Journaling engagements with literature on racism: a critical race theoretic approach

Abstract

An extensive body of research on the pedagogic uses of journal writing highlights its potential for stimulating detailed reflection on the knowledge that students are engaging with in a style and register that which suits the personality and proficiency of each student. This study examines the constructions of race and racism that emerge from a sample of online journals, compiled by students on the basis of their engagement with post-colonial literature. Departing from extant work on the discursive manifestation of resistance to difficult knowledge, we examine the ideologically productive ways in which students frame race and racism. We focus on the discourse through which particular understandings of race and racism are expressed and legitimised, as well as the perceived relevance of race and racism to the respondents’ own academic careers and personal lives. Owing to page constraints, the analysis is limited to those respondents who self-identify as white. The results underscore the various discursive frames that respondents draw on as a means of managing the perceived implications of difficult knowledge surrounding the continuation of racism, as the issue is broached in the context of post-colonial literature.