Deconstructing Whiteness
This session explores whiteness culture and how it shapes our values, ways of life and how we understand the world, and its structural impacts in our workplaces. We also examine common problematic response to racial discourse and how to identify those within ourselves and others.
This workshop is focussed on reflection rather than jumping too fast to solutions. It is the perfect precursor to our Allyship in Your Workplace workshop for organisations looking to challenge themselves and go further in their learning.
As a follow up to our 101: Understanding Race & Racism workshop, this program creates a safe and reflective space for participants to critique and examine dominant whiteness culture within themselves and society more broadly. The session explores a range of ways that whiteness can pervade our psyches, sense of self, and attempts at allyship. This goes beyond a systemic unpacking of racism and racial justice, and is best for participants who are ready to challenge themselves.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
To understand, articulate and critique how whiteness shapes our societies, values and identities.
To develop understanding of concepts such as: white fragility, white saviour complex, white guilt & tone policing.
To explore the interconnected nature of systems of oppression and their connection to whiteness and colonialism.
To develop understandings of the impacts of whiteness on people of colour.
To develop critical analysis skills and ability to recognise whiteness in a range of forms.
To create space for reflection on individuals' relationship to whiteness.
To critique the ways whiteness informs our workplace structures.