Elite Discourse and RacismThis book is written by Dutch critical discourse analyst and scholar of racism,
Teun van Dijk. I find his theoretical perspective very useful for my own thesis. The only change I would do is probably to substitute the word "minority" for something more appropriate. The following are quotes from this book, and will give an idea of his perspective.
“This analysis of racism acknowledges the relevance of a perspective that is consistent with that of those who experience racism as such, that is, the competent or “conscious” members of minority groups.” (p. 18 )
“For many white scholars of ethnic relations, the acknowledgement of a minority perspective is controversial. If they do not simply ignore them, they see minority evaluations of white practices as being biased and self-serving, if not oversensitive, vindictive, or even as examples of reverse racism.” (p. 19)
“Given the definition of racism as a form of dominance, reverse racism or black racism in white-dominated societies is theoretically excluded in our framework. Such reversals are in their own right a prominent device of racist discourse.” (p. 21)
“The general tendency to see minority evidence as less reliable is a typical example of academic elite racism. This is especially true if the same white scholars self-servingly deny or mitigate racism, and assume that they themselves are in a better position to determine or define what racism is.” (p. 19)
“In our minority-perspective definition of racism, discriminatory acts are experienced and evaluated as such by their consequences for minorities.” (p.24)
“At the local level of interaction and experiences, the overall societal system of racism is implemented as everyday racism, namely, as a breach of the rules, norms, and values underlying appropriate behavior in social interaction.” (p. 25)
“Viewed from the perspective of minority group members, they may in principle be expected of any member of the entire
group.” (p. 20)
“It is not likely that white informants will spontaneously provide data about these forms of verbal abuse in their interviews. Therefore, only accounts of minorities themselves about their experiences should be seen as crucial indicators of this form of racism.” (p. 30)
Elite Discourse and Racism by Teun A. Van Dijk
Author
