A critical discourse analysis of racial

critical discourse analysis

Available online at

LinguisticsandEducation19(2008)

107–131

Acriticaldiscourseanalysisofracial

literacyinteachereducation

RebeccaRogersa, ,MelissaMosleyb

bUniversityofMissouriSt.Louis,CollegeofEducation,369MarillacHall,8001NaturalBridgeRoad,St.Louis,MO63121,UnitedStatesUniversityofTexas-Austin,CurriculumandInstruction1UniversityStationAustin,TX78712,UnitedStatesa

Abstract

Whatdoesracialliteracylookandsoundlikeinateachereducationbookclub?Usingthetoolsofcriticaldiscourseanalysis,we

describe,interpretandexplainhoweachmemberofthegroupdrawsonarangeofdiscursiveandembodiedresourcesforracial

literacy;particularly,howtheymaneuverthebookclubdiscoursetoresolvewhatconstitutesanti-racistactioninthebook.Inthis

article,wedemonstratethecomplexwaysinwhichthestudentsseektomakemeaningaroundthisissueandindoingso,drawonand

developasetofsemiotictoolswerefertoasracialliteracy.Wetracethemultiplemodes(visualandlinguistic)usedbyindividuals

andtheshiftsinthesemodesoverthecourseoftheconversation.Suchshifts,weargue,holdthepotentialforthedevelopmentofa

moreintricateformofracialliteracy.

©2008ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.

Keywords:Criticaldiscourseanalysis;Racialliteracy;Bookclubconversations

1.Introduction

WhyisitthatWhitepeoplehaveachoiceofwhetherornottheywanttodealwithordiscussissuesofracism?If

theyfeeltoouncomfortable,theycanlaughitoff.Or,asWinnie’sparentsdidinthestory(Iggie’sHouse),they

canjustignoreitsexistenceandcarryonwithlifeasifnothingiswrong.Whyisitthatpeopleofcolordonot

haveachoiceaboutdealingwiththeissuesofracismastheyencountereffectsofracismonaseeminglydaily

basis?Whydopeopleofcolorcarrytheburdenofexplainingtheircultureandbackground,understandingthe

ignoranceofWhitepeople,anddealingwiththeracistattitudesandactionsdirectedatthemfornootherreason

exceptforthecoloroftheirskin?Theydothework.(Faye’sjournalentry)

Aspartofabookclubinaliteracymethodscourse,Faye,anAfrican-Americanwoman,wrotetheaboveentryinher

journal.Inthisjournalentry,Fayeusestheverbs“dealwith”and“discuss”interchangeablywhenreferringtotheWhite

characters’engagementwithissuesofrace.Faye’schoiceofverbsforeshadowsonemovementintheconversations

aboutraceinherbookclub,thequestionoftheroleoftalkinsocialaction.Shealsoreferstoafamiliarformofwhite

engagementcalled“whitetalk,”(McIntyre,1997)inwhichWhitepeople“ignoreitsexistence”or“laughitoff,”in

which“it”referstoracism.FromFaye’sperspective,peopleofcolorhavetodirectlyengagewiththematerialeffects

Correspondingauthor.Tel.:+13145165797.

E-mailaddresses:rogers3948@(R.Rogers),mmosley@mail.utexas.edu(M.Mosley).

0898-5898/$–seefrontmatter©2008ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.

doi:10.1016/j.linged.2008.02.002

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