White men on race
Subtitle: power, privilege, and the shaping of cultural consciousness
By: Joe Feagin and Eileen O'Brien.
Contributors: O'Brien, Eileen, 1972-
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 275
Subjects: Men, White -- United States -- Attitudes; Men, White -- United States -- Interviews; Whites -- Race identity -- United States; African Americans -- Public opinion; Elite (Social sciences) -- United States; Social classes -- United States; Public opinion -- United States; United States -- Race relations; United States -- Social conditions -- 1980-
Genres: Interviews.
Description: "Based on the revealing and provocative testimony of about one hundred powerful, upper-income white men, White Men on Race shows how these men see racial "others," how they see white America, how they view racial conflicts, and what they expect for the country's future. Covering a range of topics, from how they first encountered black Americans to views on blacks today, interracial dating, affirmative action, current immigration, crime, and intervening in discriminatory situations, their views enlighten us on the racial perspectives of the country's twenty-first century white male elites." "These men, mostly baby boomers ranging in age from their thirties to their sixties, reside in a variety of U.S. cities and states. Some are at or near the top of powerful economic and government organizations and are members of the national governing class, while most are a tier or two below that top level and are influential in their regions or local communities. Most are executives in corporations, influential officials and administrators, academics, physicians, attorneys, and businesspeople." "The authors closely analyze the racial attitudes and experiences of this powerful group and argue that certain key ideas and views expressed by the majority are not isolated but are part of a larger, often troubling set of perspectives on race in America. These perspectives continue to shape white lives and actions and, ultimately, the course of the nation." "In their interviews the authors find that these men provide complex and nuanced perspectives on race in U.S. society, with traditional racial interpretations often with more progressive, even actively antiracist, assessment of contemporary racial realities. Those men who are consistently and strongly antiracist in their perspectives and actions, the authors argue, provide hope for more effective leadership on racial matters in the present and future of the United States."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [263]-275).
Table of contents: title: "Race" in America; title: The white bubble: learning about whiteness and the racial others; title: Perspectives on whiteness; title: Perspectives on African Americans and other Americans of color; title: Issues of interracial dating and marriage; title: Situations of possible discrimination: action and inaction; title: Views on public policy: affirmative action and "reverse discrimination"; title: The multiracial future.