Reference no: EM133840661 , Length: Words Count:1000
Assignment:
Analytical Review of "White Privilege: Essential Readings on the other side of racism"
REQUIRED READINGS:
Rothenberg, Paula S. 2016. White Privilege: Essential readings on the other side of racism, Fifth Edition. New York: Worth Publications.
Part 1 -- Whiteness: The power of privilegeDownload Part 1 -- Whiteness: The power of privilegeOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader
Part 2 -- Whiteness: The power of resistanceDownload Part 2 -- Whiteness: The power of resistanceOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader
ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES: Analytical Review of Rothenberg (2016)
For this is writing assignment I ask that you write a book review. A book review is basically a formal conversation with scholars or others persons of a community, such as a particular field of study, that discusses the content, strengths and weakness and contributions of a particular text. The suggested length for the book review is about words. Because it is impossible to provide detail in such a limited space, especially when reviewing an anthology, your writing must be concise, general and specific all at once. A book review generally consist of two parts:
1. An analysis of the contents and theoretical perspectives of the book, highlighting the major themes of the book. This should include the following (although not all of these are applicable to all books):
(a) the general topic and the specific purpose of the text;
(b) the author(s)' principle argument(s) and themes;
(c) the types of research designs, methods, and data examined; if the book is not based upon empirical evidence, how did the author claim authority or upon what did s/he base the arguments?
(d) the major conclusions and implications.
2. A critique of the content, theoretical perspective, methodological approach, conclusions, or so other aspect of the book. Your critique should not be a series of negative criticisms. Instead, you should critically analyze the contributions of the book and place it in a broader empirical and theoretical context of scholarly conversations on the topic. That is, you are to evaluate the merits of the book in terms of what and how it contributes to our understanding of the particular question at issue. The critique section of the review typically appears at the end of a book review. The following are the kinds of issues that could be addressed:
(a) the general contribution of the book;
(b) the theoretical and/or policy implications of the book;
(c) how well or how poorly the author has treated the topic;
(d) important issues that have been ignored or that have not been addressed adequately in the book;
(e) would you recommend this book and to whom? (Such a statement is often included as the last sentence of the review.)
Your book review will be evaluated based on your review being comprehensive, well-organized, insightful, accurate, and well-written. While grammar and punctuation are not the main focus of this assignment, it must be written in a legible and coherent manner. I am expecting an analytical or book review of around 800 to 1000 words.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Some Questions on White Privilege
Here are some questions that may spark your thinking and imagination about the text. You do NOT have to answer these questions in your paper; they are offered for sparking analytical reflection.
1. Is the concept of white privilege essential for the study of race and racism? Why or why not?
2. Why is "white privilege" such a loaded concept that some folks can have visceral reactions to the idea? Is this good, bad, and/or a necessary step in the process of dismantling racism?
- What "white privilege" approach/concept/project is most useful and generative?
- What is missing or what is problematic in Part 4 of the text?
- Why and how does it come to be that so many "white" people feel so confident about their knowledge and opinions on racism, despite that most live their lives in racial segregation/isolation?
- What does it mean to say racism is a structure and not an event?
- What is white fragility? Is it "a form of bullying"? What does this text tell us about white subjectivity in the US?