Denial Of Racism Research Articles

Belligerent shyness and puzzlement: a discursive analysis of ‘not racism’ and the post-racial on UK phone-in radio

ABSTRACT This paper examines some of the ways in which racism thrives at the very moment in which it is denied. Analysing phone-in radio calls in the UK which perform definitional disputes about the meaning of racism, I interpret how the idea of a colour-blind post-racial field is discursively established and protected. Using an anti-racist and race critical lens, the paper outlines connected features of the way in which racism is discursively defined as elsewhere. Drawing upon a particular characterization of the denial of racism as the circulation of ‘Not Racism’, within these calls I identify the twin themes of the establishment of the post-racial field through lament and puzzlement, and its enforcement, through counter accusations and the construction of anti-racism as hegemonic. Appropriate to this radio context, I find the nature of these utterances to be ‘dialled-up’ performative juxtapositions: persistent claims to being silenced whilst speaking, with a belligerent quality to the ‘shyness’ about racism.

Counteracting racism in education? Norwegian principals’ efforts in working against racism

ABSTRACT Education plays a fundamental role in the counteraction of racism. Although school leaders hold a central position in counteracting racism, little is known about their everyday efforts in this endeavor. Considering the persistent presence of racism, it is imperative to understand the efforts undertaken by these powerful actors. In this study, in-depth interviews with 14 Norwegian principals have shown patterns of avoidance and denial of racism. Using the concept of everyday racism, principals’ practices were analyzed as multilevel work. This study highlights the importance of awareness of the complexities of racism and the need for powerful actors to engage in the critical exploration of racism and antiracism, and it argues that by making racism a nonissue, principals play a key role in absolving their schools of the pedagogical responsibility to counteract racism. Meanwhile, it also places focus on the structures around principals that inhibit their opportunity to engage in antiracism.

At what risk? A research note on interviewer burden

BackgroundWe report on our methodological experiences during an investigation of how institutional racism functions in healthcare. We found tension between balancing methodological rigor with the unanticipated consequence of interviewer burden.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with patients. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and qualitatively analyzed using thematic content analysis. Interviewers also participated in weekly debriefing sessions and reported experiences with patients.ResultsInterviewers repeatedly experienced negative encounters with white patients during interviews. Themes included privilege to avoid racism, denial of racism, non-verbal discomfort, falsely claiming Native identities, and intimidation. These experiences were most pronounced with Black interviewers.DiscussionInterviewer burden may need to be a consideration taken up in a variety of research contexts.

Fighting Racism Denial; Becoming a Mother‐Scholar‐Activist

Fighting Racism Denial; Becoming a Mother‐Scholar‐Activist

Denying racial animus: Political discourse in Arizona anti-ethnic studies legislation

This paper contributes to the literature on racism denial through an analysis of the political discourse in defense of 2010’s Arizona Revised Statute 15-112 (ARS § 15-112), which can be considered a key antecedent to political moral panics centered on the presentation of history and identity in US schools. ARS § 15-112 was designed with the expressed intent of terminating Mexican American Studies education, and eventually all ethnic studies, in Arizona public and charter K-12 schools. This paper considers the discursive maneuvering used by political actors to simultaneously justify this legislation and dodge accusations of racial animus, both prior to the legislation’s signing and in the years following. It further analyzes the political discourse that allows for racism denial in certain spheres, including the legal realm, despite politically benefiting from the use of the Latino Threat Narrative. This paper discusses four primary forms of racism denial pervasive in this political discourse: 1) Absence discourse; 2) Framing racism around ‘extremes’; 3) Positive self-presentation; 4) Helping discourse. In addition to exploring how all four forms of denial are used in this case, the paper teases out helping discourse from positive selfpresentation, showing how the former focuses on reframing the actor while the latter reframes the action. Importantly, anti-MAS political actors and members of their shielding institutions attempted to frame racism and racial animus as inherently individual rather than systemic in every form of denial discussed.

“Mapping and projecting otherness in media discourse of the Russia–Ukraine war”

Abstract This paper shows how otherness, having a negative representation potential, is covered in media discourse with a focus on the first day of the Russia–Ukraine war. In this article, I specifically investigate the representation of otherness that weaves the web of relations within the “us versus them” narrative espoused most strongly by Teun A. Van Dijk (1992. Discourse and the denial of racism. Discourse and Society 3. 87–118, 2002. Discourse and racism. In David Goldberg & John Solomos (eds.), The Blackwell companion to racial and ethnic studies, 145–159. Oxford: Blackwell) and further developed within the premises of a proximisation theory (e.g., Cap 2013. Proximization: The pragmatics of symbolic distance crossing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins; Chilton 2004. Analysing political discourse: Theory and practice. London: Routledge). This framework concerns the positive self-representation of Ukraine and its performance contrasted with Russia’s negative other-presentation. Following this account, otherness serves as means of legitimising media actions as preventive measures taken to inform society about the past, create the present state of the world through assertions (Dunmire 2011. Projecting the future through political discourse. Amsterdam: John Benjamins; Searle 2010. Making the social world: The structure of human civilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press) which endorse media credibility and predict future outcomes with respect to the horror of the unfolding war. This study argues that the representation of otherness takes place at the proximisation level of certain lexico-grammatical choices that are used strategically by media to cover the narrative of a “permanent military standby” and the “immediacy of otherness”.

Systemic Anti-Blackness and Racism in Healthcare: A European Perspective.

Despite notions of colour-blindness and denials of widespread systemic racism, anti-Black racism remains inherent in the political, economic, educational and healthcare systems in Europe. We use the Netherlands as a case study to explore some of these mechanisms. Here, we discuss how a focus on cultural deficiency and the denial of racism allows the bearers of inequality and inequity to be blamed for their own disenfranchisement. Nonetheless, scholars in the Netherlands continue to show how everyday racism is negatively impacting marginalized people's lives and their access to the social determinants of health and well-being in society.

Experiences of Microaggression by Black Professionals in Social Services in Portugal

ABSTRACT The study explores the experiences of microaggression by Black professionals in the social service field in Portugal. In depth interviews were conducted with seven participants and the data was analyzed thematically. Critical race theory and the conceptual framework of “microaggression” as a specific form of implicit racism is used to elucidate the everyday experiences and consequences of microaggression. The themes under experiences of microaggression in the workplace indicate how Black professionals are perceived as the racial Other, the triad of microaggression from the supervisor, subordinates and coworkers, white fragility, pressure to assimilate, ethno-racial matching, gendered racism and the organizational culture that perpetuates microaggression. The results indicate how “lusotropical” narratives of Portuguese national identity as a “good” colonizer led to the denial of racism which perpetuates microaggression. The research also highlights the consequences of microaggression, particularly the intergenerational trauma associated with racism and shaped by colonial systems of cultural oppression. This study recommends engaging in radical social work action that challenges oppression at both an individual and structural level through ideological critique and collective political movements for anti oppressive social policy changes.

Chasing racists, protecting racism: revisiting anti-discrimination law in Colombia

ABSTRACT While some scholars have acknowledged that multiculturalism constitutes a rhetoric of denial of racism, few scholarly studies have empirically scrutinized how multiculturalist states utilize, legitimize, or deny notions of racism and racial discrimination to ‘protect’ Black people from discriminatory practices. This research examines the background and structure of anti-discrimination law in Colombia and asks: What discourses on race and racism prevailed during the legislative process when anti-discrimination law was debated and adopted? Does anti-discrimination law contribute to making visible and preventing racism in the country? I attempt to answer these questions by both uncovering legislative procedures and paying careful attention to the implementation of such law. The article reveals the limited reach of multiculturalist racial states to confront racism and racial discrimination. This research contributes to the study of anti-racist politics in Latin American racial states.

Less Talk, More Action: Strategies to Mitigate Inequities Experienced by Indigenous Peoples in the Healthcare System.

Healthcare policy and decision makers in Canada have the power to address the persistent inequities experienced by Indigenous Peoples. Bold, immediate actions are necessary to address the varying manifestations of systemic racism, the ongoing denial of racism and the negative impacts on access to care and health outcomes. The perspectives presented in this issue of HealthcarePapers highlight a clear imperative: much more must be done at multiple levels to make healthcare systems safer for Indigenous Peoples. The actions discussed in this introductory paper reflect key, evidence-informed strategies to guide healthcare policy and decision makers in Canada and, potentially, other jurisdictions.

Building the Inter-American Convention against Racism: between Antiracist Pride and Racism Denial

Abstract This article examines the main controversies throughout the negotiation of a regional binding instrument to fight racism that led to the approval of the ‘Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance’ in 2013. In order to identify the regimes of racism denial that shaped the process, the article explores the major controversies in terms of language, concepts, and the need for a more targeted binding treaty on racism, focusing on the leading role of Brazil. The analysis considers the links between scales; from the regional debate to States’ national discourse and practices, within the context of global efforts to advance standards to fight racism, particularly those established at the third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, in Durban. By reviewing country reports, drafts of the convention, and analysing interviews with some participants of the debates at the Organization of the American States (OAS), this study assesses how the different strategies deployed served to perpetuate regimes of denial of racism, strongly present in the official discourse and challenged in the building of a binding instrument to fight racism in the Americas. Analysis revealed the deep challenges associated with combating racism as a systemic form of oppression historically linked to the region’s colonial past and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. Finally, consensus was only reached by moving away from the ‘Durban language’, showing how disputed concepts and remedies highlight that racism remains a politically sensitive issue in the region.

A national survey of dental hygiene faculty perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

To investigate potential unconscious bias among dental hygiene educators and identify baseline perceptions of race and racism. Dental hygiene programs in the USA were clustered into 4 geographic regions from which 2 programs were sampled from each region. The 20-item, Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) electronic survey was sent to educators from each of the selected programs in 2022. The CoBRAS instrument measures contemporary racism and stereotyping in 3 subcategories: Unawareness of Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues. Scores range from 20-120, with higher scores indicating elevated levels of denial of racism. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were performed. The level of significance was set to α=0.05. Of the 172 potential respondents, 89 (52%) completed all of the survey questions. The majority of the respondents were White, female and from the Northeast (74.2%, 93.3%, and 61.8% respectively). The mean CoBRAS score (55.73) indicated moderate levels of color-blind racial attitudes. Race was a significant variable in perceptions of racial dynamics and racism with statistically significant differences between groups by race and ethnicity as demonstrated by one-way ANOVA (F[6,82]=3.469, p=0.004). Moderate levels of color-blind racial attitudes among dental hygiene educators were found, indicating a presence of cognitive aspects of stereotyping related to race. The demographic data collected adds to the existing evidence of a lack of diversity among dental hygiene faculty.

Minimizations and denials of racism by UK residents from Zimbabwe as occasioned linguistic practice

ABSTRACT This paper argues that talk about racism produced by UK residents from Zimbabwe during life history interviews conducted in 2011 should be regarded as occasioned linguistic practice rather than a means of accessing their experiences or views about racism. Firstly, I show that interviewees downplayed racism in the UK to emphasize that Zimbabwe has a far greater problem with forms of structural inequality. This was part of a broader attempt to construct Zimbabwe as an undesirable place and thereby justify their presence in the UK. Secondly, I explore ways interviewees tried to ensure their talk about racism did not position them as victims. This paper focuses on appropriated oppression, a dimension of racism neglected by scholars, particularly those studying migrants. It seeks to demonstrate that appropriated oppression is a form of mediated action rather than a psychological state.

Experiences and Perceptions of Racism and Sexism Among Alberta Physicians: Quantitative Results and Framework Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Survey.

The prevalence of harassment and discrimination in medicine differs by race and gender. The current evidence is limited by a lack of intersectional analysis. To evaluate the experiences and perceptions of harassment and discrimination in medicine across physicians stratified by self-identified race and gender identity. Quantitative and framework analysis of results from a cross-sectional survey study. Practicing physicians in the province of Alberta, Canada (n=11,688). Participants completed an instrument adapted from the Culture Conducive to Women's Academic Success to capture the perceived culture toward self-identified racial minority physicians (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)), indicated their perception of gender inequity in medicine using Likert responses to questions about common experiences, and were asked about experiences of reporting harassment or discrimination. Participants were also able to provide open text comments. Among the 1087 respondents (9.3% response rate), 73.5% reported experiencing workplace harassment or discrimination. These experiences were least common among White cisgender men and most common among BIPOC cisgender women (52.4% and 85.4% respectively, p<0.00001). Cisgender men perceived greater gender equity than cisgender women physicians, and White cisgender men physicians perceived greatest racial equity. Participant groups reporting the greatest prevalence of harassment and discrimination experiences were the least likely to know where to report harassment, and less than a quarter of physicians (23.8%) who had reported harassment or discrimination were satisfied with the outcome. Framework analysis of open text responses identified key types of barriers to addressing racism, including denial of racism and greater concern about other forms of discrimination and harassment. Our results document the prevalence of harassment and discrimination by intersectional identities of race and gender. Incongruent perceptions and experiences may act as a barrier to preventing and addressing harassment and discrimination in the Canadian medical workplace.

Equating silence with violence: When White Americans feel threatened by anti-racist messages

Anti-racist messages educate people about structural racism and argue that indifference and inaction are the foundational building-blocks of race-based inequities. But these messages generate backlash, with several American states banning education about structural racism. We hypothesized that White Americans experience White identity threat and resist anti-racist messages most when they interpret these messages to equalize a lack of anti-racist action (i.e., indifference and silence), treating it as though it were the same as blatant racism. In contrast, we predicted that interpreting anti-racist messages to position silence as a foundational “building-block” for blatant racism would not evoke backlash. In Study 1 (N = 428) ~55% of White respondents in a representative American sample interpreted anti-racist messages as equating indifference with violence, and an equalizing interpretation predicted White identity threat and message resistance. In Study 2 (N = 492) we found that experimentally manipulating anti-racist messages to evoke high vs. low levels of equalizing interpretation led White Americans to feel more White identity threat and in turn be more resistant to both the anti-racist message and anti-racist action in general. In Study 3 (N = 1337) seeing anti-racist messages (vs. no-message) had little effect on White Americans in general, but evoked identity threat and denial of racism among White Americans high in equalizing interpretation who did not interpret the messages as conveying inaction to be a building-block for structural racism. In Study 4a and 4b (N = 789), we reveal a successful nudge for making anti-racist messages less threatening and more motivating for White Americans by using language less likely to evoke an equalizing interpretation.

The Bureaucratic Dissociation of Race in Policing: From State Racial Projects to Colorblind Ideologies

Abstract Policing has long been implicated in state projects that construct race and racial inequality, yet many officers maintain that their work is colorblind. Burgeoning theories of racialized organizations offer a means of analyzing the processes that mediate such relationships between state racial projects and the ideologies of individuals. I suggest an extension of the racialized organizations framework that specifically considers the functions and forms of bureaucracies. Using a case study of policing in a segregated city, I describe a phenomenon of bureaucratic dissociation: bureaucratic arrangements facilitate racial governance, on the one hand, while obscuring the racial logics and consequences of daily work from officers, on the other. After detailing the incorporation of racial state interests into the police bureaucracy, I draw on over 500 hours of ethnographic observations of police work to explore the connections between bureaucratic structures and the racial ideologies of the police. I find widespread denial of racism in officers’ accounts of phenomena ranging from segregation to police shootings. Officers instead offer colorblind interpretations of social problems and narrate their work in relation to geographic and functional subdivisions, policies, and laws. These organizational accounts operate to legitimize police work in the face of its ongoing racial projects.

From 29 May to 12 June: Journalistic Framing of Change in the Date of the Commemoration of Democracy Day in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This paper investigated newspaper editorial framing of the change in the date of the commemoration of Democracy Day. The study adopted framing analysis as its research method. Drawing from Van Dijk’s (1992. “Discourse and the Denial of Racism.” Discourse and Society 3 (1): 87–118) model of editorial analysis which focuses on Definition, Evaluation and Recommendation, this research interrogates newspaper’s portrayal of the change of democracy day from 29 May to 12 June. To frame the issue, these newspaper editorials embarked on the remembering of the cancellation of 12 June elections. Based on the recollection of the past and the current events, these newspapers framed the shift in the date of the commemoration in contrastive ways, namely, as an attempt to rewrite the evil of the past and a spurious gesture. The study concluded by arguing that both media recollection of past and framing of current events were subjectively organised to achieve a specific goal. The implication of the study was discussed.

A Discursive Examination of White Americans’ Attitudes about White-Black Interracial Marriages in USA

AbstractThe primary objective of this article is to manifest by means of discourse analysis the attitudes of White Americans towards White-Black interracial marriages. The research draws on qualitative analysis of the discourse of some white Americans to find out the genuine convictions they bear about interracial unions, especially those incorporating Blacks and Whites. Regardless of the fact that White Americans have asserted their approval of White-Black marriages, the results of the study reveal that some White-Americans are still not in favour of their close relatives marrying outside their own race. As Van Dijk (1992) postulates, one of the distinctive peculiarities of contemporary racism discourse is its denial. On accounts of rigid constraints posed upon overt expression of racist perspectives, individuals bring about a set of discursive strategies that enable the deliverance of negative constructs without being trapped by racism charges. In addition to the denial of racism, the results of the research disclose various strategic choices through which white Americans legitimize their views towards white-black interracial marriages. Such choices embark on justifications, denying, excuses, positive self-presentation, negative other-presentation, and blaming the victim. (Van Dijk: 1992)

Encounters with Racism; The Need for Courageous Conversations in Australian Initial Teacher Education Programs to Address Racial Inequality for Aboriginal Peoples

The strategy of courageous conversations is offered as a means of addressing racial inequity experienced by Australian Aboriginal peoples evident in society’s institutions like education. Despite teacher preparation programs efforts to prepare pre-service teachers for diversity in the classroom, the issue of racism remains problematic. The denial of racism existing in contemporary times is commonplace. Alternatively, rather than being understood as a collective and active colonial and cultural inheritance, racism has been thoroughly reconstructed as an individual moral aberration. Dialogues about racism are often difficult and may create discomfort, raise feelings of indifference, guilt, resistance, shame, and mistrust that lead to avoidance or denial allowing ‘white’ people to remain ignorant that racial issues are endemic. Such denial and avoidance is a privilege not afforded to Aboriginal peoples who have been racially constructed and measured since the onset of dispossessing colonisation in the late 18th century. To not speak of racism and how it intersects with structural inequity for Australian Aboriginal students, serves only to perpetuate dominant racialised narratives that produce and reproduce ‘white’ privilege. This paper draws on and repurposes quantitative data gathered through a two-year critical ethnographic investigation that sought to identify and document what does successful teaching of Aboriginal high school students look like and what challenges do successful teachers encounter? The research quickly revealed the many guises of racism being encountered by teachers and students, personally and professionally, overtly and covertly, within and beyond the school gates. In this paper, narratives of encounters with racism shared by participants are provided to demonstrate the need for intentional and explicit courageous conversations in our schools that start in the Initial Teacher Education classroom.

Racism in patient care: a call to translate concerns into actions

BackgroundRacial injustices in health care lead to poor health outcomes in minority groups. Such health inequality has been exacerbated in times of COVID-19 which has seen disproportionately high mortality in minority communities. The objective of the study was to better understand the nature of racial bias in clinical settings to inspire changes in the way healthcare providers interact with their patients to improve health outcomes. MethodsWe did systematic searches of four electronic databases:, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science using the search terms “Exp Racism/ and (Exp Health Personnel/ or Exp Attitude of Health Personnel/) and Exp Qualitative Research/” in the title and abstract to identify articles published in English between Dec 1, 1978, and June 25, 2020. Titles and abstracts were sieved, followed by a full text review. Data synthesis and inductive thematic analysis were conducted using the Thomas and Harden methodology. FindingsWe included 23 articles that reported data for 1006 participants aged 24 to 89 years. Included studies were from six countries, mostly the USA (n=15, 65%) and UK (3, 13%). Perspectives from both minority patients and health-care providers were included. Three themes were generated: alienation of minority patients, labelling of minority patients and denial of racism. Alienation of patients resulted from supremacism of healthcare providers who were condescending in their attitudes (11, 48%). Health-care providers were less empathetic, as evident from their cold dispositions and body language (14, 61%). Minority patients reported being subjected to labelling and generalisations about their lower socioeconomic class, lifestyle practices and needs, which led to inadequate treatment such as denial of drug therapy (12, 52%). Providers were also fearful of minorities because of negative assumptions and stereotypes (3, 13%). By contrast, some patients and providers denied the presence of racism in health care. Providers felt that they treated all patients equally (6, 26%). They suggested that minority patients were oversensitive and shifted blame onto lack of patient compliance, rather than racism, for poor health outcomes (6, 26%). InterpretationImplicit racial bias in patient-provider interactions is pervasive, thus exacerbating health disparities in minorities. Our findings serve as a call to action for health-care institutions to implement targeted anti-racism interventions such as diversity training, anti-racism forums and increased implicit bias education. We may have underestimated the extent of racism in health care since we included only articles published in English, thus missing relevant studies of minorities published in a language other than English. The strength of this article is that it includes perspectives about racism from not only patients from minority groups but also health-care providers. FundingNone.