Blog #1: Whiteness: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Martin and Nakayama (2012) state that "identity is a core issue for most people" (p. 170). I agree with Martin and Nakayama's position on identity and have thus decided to begin our course and our blog with an in-depth discussion of identity. In particular, I am fascinated with discussions of social and cultural identities and how these group memberships come to influence who we are as individuals. I agree with the feminist mantra that the "personal is political." As such, I have been drawn to readings and discussions centered around the characteristics of whiteness as a socio/cultural identity. Whiteness has been defined as more than just a racial or ethnic marker. It is a set of linked dimensions that include normative race privilege, standpoints, and cultural practices (Frankenburg, 1993). 

This definition is brought to life through scholar Peggy McIntosh's (1988) articulation of the invisible knapsack. 

She compares the everyday privileges (normative race privilege) of being white in the United States to an "invisible, weightless knapsack" (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 195). McIntosh describes the knapsack as something she is always carrying around with her and while she might not notice, it is full of assets that she can always count on. She complied a list of these assets and here's a sample of some of the items. The rest can be found on page 195 in your text. 

As a White person:

1. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
2. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
3. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
4. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
5. I can swear, dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race. 

For our first class blog, I would like you to visit the website http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/. 

This website parodies the stereotypes of while people, and by extension the stereotypes surrounding other social and cultural groups. Browse the website and choose the 3 entries you found most compelling. Briefly explain how  these entries relate to whiteness. Then connect one entry to the concepts of racism, stereotyping, and identity as a societal phenomenon. See pages 210-216 in your text for assistance. 

For more information, see scholar Tim Wise's discussion on white privilege:

References

Frankenburg, R. (1993). White women, race matters: The social construction of whiteness. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. 

McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women's studies. Wellesley, MA: The Wellesley College Center for Research on Women. 

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.