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Allison de Hoop February 27, 2012 EFDT 335 Verna St.

Denis Gabriel Bedard Article Summary Bedard, in his article, Deconstructing Whiteness: Pedagogical Implications for AntiRacism Education challenges the power and domination of Whiteness. He explains that we as educators cannot teach in an anti-racist way without identifying and then de-investing from an identity of power and domination (p. 41). Bedard goes on to describe how White people define themselves through racialized images and systems. A concept of race is explored through three lenses, contemporary political lens, a global context lens, and a historical lens. Also explored is racism both as a personal, prejudicial issue and as a social structural problem. Finally, Bedard focuses on the Canadian identity: Multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is referred to as a mask, a trope (ironic, embellishment, figure of speech, a trick), and yet another oppressive social construction that serves the purposes of the White population. Multicultural education in Canada is practiced and Bedard convinces his readers that it will fail because it a) creates an us and them dichotomy, b) it presents out of date images and realities that prove to be untrue (Aboriginal peoples have changed over time but are presented in their past cultural forms), and c) by improving self-concepts of non-White students assumes that students of colour have poor self-concepts which gives the mentality of White people as saviors to nonWhite people (p 53). Bedard closes with an action plan for teachers, It is time for White teachers to challenge their understanding of knowledge production and its connection to their identities as White people. We need to begin creating new knowledges that reflect the political agenda of antiracism education instead of remaining complacent behind the mask of multiculturalism. (p 56).

Main Points 1. We understand ourselves (White people) through differences, through race: we know ourselves through others and how we define the other affects how we define ourselves (Giroux 1998). We as White people have defined and known other peoples and ourselves through racialized imageries and our assumptions about others and ourselves reflect the knowledge that has been created through these systems. (p. 42) Race is the construction of difference which is the construction of power. (p. 44) 2. Multiculturalism is not what it seems, it really just perpetuates racist Canadian ideologies: Multiculturalism is a trope to satiate non-White peoples while relieving White anxiety and guilt about their colonial and imperial past. (p. 48) The discourse of multiculturalism was created by White men with particular political projects, and since multiculturalism has been created by those in power there are certain knowledges that are given authority. (p. 49) Multicluturalism has not only allowed Whites to feel non-racist because they celebrate diversity, but it has satiated some of the non-White populations (p. 50) This article lays things out in a way I can understand and it connects to our class in many ways. It assesses the social construction of difference and explores how we identify ourselves through racial differences. It continues Larocque and Shadds discussions of racism in the Canadian context. The article touches on First Nations history and the way its taught, but also the way that it is not-acknowledged: we teach about historical First Nations culture but stop at that leaving out the changes that First Nations cultures have gone through and the contemporary First Nations culture. Finally, Bedard gives solution/challenge to White teachers (us) (syllabus: implications of diversity for education): to explore our identities as Whites further and to recognize and deconstruct identities which were created through colonial history. We need to challenge what we know as truth and where that knowledge came from, and take on new knowledges that follow an anti-racist agenda and NOT [remain] complacent behind the mask of multiculturalism.

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