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Abstract

Working through Whiteness: Examining White Racial Identity and Profession with Pre-Service Teachers, by Kenneth Fasching-Varner. United Kingdom: Lexington, 2012, 147 pp., $60.00, hardcover.Reviewed by Carla Becker, Teachers College, Columbia University.Working through Whiteness serves to complement existing literature on race and racism within field of education with ultimate hopes of serving children . . . better. Fasching-Varner remains steadfast with these hopes thorough analysis of interviews and narratives of White pre-service teachers and how they may engage in racist thinking He explores how pre-service teachers continually perpetuate a White racial identity, which inhibits understanding of self and self in relation to others, ultimately affecting our nation's children. This research is a unique analysis of pre-service teachers' attitudes on race, and is a notable contribution for education departments to consider reading across globe.In seven-chapter book, which is structured much like a dissertation-with an introduction, statement of purpose, literature review, explanation of frameworks, methodology, findings chapter, and implications for teacher education-Fasching-Varner acknowledges his White male privilege and position within research that he conducted. He then states that purpose of research is to examine White racial narratives of White pre-service teachers and the effect of whiteness in For example, when author asks a pre-service teacher to share how her whiteness could impact her teaching, student replies, That is a good question. I have never thought about (p. 89).It is a lofty beginning for a focus that has been underrepresented in research to date. The theoretical frameworks of critical race theory (CRT) and White racial identity theory (WRIT) are thoroughly explained through an in-depth analysis of Janet Helms's (1984, 1990, 1992a, 1992b, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003) White racial identity model. This lays groundwork for understanding Fasching-Varner's eventual critique of White racial identity theory in teacher education presented in book's conclusion.The literature review in Chapter 2 is useful for any scholar seeking information on existing theoretical and empirical research on racial identity theories. It covers topics related to racial identity in education, White privilege, color-blind discourse, Whiteness studies, and historical readings that date back to Ambrose Caliver's (1936) publication, The role of teacher in reorganization and redirection of negro education. While literature review is not exhaustive, it includes an array of theories and topics, including a concentrated focus on current literature.In Chapter 3, author steadfastly focuses on imperative need to examine one's own privilege and position as a White educator by making ourselves object of study, examination, and interrogation (p. 31). Only then, he claims, is it possible to identify how we are placed within our own study and teaching practice. By examining ourselves, we too are object of inquiry. Once this point was established, author thoroughly explained his methodology.Chapters 4, 5, and 6 present and interpret findings. For instance, Chapter 4 decodes interviews, both through verbal cues, and as a heading states Semantic Moves (p. 67). For instance, analysis of an exclusion of language or recognition of a common language, with simultaneous observation of body inflections during interviews, assisted author in identifying and labeling race and racism in dialogue of pre-service teachers. One lengthy unit discussed abundance of color-blind rhetoric in what author labeled these narratives into three different categorizations of naturalization, minimization, and incoherent answers. Each categorization was well-discussed and explained. Similarly, he found that liberal non-judgmental discourse was contrarily coupled with deficit model language. …