Racialized moments in qualitative interviews: confronting colour-blind and subtle racism in real time

Abstract

ABSTRACT Colour-blind discourse represents dominant American racial ideologies surrounding principles of equal opportunity and assumptions that racism and systemic racial inequities are things of the past, ‘naturally occurring’ issues, or problems relegated to individual choices and behaviours. Qualitative researchers who seek to disrupt the legitimation of Whiteness and colour-blind and subtle racism can respond to these forms of injustices during interviews and conversations; yet, past work rarely highlights the researcher and researcher challenges in these processes. Additionally, traditional methodologies typically push researchers to reflect on racism and injustices after such moments have passed or to miss them altogether. We analyse the potential and constraints of qualitative educational researchers in responding to such moments in real time. We use a case study of a high school peer-mentoring programme with multilingual and emerging multilingual students of colour and teachers to unpack prevailing racial tensions and assumptions during interviews and situate ourselves, as qualitative researchers, in those processes. We discuss how research team-members can collectively prepare to challenge colour-blind ideological stances through active interviewing and reflexivity-in-practice, opportunities for counternarratives, engaging White allies, and partnerships with schools for critical conversations.