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Abstract
Over the past several decades, advances in social and legal policies have provided some protection against discrimination for individuals from marginalized ethnic groups. Even so, racial bigotry and discrimination remain persistent and pervasive problems in the United States of America and globally. Despite a critical need to address this reality, racism is often unaddressed by most members of the White collective in the United States. Using a Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) lens, my dissertation examines how White college students express their understandings about racism in dialogues with a friend and which factors influence their willingness to engage in these discussions. In Chapter I, I (a) provide a brief overview of the history of institutional racism in the United States, (b) explain how racism is conceptualized in contemporary Western society, (c) explore the theoretical foundation for the study of White racism, and (d) summarize a conceptual framework that explains the ecological factors that influence Whites’ responses to racism and informs both of my studies. In Chapter II (Study One), I examine how White college students discuss issues of racism in their local community with specific attention to their ideological-emotional expressions and dialogue engagement in semi-private settings. In Chapter III (Study Two), I consider how color-blind attitudes and negative emotions, which are commonly associated with talking about racial issues, may influence White college students’ willingness to engage in race-related dialogue with their friends. Both studies offer novel insight into the growing body of literature on racial dialogue among racially privileged individuals. Implications of this research may assist in understanding how young White adults perceive and express opinions about racism as well as the factors associated with willingness to engage in dialogue about racism. These findings provide insights for racial literacy and antiracism educators working with White college students in higher education settings.