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White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society
Why and how do those from black and minority ethnic communities continue to be marginalised? Despite claims that we now live in a post-racial society, race continues to disadvantage those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Kalwant Bhopal explores how neoliberal policy making has increased rather than decreased discrimination faced by those from non-white backgrounds. She also shows how certain types of whiteness are not privileged; Gypsies and Travellers, for example, remain marginalised and disadvantaged in society. Drawing on topical debates and supported by empirical data, this important book examines the impact of race on wider issues of inequality and difference in society.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2018
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February 17, 2018
So let’s say you acknowledge white privilege exists. (If you don’t, you should back up and maybe read something like So You Want to Talk about Race.) But maybe now you’re wondering how much white privilege actually affects people, particularly when it comes to issues of education and the workplace. That’s what White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society tackles. Kalwant Bhopal carefully and in great detail pieces together a picture of how American and British schools, universities, and places of business continue to discriminate in favour of white people. Thanks, NetGalley and Policy Press, for letting me read this eARC.
White Privilege is very much an academic research book, so know that going in. Unlike Ijeoma Oluo’s aforementioned book, this is not really a mainstream publication. That doesn’t mean I think only academics should read it—there’s a lot of interest in here for people outside the academy, particularly teachers and those interested in public policy. However, it is definitely very dry in tone, and Bhopal writes with the considered cadence of someone who really wants to define every term clearly and leave little to doubt. Each chapter is meticulously cited and has extensive endnote references (a good thing, of course). But an evocative read this is not.
Bhopal splits each chapter down the middle and addresses data from both the UK and the US. This is an interesting, informative approach. As a Canadian who has taught in the UK, I found the chapters focusing on UK secondary school education the most interesting. Much of what Bhopal describes dovetails and resonates with my own experience, which I’ll discuss presently. Other facets illuminate parts of my time there or only occurred after I left. In any event, it is clear that both the US and the UK (and Canada, but that’s outside of the scope of this book) have a long way to go in addressing racial inequity in education.
After graduating from my education degree in Canada, I taught in the UK for two years at an academy that primarily served students from a working class socioeconomic background. There was a mixture of white families and families predominantly of an Eastern European background, though there were definitely some Black families as well. While class was a large factor, I think, in the students’ attitudes towards school and their success, racial and ethnic background definitely contributed too. In particular, Bhopal hits the nail on the head when she examines the call to teach “British values” and other, similar movements, and how these replicate patterns of (white) cultural supremacy within the education system.
She’s also accurate when she points out that so many teachers in these systems are white and themselves under-prepared to teach racialized pupils. That was definitely me (I’m white, btw, if my avatar’s terrible fashion sense didn’t give that away). This is an oversight in our teacher education programs, but it’s also an artifact of my white privilege within a larger, white supremacist society. I’m aware of my privilege on an intellectual level, yet I’m also painfully aware I lack tools necessarily to relate to and understand the needs of some of my racialized students. This was the case when I was in the UK, and it is still sometimes the case now that I’m back in Canada and teaching adults, many of whom are First Nations. My toolkit has gotten better (thanks, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and Indigenous Writes ). Still, thinking bigger picture, we need a seismic shift in the ways we prepare and train teachers at a system level.
White Privilege occasionally hints at or navigates around the periphery of the wider issue that the US and UK are still, in many ways, white-supremacist states. It would have been nice to see the book engage with this issue more directly—but perhaps that would verge too far into the polemical; Bhopal appears more interested in making concrete arguments backed up by data. As such, there is little I can disagree with in this book, but there are times when I feel it doesn’t quite go far enough—but maybe that’s just my revolutionary idealism speaking.
I can’t fault this book’s information, organization, or content. This is a strong work of academic writing with excellent details and an ironclad, logical presentation. I wish the writing were less dry. If you can handle this style, you’ll find lots in here about the topic of privilege and its practical consequences for education, among other things. However, this is also a good example of how it takes more than a solid understanding of data and a good thesis to write a great book. White Privilege is illuminating, but it lacks that final touch to really make a book shine.
White Privilege is very much an academic research book, so know that going in. Unlike Ijeoma Oluo’s aforementioned book, this is not really a mainstream publication. That doesn’t mean I think only academics should read it—there’s a lot of interest in here for people outside the academy, particularly teachers and those interested in public policy. However, it is definitely very dry in tone, and Bhopal writes with the considered cadence of someone who really wants to define every term clearly and leave little to doubt. Each chapter is meticulously cited and has extensive endnote references (a good thing, of course). But an evocative read this is not.
Bhopal splits each chapter down the middle and addresses data from both the UK and the US. This is an interesting, informative approach. As a Canadian who has taught in the UK, I found the chapters focusing on UK secondary school education the most interesting. Much of what Bhopal describes dovetails and resonates with my own experience, which I’ll discuss presently. Other facets illuminate parts of my time there or only occurred after I left. In any event, it is clear that both the US and the UK (and Canada, but that’s outside of the scope of this book) have a long way to go in addressing racial inequity in education.
After graduating from my education degree in Canada, I taught in the UK for two years at an academy that primarily served students from a working class socioeconomic background. There was a mixture of white families and families predominantly of an Eastern European background, though there were definitely some Black families as well. While class was a large factor, I think, in the students’ attitudes towards school and their success, racial and ethnic background definitely contributed too. In particular, Bhopal hits the nail on the head when she examines the call to teach “British values” and other, similar movements, and how these replicate patterns of (white) cultural supremacy within the education system.
She’s also accurate when she points out that so many teachers in these systems are white and themselves under-prepared to teach racialized pupils. That was definitely me (I’m white, btw, if my avatar’s terrible fashion sense didn’t give that away). This is an oversight in our teacher education programs, but it’s also an artifact of my white privilege within a larger, white supremacist society. I’m aware of my privilege on an intellectual level, yet I’m also painfully aware I lack tools necessarily to relate to and understand the needs of some of my racialized students. This was the case when I was in the UK, and it is still sometimes the case now that I’m back in Canada and teaching adults, many of whom are First Nations. My toolkit has gotten better (thanks, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and Indigenous Writes ). Still, thinking bigger picture, we need a seismic shift in the ways we prepare and train teachers at a system level.
White Privilege occasionally hints at or navigates around the periphery of the wider issue that the US and UK are still, in many ways, white-supremacist states. It would have been nice to see the book engage with this issue more directly—but perhaps that would verge too far into the polemical; Bhopal appears more interested in making concrete arguments backed up by data. As such, there is little I can disagree with in this book, but there are times when I feel it doesn’t quite go far enough—but maybe that’s just my revolutionary idealism speaking.
I can’t fault this book’s information, organization, or content. This is a strong work of academic writing with excellent details and an ironclad, logical presentation. I wish the writing were less dry. If you can handle this style, you’ll find lots in here about the topic of privilege and its practical consequences for education, among other things. However, this is also a good example of how it takes more than a solid understanding of data and a good thesis to write a great book. White Privilege is illuminating, but it lacks that final touch to really make a book shine.
May 5, 2018
The writing was a bit too academic to love, but it provided some insight for me, an American, about the problems regarding race in the UK and how they do/don’t overlap with those in the US.
February 24, 2022
i think this book brings up some great points. the ideas are flawless, however the execution? not so much. some of bhopals rhetoric is a bit wordy but apart from that, not bad!
March 27, 2018
White Privilege – The Myth of a Post-Racial Society, written by Kalwant Bhopal, is a deeply researched and excellent study on how pervasive whiteness is and how white privilege operates at all levels of society in the UK (and the US). The book is chock full of relevant arguments and examples, as well as figures and studies to illustrate the arguments. Divided into 10 chapters, Bhopal leads us through main areas such as education, employment, and social environments where white privilege and (unconscious) bias continue to marginalize black and minority ethnic groups.
Tied into this discussion on white privilege, Bhopal brings up the very important point on how Neoliberalism has somewhat erased the need to focus on racial inequality and creates this false sense of a “post-racial” society, which is basically another way to whitewash the work we have to do to actually dismantle systemic racism and prejudice.
First off I really appreciate the insight into how deeply entrenched and ignored white privilege is in the UK. While it is my country of birth and citizenship I have now lived in the US longer than I lived in the UK and the perspective was very enlightening. I am recommending it to my friends and family in the UK as a must-read.
Bhopal is an academic, and White Privilege reads like a thesis rather than a story or a lot of non-fiction. The style is very dry and full of data, so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I personally don’t mind this, but I do find it easier if I break it up into several sittings rather than reading it in one go.
The focus on white privilege in education in the UK, and the importance of teaching so-called “British values” is poignant and important: it would behoove us all to look at our educational systems with a critical eye to see what we can do to effectively reverse bias and prejudice and make it really equal for everyone. The marginalization of black and minority groups rather than integration of diversity is an acute effect of this so-called “post-racial” society that pushes us to believe that racism is a thing of the past.
The chapter on bullying is also extremely important to read - especially for white people so they can understand how they (unconsciously) promote bias and prejudice in education at all levels. I also appreciate the chapter on Gypsy and Traveller units in the UK and how they fall outside the “acceptable white” group - I think this is a very important distinction to make as they have been notoriously marked as outcasts from society in general. (FYI the term Gypsy is not considered a slur in the UK, and “Gypsy and Traveller” is the official term used – this may shock the US reader if they are not aware of this).
To be honest I’m not so sure why there is a study of the US in the book. I think the research and study on the UK alone would have been absolutely perfect. The US part seems a little “tacked on at the end”, just because it isn’t a direct comparison (the US parts are much shorter and nowhere near as detailed as the UK parts, and not every UK discussion has a US counterpart).
All in all, White Privilege is an excellent study of why we cannot let ourselves believe that post-racism exists. In fact, believing that creates a larger void that we cannot ignore.
White Privilege will be published by Policy Press on April 6th, 2018. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read!
Tied into this discussion on white privilege, Bhopal brings up the very important point on how Neoliberalism has somewhat erased the need to focus on racial inequality and creates this false sense of a “post-racial” society, which is basically another way to whitewash the work we have to do to actually dismantle systemic racism and prejudice.
First off I really appreciate the insight into how deeply entrenched and ignored white privilege is in the UK. While it is my country of birth and citizenship I have now lived in the US longer than I lived in the UK and the perspective was very enlightening. I am recommending it to my friends and family in the UK as a must-read.
Bhopal is an academic, and White Privilege reads like a thesis rather than a story or a lot of non-fiction. The style is very dry and full of data, so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I personally don’t mind this, but I do find it easier if I break it up into several sittings rather than reading it in one go.
The focus on white privilege in education in the UK, and the importance of teaching so-called “British values” is poignant and important: it would behoove us all to look at our educational systems with a critical eye to see what we can do to effectively reverse bias and prejudice and make it really equal for everyone. The marginalization of black and minority groups rather than integration of diversity is an acute effect of this so-called “post-racial” society that pushes us to believe that racism is a thing of the past.
The chapter on bullying is also extremely important to read - especially for white people so they can understand how they (unconsciously) promote bias and prejudice in education at all levels. I also appreciate the chapter on Gypsy and Traveller units in the UK and how they fall outside the “acceptable white” group - I think this is a very important distinction to make as they have been notoriously marked as outcasts from society in general. (FYI the term Gypsy is not considered a slur in the UK, and “Gypsy and Traveller” is the official term used – this may shock the US reader if they are not aware of this).
To be honest I’m not so sure why there is a study of the US in the book. I think the research and study on the UK alone would have been absolutely perfect. The US part seems a little “tacked on at the end”, just because it isn’t a direct comparison (the US parts are much shorter and nowhere near as detailed as the UK parts, and not every UK discussion has a US counterpart).
All in all, White Privilege is an excellent study of why we cannot let ourselves believe that post-racism exists. In fact, believing that creates a larger void that we cannot ignore.
White Privilege will be published by Policy Press on April 6th, 2018. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read!
December 30, 2017
This should be required reading for every white person alive so they can understand why their responsibility for dismantling these widespread systems of inequality that plague the rest of us!
May 2, 2023
Undeniable is the fact we need to have honest harsh dialogues about race and white privilege. Unfortunately the very people who are benefiting the most from white privilege are the ones most resistant to acknowledging it exists, to say nothing of dismantling or reforming the rigged system.
This book is touted to be "rooted in dispassionate analysis" with its approach in tackling this complex issue. Divided into chapters, starting with a discussion of neoliberalism and the fallout from Brexit and election of Trump then education, bullying in schools, gypsies and travelers, labor and employment issues with regard to white privilege.
There were some significant issues that, in my opinion, marred this book.
1) The discussion was limited to situations and institutions in the US and Britain. Surely white privilege is a problem in Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc etc.? Take the overwhelming percentage of white people in top political leadership positions, managerial CEO positions, judicial and army posts - these would be relevant in the other countries mentioned as well.
2) The phrase "blacks and other minority groups" was used repeatedly to denote non-whites. While this is understandable for the United States where likely the largest non-white group are blacks, it makes less sense to use this for Britain where brown people and Muslims would form the majority of non-whites. With the ubiquitous use of this phrase, there was an over-emphasis on specific challenges that black people face while ignoring the same for other groups such as native americans, latinos and asians.
3) A whole chapter with its own subgroup of education, health, labor issues etc was devoted to gypsies and travelers. The author explained that they were chosen to illustrate that there is a type of whiteness that is considered "other" and therefore not a recipient of white privilege. However, this group is specific to Britain and not even able to be generalized to the Roma European group. So again, puzzling overemphasis on a group that did not progress the discussion much.
Some other minor issues. This is written in an academic manner but there were some citations from newspapers such as Huffington Post, The Telegraph and The Guardian, which would not have been admissible in an academic work. In my Kindle version, the graphs and tables that accompanied the text were garbled. The chapter format was also untidy. The author mentions cases of police brutality of black people in US in conjunction with Trump's election but there were other more connected cases of racism and violence directly after his election (like the racially motivated shooting of a Sikh on his driveway) that were more illustrative. Lastly, the author mentions vaguely that there was some hostility to this topic but there is a body of literature on fragility of the white ego that could have been included and relevant. I would also have appreciated a discussion on media and literary representation of whites and non-whites (including the white saviour complex).
The book's strength lies in its extensive documentation and figures. The logical and analytical approach provides irrefutable evidence not only of the existence of white privilege but the mechanisms in place to maintain the status quo.
Thanks to Policy Press and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
This book is touted to be "rooted in dispassionate analysis" with its approach in tackling this complex issue. Divided into chapters, starting with a discussion of neoliberalism and the fallout from Brexit and election of Trump then education, bullying in schools, gypsies and travelers, labor and employment issues with regard to white privilege.
There were some significant issues that, in my opinion, marred this book.
1) The discussion was limited to situations and institutions in the US and Britain. Surely white privilege is a problem in Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc etc.? Take the overwhelming percentage of white people in top political leadership positions, managerial CEO positions, judicial and army posts - these would be relevant in the other countries mentioned as well.
2) The phrase "blacks and other minority groups" was used repeatedly to denote non-whites. While this is understandable for the United States where likely the largest non-white group are blacks, it makes less sense to use this for Britain where brown people and Muslims would form the majority of non-whites. With the ubiquitous use of this phrase, there was an over-emphasis on specific challenges that black people face while ignoring the same for other groups such as native americans, latinos and asians.
3) A whole chapter with its own subgroup of education, health, labor issues etc was devoted to gypsies and travelers. The author explained that they were chosen to illustrate that there is a type of whiteness that is considered "other" and therefore not a recipient of white privilege. However, this group is specific to Britain and not even able to be generalized to the Roma European group. So again, puzzling overemphasis on a group that did not progress the discussion much.
Some other minor issues. This is written in an academic manner but there were some citations from newspapers such as Huffington Post, The Telegraph and The Guardian, which would not have been admissible in an academic work. In my Kindle version, the graphs and tables that accompanied the text were garbled. The chapter format was also untidy. The author mentions cases of police brutality of black people in US in conjunction with Trump's election but there were other more connected cases of racism and violence directly after his election (like the racially motivated shooting of a Sikh on his driveway) that were more illustrative. Lastly, the author mentions vaguely that there was some hostility to this topic but there is a body of literature on fragility of the white ego that could have been included and relevant. I would also have appreciated a discussion on media and literary representation of whites and non-whites (including the white saviour complex).
The book's strength lies in its extensive documentation and figures. The logical and analytical approach provides irrefutable evidence not only of the existence of white privilege but the mechanisms in place to maintain the status quo.
Thanks to Policy Press and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
January 6, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book hence the two star rating.
I'll start with the positive though. I think the first chapter titled "Race as a disadvantage" was such a good start and to me it felt quite strong that I finished it quickly and wanted to learn/read more. It explores topics that we as readers might already know such as white privilege, systemic privilege, free market, neoliberalism (which is still a concept that continues to confuse me but I think he explained it very well)...etc and he explores and defines each of these with some definitions by other people. Then the third chapter titled "Not white enough" was probably the most interesting to me because I've never read anything about Gypsies, Travelers and Romani. The chapter talks about how they are socially treated, what kind of laws and policies exist to protect them, how their kids are treated, what kind of education they are taking and how they're considered not white enough or the unacceptable kind of whiteness. To me, reading about this for the first time this chapter was a great introduction. I also found it interesting when there were comparisons made between racism in the UK and the US, since most of the discussions seemed to be centered around the latter.
The remaining chapters in this book were okay-ish to me. Some text went over my head and some felt that I've read before in other books so I skipped. But the main downside in this book for me is the writing style. I really didn't like the way it was written it was very tiresome to go to the next page. I'm sorry to say this but the tone felt really boring, I would feel sleepy sometimes while I was reading the text and I would later have to go over it again. Some chapters took me days to read even though the chapters are short and this book all together is quite short. I just really didn't jam with the writing style even though this book is packed with a lot of interesting topics and charts and I guess writing styles are a very important part in the reading experience for me.
(I received a free e-book copy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
I'll start with the positive though. I think the first chapter titled "Race as a disadvantage" was such a good start and to me it felt quite strong that I finished it quickly and wanted to learn/read more. It explores topics that we as readers might already know such as white privilege, systemic privilege, free market, neoliberalism (which is still a concept that continues to confuse me but I think he explained it very well)...etc and he explores and defines each of these with some definitions by other people. Then the third chapter titled "Not white enough" was probably the most interesting to me because I've never read anything about Gypsies, Travelers and Romani. The chapter talks about how they are socially treated, what kind of laws and policies exist to protect them, how their kids are treated, what kind of education they are taking and how they're considered not white enough or the unacceptable kind of whiteness. To me, reading about this for the first time this chapter was a great introduction. I also found it interesting when there were comparisons made between racism in the UK and the US, since most of the discussions seemed to be centered around the latter.
The remaining chapters in this book were okay-ish to me. Some text went over my head and some felt that I've read before in other books so I skipped. But the main downside in this book for me is the writing style. I really didn't like the way it was written it was very tiresome to go to the next page. I'm sorry to say this but the tone felt really boring, I would feel sleepy sometimes while I was reading the text and I would later have to go over it again. Some chapters took me days to read even though the chapters are short and this book all together is quite short. I just really didn't jam with the writing style even though this book is packed with a lot of interesting topics and charts and I guess writing styles are a very important part in the reading experience for me.
(I received a free e-book copy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
June 4, 2018
Rating: 2.5 Stars
The Sweet: This book delves deep into a topic that all colored people know to be true. A copious amount of statistics were used to prove and back up white privilege. Though I knew of white privilege, Kalwant Bhopal studies white privilege in America and the U.K., opening my eyes to how white privilege works in the U.K.
The Sour: It was very hard to read this book at times because it read like a textbook. The information often times went over my head. I think the reach of this book would be improved if Bhopal told more personal accounts of individuals experiencing white privilege.
The Overview: I think if one wants to be more educated on white privilege, they should read this book. White privilege is real and overwhelming. This is a extremely important topic and I think everyone should read this book.
The Sweet: This book delves deep into a topic that all colored people know to be true. A copious amount of statistics were used to prove and back up white privilege. Though I knew of white privilege, Kalwant Bhopal studies white privilege in America and the U.K., opening my eyes to how white privilege works in the U.K.
The Sour: It was very hard to read this book at times because it read like a textbook. The information often times went over my head. I think the reach of this book would be improved if Bhopal told more personal accounts of individuals experiencing white privilege.
The Overview: I think if one wants to be more educated on white privilege, they should read this book. White privilege is real and overwhelming. This is a extremely important topic and I think everyone should read this book.
January 4, 2018
"I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain oblivious
- Peggy Macintosh
This is a critical analysis of white privilege in the UK in the context of the government's neoliberal policies, with reference to Brexit, the labour market and a particular focus on education. It's a sobering examination of how pervasive and self-perpetuating this systemic privilege is and the catastrophic impact it has on the lives of British BAME people across the country.
What I liked:
- It was very well researched and referenced, providing a goldmine of evidence that a post-racial society is indeed a myth.
- A lot of current nonfiction on the topic of racial inequality is often from the perspective of American society, and while the US perspective is included here, it is as a comparison rather than the core focus. This was a welcome bank of evidence on the UK, particularly in the wake of Brexit, the subsequent rise in racial hate crimes and the public sector cuts that are disproportionately affecting black and ethnic minorities.
- It quite rightly exposed the hypocrisy of institutions who operate under the illusion that they do not have an issue with racial inequality because they have a diversity and inclusion policy in place, but who will then take every action they can to dispute or ignore evidence that is presented to the contrary.
What I didn't like:
- This is very much aimed at an academic audience. It was structured in the same way that a university essay is - particularly the "tell them what you're going to say, say it, and then summarise what you just said" kind of format. This meant that it was quite repetitive in places; and heavy on statistics and 'jargon'.
- I didn't think it was clear enough what Bhopal was getting at with the section on "non-acceptable whiteness". To differentiate between groups within white people undermines the idea of white privilege as being afforded to anyone with white skin. This may be completely true and I found it to be a very compelling argument in the section about Gypsies and Travellers, but it should have been an argument running throughout, rather than in just one chapter. The rest of the analysis reverted to data on whites as a homogenous group, compared to black and ethnic minority people, which gave a confusing picture - is it just "acceptable" white people who are privileged, or is it all white people? If it is not just "white" as skin colour (and is in fact an even narrower group of "acceptable" white people) - then there is the risk that critics could use that to say that 'white privilege' doesn't exist, because there's a group of white people (i.e. Gypsies and Travellers) who don't have that privilege. Bhopal's argument had the potential to be an even more damning indictment of British society where privilege is afforded to an even narrower group than previously discussed, but it needed to be strengthened, and consistent across the whole analysis.
"What seems remarkable is less the breadth of inequality, over very long periods of time, across the socio-political landscapes of two globally significant, liberal democratic nations, and more the feeling that such inequalities will persist in the future without any clear indication of change."
Overall, this is an incredibly important piece of work from someone who clearly has extensive knowledge on the subject. However, the reading experience is a challenging one if you do not have an academic background in politics or social sciences. I hope that this analysis, and others like it, will encourage policy makers to enact new approaches that will challenge this persistent inequality; but I would be lying if I didn't agree with Bhopal's feeling that change is not on the horizon.
I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley UK, in return for an honest review
February 16, 2018
White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society compellingly presents the research that supports the reality of white privilege and its consequences in nearly every social, political and economic system. White privilege has become a buzz term, with few people understand what it means, how it has developed or how it operates within society. The flippancy with which White Privilege has been thrown around in discourse surrounding race and racism makes scholarly work like Bhopal's necessary. After stepping out of my research background for some time, I was excited to jump back in with this detailed (and pretty dense) piece of literature. If you are looking for light reading, this ain't it. But to those who want to be informed in their approach to discussing race and racial inequality, I would highly recommend this read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-book copy!
The book is well structured, providing clear statistics and research findings that document the disadvantages that black and minority ethnic groups have faced throughout history and continue to face. With case studies that detail the lived experiences of BME peoples, Bhopal provides a personal voice behind the numbers.
My favourite chapter in this book was the one discussing forms of acceptable and inacceptable white privilege, specifically looking at how Romani/Traveller peoples fail to reap the benefits of white privilege as their ethnic and cultural backgrounds are seen as unacceptable forms of whiteness. Bhopal refers to them as Gypsies which I kinda side-eyed because I believe that has been identified as a derogatory term, but I think it was so crucial to include this chapter to demonstrate the complexity of white privilege and the nature of intersectionality. This chapter alone demonstrates the commitment Bhopal has to presenting an honest discussion of white privilege.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is the tone of the conclusion, which I took as withdrawn to the fact that white privilege exists and won't go away and if it doesn't BME people will continue to be doomed to disadvantage. I believe it is important to understand the various factors that have disadvantaged BME peoples but I refuse to accept the notion that the progress of minorities is bound in the choices of white peoples to accept, acknowledge or change systems of oppression. I believe minorities can and must start to look for ways to gain their own advantages without waiting for white people to "get it". If you don't get it by now, you're not going to. I would like to see more research on how BME people who have found success despite discrimination and disadvantage made it through. What factors enable individuals to succeed despite injustice? How can BME people operate in systems of oppression, creating their own change? Or maybe how can minorities opt out of systems of oppression to create their own systems?
I also would have appreciated a discussion of colourism and how it is rooted in white supremacy and white privilege. It would have been really interesting to discuss how white privilege and colourism influence predominantly black/brown countries. Even in African nations where black people are the majority, a preference and privileging of fairness and whiteness is evident. The boom in bleaching products is undeniably evidence of this. Of course, the book can't talk about everything, but a nod to this issue would have been really nice to see.
I received an ebook version of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-book copy!
The book is well structured, providing clear statistics and research findings that document the disadvantages that black and minority ethnic groups have faced throughout history and continue to face. With case studies that detail the lived experiences of BME peoples, Bhopal provides a personal voice behind the numbers.
My favourite chapter in this book was the one discussing forms of acceptable and inacceptable white privilege, specifically looking at how Romani/Traveller peoples fail to reap the benefits of white privilege as their ethnic and cultural backgrounds are seen as unacceptable forms of whiteness. Bhopal refers to them as Gypsies which I kinda side-eyed because I believe that has been identified as a derogatory term, but I think it was so crucial to include this chapter to demonstrate the complexity of white privilege and the nature of intersectionality. This chapter alone demonstrates the commitment Bhopal has to presenting an honest discussion of white privilege.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is the tone of the conclusion, which I took as withdrawn to the fact that white privilege exists and won't go away and if it doesn't BME people will continue to be doomed to disadvantage. I believe it is important to understand the various factors that have disadvantaged BME peoples but I refuse to accept the notion that the progress of minorities is bound in the choices of white peoples to accept, acknowledge or change systems of oppression. I believe minorities can and must start to look for ways to gain their own advantages without waiting for white people to "get it". If you don't get it by now, you're not going to. I would like to see more research on how BME people who have found success despite discrimination and disadvantage made it through. What factors enable individuals to succeed despite injustice? How can BME people operate in systems of oppression, creating their own change? Or maybe how can minorities opt out of systems of oppression to create their own systems?
I also would have appreciated a discussion of colourism and how it is rooted in white supremacy and white privilege. It would have been really interesting to discuss how white privilege and colourism influence predominantly black/brown countries. Even in African nations where black people are the majority, a preference and privileging of fairness and whiteness is evident. The boom in bleaching products is undeniably evidence of this. Of course, the book can't talk about everything, but a nod to this issue would have been really nice to see.
I received an ebook version of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review
July 25, 2018
This book provides an excellent empirical consideration of how racial discrimination disadvantages people of colour in terms of education; employment; housing, income and wealth. It is an up-to-date and forensic in its establishment of the depth and breadth of racial inequality in the UK. However, the idea of a post-racial society is a ‘straw man’, if by post-racial we mean a society where a person’s ‘race’ plays no part in their life chances. Racism is clearly endemic in the UK (and USA), but Bhopal argues that all white people are in a privileged position vis-à-vis all people of colour. She rightly differentiates between different ethnic minorities but does little to explore the differences within white groups, except in the case of Roma, ie, she largely ignores social class, eg, she points out the paucity of BAME judges but doesn’t decry the lack of diversity in terms of social class. All people of colour face discrimination but does this automatically mean that all white people benefit from this? “White privilege” is neither defined nor explicated and may deflect the focus away from how dominant groups benefit from dividing people into antagonistic racial groups, which also undoubtedly benefits many white people too, though to varying degrees. It is this last aspect that needs further consideration: yes, structural racism exists, but just how does that translate into universal white privilege. Readers should seriously consider white privilege, though I think many will deny any such privilege, especially given the current resurgence of white nationalism.
January 13, 2018
This book explores the different aspects of whiteness and white privilege, race, education, poverty in the US and UK and policies that affect the society.
I had a rough idea of neoliberalism because over the years in Kenya public services like education can do health have been privatized. In regards to education there are at least five private schools within a five mile radius of a public school.
I was quite taken by the author's insight on neoliberalism that it's the "drive to privatize public services like education and Healthcare and the disposal of assets owned by the state to private investors. It fails to acknowledge racism by reinforcing the notion that it is for the good of the whole society rather than a select few, yet the evidence presented in this book suggests this is not the case."
The author concludes by saying that policy making within a neoliberalism context has not led to the inclusion it aspires to, but rather has reinforced inequalities between black and minority ethnic groups and white people in the society and this is because the structures and racist practices still exist.
I also thought that it'd make a good reference book but in paperback version because the digital copy I received did not show figures which would be a great enhancement to the data and research studies referenced.
I received an ebook version of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
I had a rough idea of neoliberalism because over the years in Kenya public services like education can do health have been privatized. In regards to education there are at least five private schools within a five mile radius of a public school.
I was quite taken by the author's insight on neoliberalism that it's the "drive to privatize public services like education and Healthcare and the disposal of assets owned by the state to private investors. It fails to acknowledge racism by reinforcing the notion that it is for the good of the whole society rather than a select few, yet the evidence presented in this book suggests this is not the case."
The author concludes by saying that policy making within a neoliberalism context has not led to the inclusion it aspires to, but rather has reinforced inequalities between black and minority ethnic groups and white people in the society and this is because the structures and racist practices still exist.
I also thought that it'd make a good reference book but in paperback version because the digital copy I received did not show figures which would be a great enhancement to the data and research studies referenced.
I received an ebook version of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
January 25, 2018
One of my New Year resolutions was to read more books that stimulate my mind. Thanks #netgalley in helping me achieve this goal with an ARC of
#whiteprivilegethemythofapostracialsociety by #kalwantbhopal.
This book contends that racism is systemic and in our society whiteness is privileged (as evidenced by social contexts in the US and UK). The author posits different levels of privilege within whiteness both in terms of intersectionality and particular kinds of whiteness that are favored in society. She goes on to explain how racism is manifested in education by policies that are presented under the guise of inclusion but are inherently exclusive and marginalizing. Bhopal also discusses racism in the labor market and the cyclical nature of “wealth, poverty and inequality”. In all honestly this book was dense. It’s been a while since I’ve been in school and read academic texts and I find I enjoy them. I agree with the authors argument and think it’s a much needed discussion in light of all that’s happening in our society. We say we live in a post racial society but then we see the state of our nation. No bueno. Most of the arguments the author I’ve read in some form or another but appreciate the context the author discusses and makes sense of these ideas.
Check out this book on its 4/6/18 publication date.
#whiteprivilegethemythofapostracialsociety by #kalwantbhopal.
This book contends that racism is systemic and in our society whiteness is privileged (as evidenced by social contexts in the US and UK). The author posits different levels of privilege within whiteness both in terms of intersectionality and particular kinds of whiteness that are favored in society. She goes on to explain how racism is manifested in education by policies that are presented under the guise of inclusion but are inherently exclusive and marginalizing. Bhopal also discusses racism in the labor market and the cyclical nature of “wealth, poverty and inequality”. In all honestly this book was dense. It’s been a while since I’ve been in school and read academic texts and I find I enjoy them. I agree with the authors argument and think it’s a much needed discussion in light of all that’s happening in our society. We say we live in a post racial society but then we see the state of our nation. No bueno. Most of the arguments the author I’ve read in some form or another but appreciate the context the author discusses and makes sense of these ideas.
Check out this book on its 4/6/18 publication date.
June 16, 2020
1. It’s an academic book so at times a lot of stats thrown at you.
2. Stats don’t lie...BAME people are underrepresented at all levels. Kulwant looks at education which is meant to be a leveller.
3. Her argument is that in a neoliberal context policies of inclusivity are only reinforcing white privilege. By this we are talking about white middle class. Some whiteness is not acceptable to white privileged people. By this she means Travellers and Gypsies.
4. Privilege comes being working class as well as middle class but obviously intersectionality of race, gender, economic circumstances play a role. But the structures and systems serve to protect white privilege.
5.Questions it’s thrown up for me or maybe action points....
* why are schools not obliged to report racist incidents?
* why are there only 90 odd Black uni professors out of thousands?
* it’s not good enough...senior leadership needs to be open to everyone rather than the gatekeepers who hang on and resist the creation of fair policies to protect themselves.
Are we a post racial society...read the book and make your own mind up.
2. Stats don’t lie...BAME people are underrepresented at all levels. Kulwant looks at education which is meant to be a leveller.
3. Her argument is that in a neoliberal context policies of inclusivity are only reinforcing white privilege. By this we are talking about white middle class. Some whiteness is not acceptable to white privileged people. By this she means Travellers and Gypsies.
4. Privilege comes being working class as well as middle class but obviously intersectionality of race, gender, economic circumstances play a role. But the structures and systems serve to protect white privilege.
5.Questions it’s thrown up for me or maybe action points....
* why are schools not obliged to report racist incidents?
* why are there only 90 odd Black uni professors out of thousands?
* it’s not good enough...senior leadership needs to be open to everyone rather than the gatekeepers who hang on and resist the creation of fair policies to protect themselves.
Are we a post racial society...read the book and make your own mind up.
July 21, 2020
3.5 stars.
This book was incredibly interesting, but such a slog to read! It’s academic writing, so difficult to penetrate at times. I wouldn’t recommend this as the first or second book someone reads about racism or white privilege for that reason. Also, the title is a little misleading - the bulk of the writing addresses systemic racism in an educational context, hopping between the UK and US, and then briefly touches on the labour market at the end. It doesn’t examine wider society and it doesn’t look at the root cases of racism, but starts from a point of just acknowledging that it exists.
As someone who works in the Department for Education, I found it essential reading from a professional standpoint. I want everyone I work with to read this, especially policy teams. I don’t think there is a full understanding of how our policies impact on perpetuating racism in wider society. Yes, much of the time we’re carrying out the will of elected politicians so can’t shape the whole directions of policy, but I wonder if we can be more savvy about the way we implement policies to make them fairer for all.
This book was incredibly interesting, but such a slog to read! It’s academic writing, so difficult to penetrate at times. I wouldn’t recommend this as the first or second book someone reads about racism or white privilege for that reason. Also, the title is a little misleading - the bulk of the writing addresses systemic racism in an educational context, hopping between the UK and US, and then briefly touches on the labour market at the end. It doesn’t examine wider society and it doesn’t look at the root cases of racism, but starts from a point of just acknowledging that it exists.
As someone who works in the Department for Education, I found it essential reading from a professional standpoint. I want everyone I work with to read this, especially policy teams. I don’t think there is a full understanding of how our policies impact on perpetuating racism in wider society. Yes, much of the time we’re carrying out the will of elected politicians so can’t shape the whole directions of policy, but I wonder if we can be more savvy about the way we implement policies to make them fairer for all.
May 31, 2021
This is a well written and well researched study. It is clearly an academic piece of work and as such makes a wonderful follow up and a read for deeper understanding rather than a starting point on the journey into this field of study.
It is nicely split into chapters that are well focused and in fact I read the book a chapter at a time, allowing myself to digest, re-read what I needed to and look into other books mentioned if I needed to. It also meant I wasn’t bombarded with huge amounts of detail at one time. It did take me longer to read as a result though.
I like how the book draws on detailed evidence from both the US and the UK to support its points. The chapter on the limits of white privilege and the impact of marginalisation on gypsy and traveller families was really interesting because they are often the forgotten tag on of ‘other ethnic minority’ in books, studies but also in society as a whole at times.
Overall I enjoyed the book but it needs thinking time and an expectation of an academic outlook to topics and layout from the reader to really engage with the book in the way that gives the most back.
It is nicely split into chapters that are well focused and in fact I read the book a chapter at a time, allowing myself to digest, re-read what I needed to and look into other books mentioned if I needed to. It also meant I wasn’t bombarded with huge amounts of detail at one time. It did take me longer to read as a result though.
I like how the book draws on detailed evidence from both the US and the UK to support its points. The chapter on the limits of white privilege and the impact of marginalisation on gypsy and traveller families was really interesting because they are often the forgotten tag on of ‘other ethnic minority’ in books, studies but also in society as a whole at times.
Overall I enjoyed the book but it needs thinking time and an expectation of an academic outlook to topics and layout from the reader to really engage with the book in the way that gives the most back.
October 24, 2018
This is a useful book, although not exactly what I thought it was going to be! I think I'd hoped for more analysis of the mechanisms by which white privilege works, and instead Bhopal spends more time establishing that white privilege exists in all sorts of areas of life - with an emphasis on education and the labour market. I suspect that this is necessary in the current climate. It does contain some really good stuff, too; the contextualisation of modern racism in the neoliberal political/economic system is helpful, and the nuanced analysis of more and less acceptable forms of whiteness (using the positioning of white Gypsy/Traveller communities as 'unacceptable' as an example) is a significant contribution to the wider discussion about these issues. I also liked the case studies, which (alongside the stats which show they are representative) help to make this readable and useful as a teaching tool.
April 20, 2018
I wanted to read this book to hear another point of view about white privilege. While the first few chapters were interested the fact that that “white privilege” was used almost every other sentence made the book get old real quick. The other half of the book was honestly boring and felt the author was repeating a lot of information said in previous chapters. Do I think white privelage exists? Yes I do but while this book started off with great potential it failed to keep going and became more of a long winded argument then educating anyone on anything. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.
August 14, 2020
Really informative, left me feeling a little depressed and saddened as a Black person of Caribbean descent and African heritage that there is still so much we have to face, live with and fight for. Author did a thorough job, and so ironic that her commentary coincides with the death of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic which has proved all she has illuminated - IRONIC and so tragic !
May 13, 2018
Recently I have learned that it is important to read books that are out of my comfort zone. I have been dipping my toes into the world of non-fiction and have found it both enjoyable and rewarding. However this time I decided to step out further, select a book that would probably not be enjoyable but I would learn a great deal from it.
Before going into this book I knew that it would be heavy going. I expected this not just from the content but due to the way the author writes. My heart sank ever so slightly when I realized it was academic work. I personally have never been particularly good at reading (or writing) academic work. There were times which I struggled to understand a word or a sentence (bless the dictionary) which sometimes made it feel as the book dragged on.
However, the topic did not bore me. In the last few years, I have been awakening to my own privilege yet it was clear there were things that I was still unaware of.
Kalwant goes into deep discussion talking about racism in schools, universities and the workplace and using data to back up arguments. It especially was interesting to see data from the UK and the US. Reading this book provided me with an insight into countless different ways that we can dismantle White Privilege and Supremacy.
I didn't "enjoy" reading this book because I don't believe that you are meant to. There were numerous times which I struggled to read the work and I wouldn't suggest trying to read this in one sitting. I was able to walk away afterward with my eyes having been opened widen.
Before going into this book I knew that it would be heavy going. I expected this not just from the content but due to the way the author writes. My heart sank ever so slightly when I realized it was academic work. I personally have never been particularly good at reading (or writing) academic work. There were times which I struggled to understand a word or a sentence (bless the dictionary) which sometimes made it feel as the book dragged on.
However, the topic did not bore me. In the last few years, I have been awakening to my own privilege yet it was clear there were things that I was still unaware of.
Kalwant goes into deep discussion talking about racism in schools, universities and the workplace and using data to back up arguments. It especially was interesting to see data from the UK and the US. Reading this book provided me with an insight into countless different ways that we can dismantle White Privilege and Supremacy.
I didn't "enjoy" reading this book because I don't believe that you are meant to. There were numerous times which I struggled to read the work and I wouldn't suggest trying to read this in one sitting. I was able to walk away afterward with my eyes having been opened widen.
December 31, 2019
While I found this book to be really dense and at times difficult for me to focus on, it has also helped me to be more aware of the privileges I carry in this world, even if the book didn't discuss the racism in my country.
June 21, 2020
Excellent book. Had all the data I was looking for to present a seminar at my work, eg differential educational attainment and wages. Given me lots to think about, and some tools to act with in my workplace.
July 17, 2020
This is all.to relevant for the civil rights movement that is happening right now. The more knowledge and awareness we have on our own privilege the more we can do something to not biases go unchecked.
Great read highly recommend for any library..
Great read highly recommend for any library..
November 12, 2020
Important topics to discuss, but unfortunately this publication is poorly written. Quotations are often dropped into the text with no attribution or discussion. Extremely repetitious. Seemed like an undergraduate essay, at best.
December 28, 2023
I honestly could not put this book down - an essential exploration of how neoliberal policy has marginalised minority groups and exacerbated racial inequalities in the education system and labour market. This was paced incredibly well and left me feeling academically enriched and enlightened
Read
October 24, 2019A small insight into institutional racism in Britain and how this ongoing cycle creates pressure and oppression on BAME students.
Read
January 7, 2021Have dipped into for work
October 1, 2023
It could have been shorter but still more than necessary.
August 3, 2024
Love this book. Certainly debunks the discourse around the white working class being “more oppressed” than black and brown folks.
November 11, 2019
Eye opening
Easy to read and well thought out and explained. This is a frank book and holds no punches. I found it interesting, informative and provided me with a new perspective as a white person I hadn’t experienced or thought about my own privilege.
Easy to read and well thought out and explained. This is a frank book and holds no punches. I found it interesting, informative and provided me with a new perspective as a white person I hadn’t experienced or thought about my own privilege.
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