Race Frameworks: A Multidimensional Theory of Racism and Education

by Zeus Leonardo

This is a comprehensive introduction to the main frameworks for thinking about, conducting research on, and teaching about race and racism in education. Renowned theoretician and philosopher Zeus Leonardo surveys the dominant race theories and, more specifically, focuses on those frameworks that are considered essential to cultivating a critical attitude toward race and racism. The book examines four Critical Race Theory (CRT), Marxism, Whiteness Studies, and Cultural Studies, with a critique following each one in order to analyze its strengths and set its limits. The last chapter offers a theory of “race ambivalence,” which combines aspects of all four theories into one framework. Engaging and cutting edge, Race Frameworks is a foundational text suitable for courses in education and critical race studies. Critical Frameworks on Race 1.; Critical Race Theory in On Racial State Apparatuses 2.; Marxism and The Racialized Division of Labor 3.; Whiteness Studies and Educational The Unbearable Whiteness of Schooling 4.; Cultural Studies, Race Representation, and From the Means of Production to the Production of Meanness 5.; Race Ambivalence and a Multidimensional Theory of Racism and Education

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2013

Reviews

[Drick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeus Leonardo is a professor of critical race and ethnic studies who outlines five different frameworks that have been used to understand, analyze and explain the nature of race dynamics in the United States: Critical Race Theory, Marxist Race Studies, Whiteness Studies, Cultural Studies, and Post Race studies. In a relatively short space Leonardo outlines the essential characteristics of each perspective and then critiques them in light of the others. I found it extremely helpful to see these side by side and his bibliography is worth the price of the book. While Leonardo specifically relates the serious to the practice of education, the analysis he gives is helpful to non-educators and could be applied in other institutional settings.

At points I felt lost (particularly in cultural studies which is largely a communication studies perspective) but overall I came away more clearly informed and inspired to learn more. My main criticism is that the five perspectives are presented as separate discrete theories, when in practice I suspect that most scholars see the different perspectives as different lenses at which to look at the phenomena of race and racism in our society. Another concern I have is that the practice and implementation of the theories is more diverse than he sometimes presents them. For instance he presents CRT as being primarily focused on the black-white binary when in fact CRT has spawned a whole host of other critical schools - critical Latino studies, critical Asian studies, critical feminists studies and the like. Or when he was discussing Whiteness Studies he greatly underplayed the differences of opinion over the the so called "abolition of whiteness" debate. However, despite these limitations I would encourage anyone interested int he field to use this book as an introduction.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so rich and thorough, it angered me, to an extent, that my doctorate-level professors failed me by not assigning the book in any course. I will draw from this book often, and continuously, for its clarity on the competing ideologies that surround race dialogue.

[Glenn Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inseparable two

Race and education are at the core of
Leonardo's argument. The seemingly endless struggle to close the achievement gap is related to the inseparable relationship between education and race.

[Mills College Library]

371.829 L5819f 2013