears were revealed throughout this study. Additionally, content analysis was used to learn about the campus climate issues at each respective institution.

The themes that emanated from the study were emotional resistance to race, distance from racial terminology, identity as a minimization tool, evolution of awareness, as well as re-centering and challenging Whiteness. These themes describe mechanisms used by participants in professional environments when race was a focus. The emotional aspect of the data yielded examples of White women using emotions to uphold White supremacy through tears, anger, victimization or guilt. These responses refocus the racial conversation on White women and shift the focus away from the issues of People of Color. A maneuver used to avoid race was avoiding racial terminology altogether as well as using other identities such as gender, sexual orientation and ability status to minimize the racial focus. Additionally, several participants encountered racial dissonance and continued to grapple with race as Whites and a few recognize the power there is in being White women in a student affairs organization.

The findings indicate that there was growing awareness among the participants and this journey is highly contradictory. This is highlighted through participant views on affirmative action as well as a vacillation between guilt and self-victimization. This study did highlight the need for more in-depth professional training for student affairs professionals focused on the use of language centered on racial justice, emotions as well as colorblindness.