Fasching-Varner 2013, Educational Foundations

“Uhh, You Know,” Don’t You?: White Racial Bonding in the Narrative of White Pre-Service Teachers

This article is about preparation of White (capitalization is following that in the paper) pre-service teachers to examine their racial identity and its potential impacts on students.  The author looks at attempts at White racial bonding between pre-service teachers via use of the phrase “you know”.  The term “racial bonding” is used to indicate ways White people “show affinity and alliance with each other”.

Educational landscape:
As of ~2011, ~85% of teachers are White and female.  White students were ~55% of public school students, creating a demographic disconnect.  Teachers are increasingly inexperienced, as well.

Critical race theory (CRT) — Whiteness as property:
See Ladson-Billings and Tate 1995 for CRT in education.  Four elements of the value of Whiteness are relevant: benefits (use and enjoyments), a right to exclude ‘others’, rewards for certain behaviors, and status/reputation maintenance.  Part of the value is in never needing to define itself (but