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Kenneth J. Fasching-VarnerEducational Foundations, Summer-Fall 2013

Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner is the Shirley B. Barton Endowed Assistant Professor and director of the Teaching in Chile Study Abroad Program in the College of Human Sciences and Education at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Introduction How prepared are pre-service teachers to dealwith themselves, letalone think throughtherealitiesoftheirstudents?HowpreparedareWhiteteacherstomeaningfullyexaminethewaysinwhichtheirWhitenessreplicatesWhite supremacywithpotentiallyharmfuleffectsforstudents?ThisarticleexploreshowWhitepre-service teachers used a semantic move (Bonilla-Silva&Forman,2000;Bonilla-Silva,2001,2002,2006;Mortensen,2005;VanDijk,1985,2000),specificallythedeploymentofthephrase“youknow,”torepresentracialbonding.Inusingthissemanticmove,participantsrevealedracializedbeliefslikelytohaveaneffectonteacherandstudentinteractions.Bonilla-SilvaandFor-man(2000)suggestthatsemanticmoveshavebecome“commonforWhitestouse”(p.50),particularlysincethecivil rightsmovement,anera that is increasinglynoted for its political correctness. When discussing

“Uhh, You Know,”Don’t You?:

White Racial Bondingin the Narrative

of White Pre-Service Teachers

By Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner

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“Uhh, You Know,” Don’t You?

semanticmoves,however,theemphasisisalmostalwaysonthelinguisticstrate-giesusedtoavoid,hide,ormaskracializedbeliefswithinthatpoliticallycorrectdiscourse(Fairclough,2003;Bonilla-Silva,2002,2006).Thereare“...numeroustools available toWhites to restore a color-blind imagewhenWhiteness seepsthroughdiscursivecracks”(Bonilla-Silva,2002,p.61).Thisarticlerepresentsashiftfromthistraditionalunderstandingofsemanticmoves.Iarguethatracializedbeliefsarealwaysalready(Kant,1996;Ricour,1991)presentwithinthenarrativesofWhitepeople,andinthiscasespecificallyteachers.Thepresenceofaraciallycontextualizedsemanticmoveisevidentwhenthepersonsharingisattemptingtobondracially(Sleeter,1990).Thepresenceofracializedbeliefsystemsnecessitatescarefulattentiontothewaysinwhichthelinguisticservestorepresentinternalizedbeliefsbeyondthewordsbeingused. Iexaminehowthephrase“youknow”wasdeployedbyparticipantstodem-onstrateWhiteracialbondingwithinalargerstudyofWhitepre-serviceeducators’racial identity (Bell, 1993, 1995; Sleeter, 1994). Racial bonding speaks to thelinguistic,emotional,andfeltactsundertakenbyWhitepeopletoshowaffinityandalliancewitheachother(Sleeter,1994).Onemaytendtoonlythinkofthisbondinginlarge-scalevirulentracismsuchastheKKK,gangaffiliations,orotherracialpridegroups.InonlyunderstandingWhiteracialbondingfromthatlimitedperspective one misses the opportunity to understand everyday racism and thebondingofthoseimplicatedbyWhiteness.Asaresult,Whitenessistoooften“...anuninterrogatedspace”(Nkayama&Krizek,1995,p.293).Sleeter(1994)suggeststhateducatorscommittedtomulticulturaleducationmustworkatidentifyingthemanifestationsofthebondinginordertodiminishthebonding’seffects.TherigorousstudyofthenarrativesofWhiteteachersisonewaytoaddresstheproblemofhowpedagogicalbeliefsandpracticesofteachersareshapedandinfluencedbyrace.Gay(1984)suggeststhattheroleofidentityhasimplicationsforeducators’workinschoolsandclassrooms.Implicationsofidentityareembeddedinthepersonalnarrativesofanindividual(Cook-Gumperz,1993;Fairclough,1985,2003).Whiteracialbonding,demonstratedthroughlinguisticandmetalinguisticmarkers,playsaprincipalroleinthemaintenanceofWhiteprivilegeandsubjugationofracialothersasamanifestationofaction/slinkedtoidentity. TobeginIpresentabriefoverviewofthecurrenteducationaldemographiclandscapetohighlightwhystudyingthenarrativesofWhiteteachers(bothpre-serviceandin-service)isnecessary.WiththatlandscapeinmindIprovideabrieftheoreticalframeworkaswellasextantliteraturerelatedtothiswork.IalsoarticulatewhatIperceivetobegapsthisresearchfills,aswellassomeofthemethodologicalconsiderationsofthelargerstudy.Withthosepiecesinplace,IpresenthowWhiteracialbondingwasevidencedusing thesemanticmove“youknow”embeddedinthenarrativesofWhitepre-serviceteachers.FinallyIdiscussthisfindingandspeculateabouttheimplicationsforteachereducation.

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Educational Landscape Inthewakeoftheinitialelection,andnowsubsequentre-election,ofPresidentBarackObamatherecametobeanationaldiscourseofpost-racialismthatwentsomethinglike‘nowthatwehaveaBlackpresidentwehaveovercomethesegregationandoppressionthathasmarkedmuchofUnitedStatesHistory’(Fasching-Varner,2012).Thesesentimentsarenotonlyuntruegenerally,buttheygrosslymisrepresenttheeducationallandscapenearly60yearsafterthelandmarkBrown v. Board of Edu-cationSupremeCourtcasespecifically.AccordingtotheCivilRightsProjectattheUniversityofCaliforniaLosAngeles(UCLA),studentsofColorattendincreasinglysegregatedschools,amovewhichhasbeenfacilitatedbyfederalcourtdecisionsthathaveallbutwalkedawayfromtheBrown v. Boardcasesofthe1950s.ThePewCenterforResearch(2007)suggeststhatupwardsof60%ofstudentsfromminoritygroupsattendschoolswithnearlyallminoritypopulations.Thequestionofsegregationisnotsimplyaquestionofoutcomesforminoritystudents;morethan70%ofWhitestudentsattendschoolswithaminoritypopulationof5%orless.BothWhiteandBlackstudentslearnsignificantmessagesaboutthestateofracializationastheyenterthedoorsoftheirschools.Therearerealconsequencesforhowwhatonebelievespotentiallyshapestheiractions.TherecentverdictinFlorida v. Zimmermanbegsthequestionofwhatinfluenceteachersandotheradultshadinthelife,beliefs,andidentityconstructionofGeorgeZimmermanthatmotivatedhisprofiling,stalking,andultimateshootingofTrayvonMartin. AccordingtoFreitser(2011),approximately84%oftheteachingforceintheUnitedStatesisWhiteandfemalewithincreasinglylessteachingexperiencethaninyearspast.1AccordingtotheNationalCenterforEducationStatistics(2012)from1990to2010thepercentageofWhitestudentsattendingpublicschoolsdecreasedfrom67%to54%,whileunderrepresentedminoritygroups(forpurposesofthisarticledefinedasAfrican,AfricanAmerican,andLatino)comprised38%ofthepublicschoolpopulationsby2010,upfrom29%in1990.ThesimpletakeawayfromthesestatisticsisthatincreasinglydiverseschoolpopulationsinU.S.publicschoolsarebeingtaughtbyoverwhelminglyWhite,female,andinexperiencedteach-ers.Asstudentsaretaughtbythoselesssimilartotheirownidentity,demographicdisconnectsbetweenandamongteachersandstudentsarecreated.Giventhereali-tiesofthiseducationallandscape,thereisaneedforcloselyexaminingpre-serviceteachernarrativestoidentifythewaysinwhichtheirbeliefs,particularlyaboutrace,manifest.Oncemanifestationsofthesebeliefsareidentified,commonalitiesacrossnarrativescanalsobeidentified;onceidentified,thesecommonalitiescanbeusedtobetterunderstandthephenomenonofhowWhitenessoperates.Thisunderstand-ingmayhelptoworkagainstWhiteprivilegeinpreparingteacherstoeducateallstudents,particularlygiventhatdisconnectsarelikelytoremainbetweenteacherandstudentidentities.

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Critical Race Theory (CRT)—Whiteness as Property Ithasbeennearly20yearssinceLadson-BillingsandTate(1995)firstintroducedCriticalRaceTheory(CRT)tothefieldofeducation.SinceCRTwasintroducedtoeducation,anumberofeducationalscholarsandresearchershaveusedCRTtoanalyzethewaysinwhichraceimpactseducationaloutcomesandopportunities(Chapman,2007;DeCuir&Dixson,2004;DelgadoBernal&Villapando,2002;Dixson&Rousseau,2006;Duncan,2006;Fasching-Varner,2009,2012a,2012b,2013,Jennings&Lynn,2005;Ladson-Billings&Tate,1995;Solorzano&Yosso,2002;Tate, 1994;Tate & Rousseau, 2002; 1997;Taylor, 2000; among others).CRTservesasatheoreticalsitebywhichscholarsandpractitionersmayexaminethenarrativesofWhitepeopletobetterunderstandanddisruptWhiteness.SuchatheoreticallensprovidesscholarsawaytoexplorehowsemanticmovesareusedtonegotiatethevalueofWhitenessamongWhiteeducators.Inotherwords,whenthepropertyvalueofWhitenessisestablished,thenarrativeofaWhitepersonservesasatypeofcapitalthatcanbeprivilegedandservetoprivilegeaswell. Harris(1995)outlinestheconditionsbywhichWhitenesscanbeconstructedaspropertyidentifyingthatinalienability,orabsoluteness,existsrelativetoWhite-ness.Whitenessisoftenfalselyunderstoodatthelevelofphenotype(Hall,1997;Montague,1997;Winant,2000).Inadditiontotheautomaticprivilege(s)associ-atedwiththeracialidentitycharacteristic,Whitenessasaconceptalsospeakstophenotype,socialprivilege,andmobility.Inthecaseofrace,theidentitycharac-teristicisonethatthepossessordoesnotearnnorcreate.Whilenothavingcreatedtheidentity,thepossessorsignificantlybenefitsfromWhiteness—evenifjustasapassiveorun-consciousrecipient.Harris(1995)outlinesfourelementsimportantinunderstandingthevalueofWhitenessforthisarticle:

1. Use and enjoyments:Whiteness, having certain privileges, is enjoyable forthosewhopossess itas theycanbenefitfromtheprivileges ineverydaywaysandinteractions.

2.An absolute right to exclude:Becauseoftherewards,useandenjoyments,andreputationofWhiteness,Whitepeopleuseanabsoluterighttoexclude‘others’whileincludingfellowWhitepeoplesoastomaintainthepowerandprivilegeassociatedwiththeotheraspects.

3.Disposition:WhitenesspresentsrewardsbasedoncertainbehaviorsassociatedwithWhiteness.

4.Reputation and status:GiventhenatureofthebenefitsandprivilegesofWhiteness,Whitenessnecessarilyhasareputationandstatusthatneedstobemaintained.

Harris (1995) points out that common applications of property value typicallyprecludeordiminish thecapacity tohavepropertyvaluewhenabsoluteness isdemonstrated.Thosevested in thevalueofWhiteness often experience a highpersonalsenseofvalueassociatedwiththeirWhiteness,allowingWhitenessto

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serveauniquepropertyvaluefunction.InotherwordspossessingWhitenessisanabsolutesuchthatevenoneelementofnon-Whiteness(forexample,theonedropofbloodargument)wouldprecludeonefromthefullbenefitsofWhiteness.Whiteness’propertyvaluereapsahighervaluethanotherracialidentitiesbecausethroughitsabsoluteness,Whitenessneedonlydefinewhatitisnotandneversuffersfromhavingtodefineitself.WhitepeoplescapitalizeonthevalueofWhitenessforpurposesofenjoyment,perceivedreputation,benefits,andsignificantcapitalvalue(Harris,1995).WhitenessalsoexcludesbecauseWhitepeoplesareneverobligedtodefineWhitenessandcanimplorefloatingsignifiers(Hall,1997)tosimplydefinewhatWhitenessisnot,demonstratingitsabilitytoprotect,exchange,andnegotiatethecapitalofWhiteness.WhendefiningwhatisnotWhite,allwhomaredeemedtonotpossessWhitenessaresimplyandsummarilyexcluded(Morrison,1992).Thesefourelementswillberevisitedlaterinthediscussion.

Pre-Service Teachers and Race TheextantliteratureontheexperiencesandracialidentityofWhiteeducatorstoooftenfocusesonhowtheparticipantscometoknowracializedothersandnotonthenatureoftheemergingteachers’ownWhiteness.Variousstudiesexamineparticularinitiativesandstudiesofpre-serviceteachersrelativetosaidpre-serviceteacher’sWhiteness.Merseth,Sommer,andDickstein(2008)examinepre-serviceteacheridentitynarrativeswithIvyLeaguestudentswhowanttoteachinurbanareas,aphenomenonthathassurgedintheUnitedStatesduringthisfirstdecadeofthe21stcentury.Theysuggestthatinvestigatingidentitiesisimportantforhowapre-serviceteachergainsanuancedunderstandingofworkingindiversesettings.Mersethetal.(2008)failtoaddress,however,thewaysinwhichtheWhiteracialidentityoftheparticipantsmanifests,insteadoffocusingonhowWhiteteacherswillapproachteachingracialothers. Inherstudy,Wong(2008)suggeststhatpre-serviceteachers’experiencesinmulticulturalcourseshighlightstheneedforfield-basedcomponentstoprovide“...pre-serviceteacherswithaculturallydiverseexperience”(p.32).Shediscussespre-serviceteacheridentityinconceptualizingtheproject.Thediscussion,however,focusesmoreonpromotingmethodsandexperiencestohelpsaidteacherslearnhowtoworkwithracialothersthaninexaminingpre-serviceteachers’Whiteness. LeeandDallman(2008),aswellasAdams,Bondy,andKuhel(2005),discusshowWhiteteachersmightworkwithstudentswhoareraciallyotherrelativetotheteacher.LeeandDallman(2008)explainthattheybelieve“understandingisthemostimportantthingindiversity”(p.36).Despitethisarticulation,theyuseunderstandingwithpre-serviceteacherstolookathowtoworkwithstudentswhenthereisaracemis-matchratherthanexaminingtheteachers’livesandhowtheircomingtotermswithWhitenessmightserveasameansofbridgingpotentialra-cialmis-matchbetweenstudentsandteachers.Adams,Bondy,andKuhel(2005)similarlyexaminetheframeofhelpingWhitepre-serviceteacherslearnwhattodo

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in“anunfamiliarsetting”(p.41).Here,growthrelativetoWhitenesswaslinked,unfortunately,tohowpositivetheteacher’sexperiencewaswithstudentswhowerenotWhite.Thephenomenonofwantingtofocusonhow“we”teach“them”iseasytounderstandgiventheteacherandstudentdemographicdifferencesmentionedpreviously.Thepathway forward isnot,however, to avoid teachersdoing theirownself-homeworkaboutwhoandhowtheyare(Fasching-Varner,2012a).Whilenotcritiquingtheneedforlookingatsimilaritiesanddifferences,I,alongwithcolleagues,takeexceptiontoovertfocusalwaysplacedonstudentsinanotheringmannerandnotontheteachersthemselves(seeFasching-Varner,2012a,2012b,2013).Reversingthistrendmayultimatelyprovemorefruitfulinworkingtobringaboutpositive,equitable,andsociallyjustchangeintheengagementofstudentsinpublicschools. Gordon(2005)usesautobiographytoexamineherownparticularexperiencesasaWhitefemaleteachereducatorworkingwithpre-serviceteachers,butsheisunabletosituateherworkwithinthelargerscholarlydiscussiononracialidentity.MarxandPennington(2003),ontheotherhand,examineracialidentitywithWhitepre-serviceteachersinrelationtotheirownorientationwithinthescholarlydiscus-sion.Theirworkengagesinaself-congratulatorydiscourseofbeing“braveenoughtoundertakethiskindofcontroversialwork”(p.107)whenreferencingtheexaminationofWhitenessandWhiteracialidentity.ThediscourseofbraveryrevealstheauthorshavenotsufficientlyproblematizedtheirownbenefitsandprivilegesassociatedwithWhitenessandracism.ForPeopleofColor,racehasnevermanifestedasa‘braveenough’conversation.Alltoooftenracemanifestsindisparateschoolingandlifeexperiences,prejudice,exclusion,andalackofequitableresourcesoftencontrolledbydominantmajoritygroups.AfinalconcernwithMarxandPennington’sworkisthatBlackchildrenareconceptualizedas‘ourchildrenofColor.’SuchaframingdemonstratesaWhiteliberalperspectiveentirelyconsistentwithHarris’sconceptu-alizationofthepropertyvalueofWhiteness—ownershipofchildrenasproperty.Aliberalsaviorattitudeforthosenot‘lucky’enoughtopossesstheworthypropertyofWhitenessisestablished.MarxandPennington(2003)donotfocusonpre-serviceteacherscriticallyunderstandingtheimplicationsoftheirownrace. Whiletheliteraturedemonstratescertainproblematicareas,thereissomeworkthathelpstosupportthestudyingofpre-serviceteachernarrativesasameansofassumingresponsibilityfortheirbeliefsandtheconnectionofbeliefstoactionsintheclassroom.GayandKincaid(2003),forexample,explainthenecessityforpre-service teachers todevelop“culturalcriticalconsciousness” (p.186).Theyconclude thatWhitepre-service teachersbenefitwhen theyare forced tomovebeyondconversationandtoward“actuallyengaging[in]reallifeexperiences”thatpreventescaping“theintellectual,emotional,psychological,moral,andpedagogicalchallengesinherent”intheworkofbeingateacher(Gay&Kincaid,2003,p.186).Levine-Rasky(1998)similarlysuggeststhatteachereducatorsdemonstrateandcommitto“issuesofequityanddifferenceinawaythat”helpsteachercandidatesunderstand“their[un]consciousnessandmotivations”relativetoraceandWhite

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identity (p. 108). Levine-Rasky (1998) calls on teacher education programs tostopwaitingforfacultyofColortomagicallyappeartodotheworkofaddressingpre-serviceteachers’senseofWhiteracialidentityandunderstandingsofmulti-culturalism. TheliteraturehasremainedsignificantlyanddepressinglysilentintermsofWhiteresearchersandeducatorswillingtoimplicatetheirownWhitenessinauthenticways.EditorsofjournalsattimesappearhesitanttopublishtheworkgivenbothacertaindiscomfortinwhatseemsimpoliteintheUnitedStates.Furthermore,asareviewerofanearlierdraftofthisworkpointsoutsome“whodoWhitenessstudies,andeventoanextentCRT,haveposedaproblemfordoingakindofWhitenessstudiesthatseektheabolitionofWhiteness”creatinga“paradigmaticproblem”forthefield(personalcommunication).Obama-erapost-racialismconceptualizationsofracearenobettertodayinmanyways,despitemuchexplicitscholarlyattentioninrecentyears,thantheywererightafterBrown v. Board(Faching-Varner,2012).Theresearchpresentedinthisarticleseekstojointhecallstomovebeyondthesilenceor thehiding (Bonilla-Silva, 2000,2001,2002,2006) anddemonstratethroughtheuseofteachernarrativestheimportanceofteacherscomingtotermswiththeirownWhitenessbeforetheyentertheprofessionandhavetheopportunitytosocializeBlack,Brown,andWhitechildren.

Methodology Leonardo(2002)suggeststhatWhitepeoplemustbegin“bynamingWhite-ness”asameansofbettercomingtounderstandthatwhotheyare,andhowwhotheyare,isoftenbasedinprivilege(p.45).InordertonameWhiteness,thisstudyusedanoralhistoryapproachthroughsemi-structuredtestimonialinterviews.Suchanapproachbuildssnapshotsofparticipantsthroughtheiractuallanguage,help-ingtowarrantassertionsmadethroughtheactualparticipants’voices.ThelargerresearchprojectwasaimedatunderstandingtheperspectivesandracialidentitycommunicatedthroughnarrativesofWhitepre-serviceteachers.Thefocusisim-portantgiventhedemographiccompositionintheteachingforcethatrevealsthelargermajorityofteachersareWhiteandconsequentlyhavearacialidentitythattheymaynotfullyordeeplyunderstand.Thelargerstudysuggeststhatcurrentunderstandingsofracialidentity(Frankenburg,1997,1999,2001,2005;Helms,1993,1994,1995,1997,2003)maynotbesufficientinhelpingpre-serviceteachersgrapplewithwhotheyareandhowwhotheyareinfluencespedagogicaldecisions(Fasching-Varner,2012a). IwasinterestedinstudyingapopulationofWhitepre-serviceteachersthatattendedateachereducationprogramwhereexplicitarticulatedcommitmentstosocialjusticeweremade.IchoseLillyCollege(apseudonym)intheNortheastareaoftheUnitedStates.InterestingforthisstudyisthatLillyarticulatesintheirpre-serviceteacherprogramsanexplicitcommitmenttodiversityandequity.Can-didateswererequiredtotakeacourseinwhichtheyexploredissuesandconceptsrelatedtoequity,diversity,andsocialjusticeineducation.Whilethecommitment

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wasprogrammaticonly that singlecourse’s syllabiexpressedacommitment totheseissues. ThelargerstudydrewparticipantsusingapurposivesamplingtechniquethatfocusedonWhitepre-serviceteacherparticipants(Patton,1990).LillyCollege,atthetimeofthestudy,enrolledapproximately4,000studentsatthebachelor,master,anddoctorallevels.LillyCollegeisnestledinawealthysuburbansettingnearthemediumsizedurbanareaofLilac.Thisstudyrequiredpotentialparticipantstobecandidatesthathadalreadytakentherequireddiversityandsocialjusticecourse,whowereWhite,andwhoweregoingtobegintheirstudentteachingthefollowingsemester.Anemailcallwassentouttoalleligiblepotentialparticipantswith10in-dividualsagreeingtocometoaninformationalmeeting.EachoftheseparticipantswasgivenanoverviewofthestudyalongwithIRB-approvedconsentformsattheinformationalmeeting.Ofthe10individualsthatexpressedinterest,nineactuallyparticipatedinthestudy.Atthetimeofthestudy,Angela,Barbara,Bob,Brian,Cathy,Pat,Sierra,Steven,andTodd(allpseudonyms)werecandidatesintheBachelorofArtsinEducationpre-serviceteachereducationprogramatLillyCollege.Table1.1highlightstheparticipants’ages,gender,andhomecommunitytype.

Data Collection Participantswereengagedintwointerviewsusingatestimoniallifehistoryapproach(Wieder,2004).Asoralhistory,testimonyrejects“modernistnotionsofrational autonomous subjects, totalizing discourses, and foundationalist episte-mologies,”insteadintendingtomovepastprivilegingWhitenessthroughtheactofdeconstructingitwithinparticularnarratives(Tierney,2003,p.294).Anaddedbenefitofdataderivedfromanoralhistorytestimonialapproachisthatthedatanotonlyservesastheanalyticlens,butdoessobyprovidingreaderswithpartici-pantvoicesinordertomaketheirownevaluationsandjudgmentsgiventheirownexperiencesandunderstandings.Testimonyhelpstocreateon-recordtranscriptssothatresearchers,readers,andtheparticipantsthemselvesmightbetterunderstandtheepistemologiesthateitherhelporhinderparticipants’understandingand,in

Table 1Participant Backgrounds

Name Age Gender Home Community

Angela 20 Female RuralBob 20 Male RuralBrian 20 Male SuburbanCathy 20 Female RuralSuburbanSteven 20 Male SmallTownBarbara 21 Female SuburbanPat 21 Female SuburbanTodd 21 Male SuburbanSierra 26 Female SmallUrban

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thiscase,theiruseofasemanticmovetoengageinWhiteracialbonding(Brown&Levinson,1987;Sleeter,1994;Tierney,2003). Duringthefirstinterviewparticipantswereaskedquestionsaboutgenerallifeexperiences, including informationaboutwhere theygrewup, their familyandfriends,thetypesofschoolstheyattendedandteacherstheyencountered,andtheirchoicesaboutschoolandcareer.Theywerealsoaskedquestionsaboutwhytheychosetobeeducatorstopromptatellingoftheirmajorlifehistoryevents(i.e.,school,friends,family,careerchoice,pedagogicaldecisions,etc.).Participantswerefreetotestifyandrespondtotheinterviewquestions;followupquestionswereaskedtoclarifyinformation.After interviewsweretranscribedandparticipantshadtheopportunitytochecktheirtranscripts,thesecondinterviewfollowedthesametrajectorybutwithracializedlanguageinsertedintothequestions.Inthefirstinterviewaparticipantmayhavebeenpromptedwith“tellmeaboutthechildrenyouwenttoschoolwith,”andinthesecondinterviewtheymayhavebeenpromptedwith“tellmeabouttheracialmakeupofthechildrenyouwenttoschoolwith.”Inbothcases,thefollow-upquestionsencouragedparticipantstoexplainortoclarifywhattheysaid.

Data Analysis Afterbothtestimonialinterviewswereconducted,transcribed,andgivenaninitialreading,anopencodingsystemwasusedtohighlightpatternsandconstructsthatwereapparentacrosscases.Thesecodeddatawerethenlookedatagainstavarietyofextanttheoryandliterature.Theanalyticalcategories,oremergentthemes,thatderivedfromthecodingwereexploredandfindingsidentified.Participantsusedavarietyofrhetoricalordiscourseconstructionsthroughouttheinterviewnarrativestotalkaboutrace.Oftherhetoricalconstructions,apatternemergedwiththephrase“youknow.”Emphasisrestedinthe“you”eitherthroughraisingorloweringthevoicewhensayingtheword.The“youknow”responserevealeditselfasadiscoursestrategytotalkaboutparticularlyproblematicaspectsofrace.Eightofthenineparticipantsinvokedthephrase“youknow”duringtheinterviewprocess.Eachoftheparticipantsattemptedtoaccomplishaslightlydifferentlinguisticendwiththeirdeploymentof“youknow,”howeveralloftheusesultimatelycenteredbackonestablishinginthediscoursewhatwasbelievedbythemtobesharedknowledgeaboutraceandWhiteness,representingtheideaofracialbonding. Whitenessasproperty,previouslydiscussed,servedasatheoreticalaidinun-derstandingtheparticularuseof“youknow”(Fasching-Varner,2009,2013;Harris,1995;Ladson-Billings&Tate,1994).“Youknow”servednotonlyasalinguisticmeanstorepresentWhiteracialbonding,butthephrasealsoindicatedthemain-tenanceofWhitenesspropertyvalue.Fairclough(2003)asserts“socialpracticesareinherentlyreflexive—peopleinteract,andatthesametimetheyrepresenttothemselves”thevalueoftheiridentity(p.22).Understandingtheselinguisticut-terancesaspurelyrepresentationalofWhiteracialbondingwouldignorethattheperceivedvalueofWhitenessisalsocommunicatedthroughthesocialpracticeof

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communicatingracializedperspectives.TheWhitenessaspropertyargumentwillbeexaminedinthediscussion. Whitepeoplesmaynotbeinclinedtotalkon-record(Brown&Levinson,1987)toageneralpublicaboutrace,yetitbecameapparentinthisresearchprojectthatparticipantspossessedasenseofWhitenessleadingthemtobondwithme,whomtheybelievedsharetheirsamevalueofWhiteness(Harris,1995).Giventhattheinterviewswereconductedone-on-one,thesettingfurthercontributedtoapercep-tionofthecomfortandsafetyofWhiteness’shelter.Inotherwords,notonlywereparticipantscomfortable,butthiscomfortledtoaprocessoflinguisticallyincludingorlinkingwhattheybelievedtobe‘shared’beliefsbetweenthemselvesandme,afellowWhiteperson,throughthephraseof“youknow”. ThiswasnotthefirstexperienceIhadwherethisphenomenonrevealeditselftobetrue.Inastudyofculturallyrelevantpedagogy(Fasching-Varner,2008),WhiteparticipantsrespondeddistinctlytotheWhiteandBlackresearcherswhengivenparallelinterviews.WhenspeakingwithBlackresearchers,theteachersweremoreguardedinwhattheysaidandneverrevealedthroughlanguagepatternsthattheysharedinsightswiththeresearchers.WhenthesameteacherswereinterviewedbyWhiteresearchersontheteamthenarrativeresponseswerelonger,eyecontactwasmoresustained,andmoreproblematicelementsofraceastheyrelatedtoteachingwerediscussed.Inthatprojectwewerenotfocusedonthebondingelementandconsequentlybondingwasnotapartofouranalysis,butIsharethistosaythatinmyexperiencesteachingcourses,conductingresearchinavarietyofsettings,andinthisparticularstudy,thephysical,emotional,andlinguisticelementsofbondingdoappear(Bell,1993,1995;Sleeter,2005). InordertodismisstheconceptthatWhitenessmighthaveaneffectonateacher’swaysofteaching,Brianusedthephrase“youknow”tospecificallyassertthatWhite-nessdoesnotplayaroleinstudents’lives.Briansaysthatit(hisperceptionthatBlackandBrownstudentsdonotdowellinschool)isabout“wheretheygrewup,youknow.”Asnotedinthefieldnotes,Brian’svoiceraisedon“you”andhiseyesthendirectedtowardme.Briancontinuedsaying,“Imean,youknow,it’sjustdifferentwhereyougrowuplikeus.”InthesecondinstantiationBriancoupleshisuseof“youknow”with“us”toestablishthatwemusthavehadasharedexperiencegrowingupthatisdifferentfromwhatBlackandBrownstudentsexperience.Briangrewupinanaffluentsuburb,whereasIgrewupinanurbancenterandattendedschoolswithsignificantlyvariedracialidentities.Brian’sjoiningofourexperiencesisfalse.Inbothinstances,however,Brianattributesdifferencetogeographyratherthantoone’sWhiteness,andestablishedthatImustorshouldknowhisstatementstobetrue. Bobusesthephrase“youknow”toestablishbondingaroundhisdiscomfortwithwhatWhitepeopleshouldcallothergroups,stating,“thefirsttimeIeversaw,uhh,youknow(dipinvoicestartingon“you”andslightlyraisedbutstillfairlymutedon“know”)African-Americanstudents(voiceraisesbackup),youknow.”Bob’sdipinvoicehighlightsanawarenessthatwhathewasimplyinginhowtoframehisfirstexperiencewithstudentsfromdifferentracialbackgroundsislikelylessthan

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politicallycorrectandconsequentlyonlysuitableforsharingwithsomeoneelsewhowouldsharehisperspective.Throughhisuseof“youknow,”BobattemptstoestablishthatIwouldunderstandthedifficultyinframingthosefromotherracialgroups.ThiswasnottheonlyinstancewhereBobattemptedtoestablishasharedvalueofourperceivedunityinWhiteness.InadifferentpartoftheinterviewBobstated“whenIgototheseschools,Imean‘youknow’(articulatedcasuallyandcomfortablywithhislefthandpointinginmydirection)howitislikeimpossiblewiththem.”Bobwasreferencinghisfieldplacementsinalargeurbandistrict,thesamedistrictIactuallyattendedschoolandtaughtinasanelementaryteacher,afacthedidnotknow.Theuseof“these”schoolscoupledwiththeideathatIwouldknow“howitiswiththem”revealsthatBobhasthoughtsaboutBlackandLatinostudents(them)beingimpossibletoworkwith.Bobfinishesthatpartoftheinterviewbysaying“theteachersaysjustdowhatyoucan,anythingisbetterthannothing,andofcourse,yaknow(slightpause)Igetit.”The‘you’inthiscasewasshortenedto‘ya’andsaidquickly;duringthepausebothhandscameintowardhisbodywithpalmsupconsistentwith‘whatcanyoudo.’InthislaststatementthebondingoccurswiththearticulationthatImustknowtherereallyisnothingyoucandowithaprimarilyBlackandBrownpopulation.Bobnotonlyattemptedtobondwithme,buthealsorevealedhowhehasbondedwithhismentorteacher,aWhitefemale.Thisbondingisdisturbinginthatthroughhisrelationshipwiththementorweseethathissocializationtoteachingisrepletewiththeideathatteachershavemarginaleffectsinurbansettings. Todd,Bob,Sierra,andAngelaallarticulatedacommonideaaroundnotun-derstandingwhatitisliketobenon-White.Todd,forexample,said“Youknow,it’snotlikewecouldeverknowwhatitmeanstobeBlack.”Bob,ontheotherhand,said“itsjustwhatcanyoudo,Imeanyouknow,ifyouaren’tAfroAmericanhowcanyoureallygetit.”SimilarlySierrasaid,“Ijustcan’tgettheexperience,Imean,youknow,wearedifferent.”IneachcasetheparticipantarticulatestheideathatneitherofusareBlack,weshareWhiteness,andconsequentlysharethatexperi-encewhichprecludesusfromunderstandingthedifferenceexperience.AtsomelevelthisconceptualizationistrueyetwehavehadverydifferentexperienceswithcommunitiesofColor,whichcontributestohowwellwemightempathizeorworktowardunderstandingtheexperiencesofotherpeople. Angelauses“youknow”toexpressthissameconcernofnotunderstandingothers’experiences.Liketheparticipantsabove,Angela’suseof“youknow”helpstoestablishthatasaWhitepersonIwouldunderstandherdilemma.Angelasays,“IwillneverhavetheexperienceofbeingaBlackracialpersonminorityormajor-ityoranything,wellyouknow.”WhenAngelasaidyouknow,hervoicedeepenedandbecamefirmanddirectonthewordyou.Whiletheemphasisstartedwithyou,theutteranceoccurredfasterthantherestofherwords.Likealltheparticipantsabove,AngelaestablishesthatItooamWhiteandconsequentlywillneverhavetheexperienceofbeingnon-White.Fromherperspectivewehadameansofbonding

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aboutthisambiguityofthisexperience.WhileIamWhite,IdobelievethathadanyoftheseparticipantsbeeninterviewedbyaresearcherofColorthe“youknow”wouldnothavebeenpresentastherewouldbenobasisforestablishingthattheresearcherofColorwouldnotknowwhatitisliketohavethisexperienceofbeingWhiteandcontemplatingasettingwherepeoplehavedifferentracialidentities. Cathybondsbasedonthelessonsofparents.WhenaskedwhatshelearnedaboutothergroupsofpeoplefromherparentsCathyproudlyasserted,“Youknow,don’tjudgeanyonetillyougettoknowthem.”WhileCathydoesnotknowmeherassumptionrepresentedintheuseof“youknow”isaimedathowwemightsharethesocializationofbeingnon-judgmentalasataughtvaluefromourparents—asWhitepeople,wearetaughtthepoliticallycorrectdiscourseofwhitenessanditisshared(Fairclough,2003).Whilemyparentsarticulatedsimilarwording,theyinfactmodeledadifferentsetofattitudesintheiractionsthatsatinconflicttowhattheyarticulated.SoevenatayoungageIlearnednottotalkaboutmyjudgmentstootherpeople.IknewthatIcouldhavejudgmentsbutIsimplyneededtolearnhowtomanagethesejudgmentsinpublicsettings.Anexampleofthissemanticmanagingtonuancedracismmightincludeafeaturelike“but”—IlikeeveryoneBUTIdon’tlikeitwhen[insertgroup]does[insertbehavior].TheseapproachesareconsistentwiththetypesofsemanticmovesthathavebeencommonlyreportedwhenresearchingWhitenarratives(Bonilla-Silva,2001,2002,2006).Cathyalsofollowedthissentenceupwith“butitishardtonothaveopinionsandideas,youknowwhatImean,right?”Cathynotonlyrevealsthestartofthecontradictionconsistentwiththeclaimnottojudge,butattemptstoestablishthatIwouldknowhowharditistoreallynotjudge. Toddclaims,“Iknowsomeofthekidsdidn’thavethebestparents,youknow.”Toddisnotaloneasmanyoftheparticipantsusedwhattheybelievedtobeasharedvaluethatparentsofminoritystudentswerenotthebestparents.Todd’sparticularuseof“youknow”helpsestablishwhathethinksisasharedunderstandingofpoorparentingthatdoesnotinfactconnectwithmyownbeliefsystemdespiteTodd’sarticulationof“sharedness.” Similarly,whentalkingaboutparentinvolvementatherpracticumsite,Cathysays“myparentswerealwaysthereformeunlike,well,youknow,alotofthesekids.”IamnotreallysurewhatCathymeansinsayingherparentswerealwaysthereforherorhowsheknowsorunderstandstheactualinteractionsofparentsinapracticumwhereshespendsonlyafewhoursaweek.Isuspectthatacombina-tionofmaster-narrativetellershavecontributedtoCathy’sunderstandings.Forthepurposesofthisarticle,IamintriguedthatCathydoesnotsimplyexpressherownmisguidedideaofparentinvolvementbutalsoworksinthatIshouldknowthatinurbansettings,whichshewasdiscussing,itiscommonknowledge—notjusttoherbutalsotome—thatparentsarenotalwaystherefortheirkids. Continuingwiththehomelifeandparentingconversation,Patalsodeploystheuseof“youknow.”Patbegandescribingherunderstandingof“badkids”inschoolsandsaid,“morenowthatIhavetakeneducationclasses,youknow,it’shomelife.”

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AlthoughthediversitycourseatLillydoesnotequatenegativestudentbehaviorwithhomelife,PatbelievesthatshelearnedthisconceptinherdiversitycourseandshealsobelievesthatasafellowWhitepersonItoowouldbelievethatstudentbehaviorislinkedtohomelife.WhatPatdoesnotknowisthatItaughtasimilarclassatthegraduatelevelanddonotframehomelifewithindeficitlenses. Anotherinstanceofthephrase“youknow”occurredwhenIaskedToddifhehadteachersfromracialgroupsotherthanhisown.Toddsaid,“Idon’tthinktwiceaboutitandit’snotsomethingthatItakeintoaccountandifyouseetheteacher’sBlackI’mnotlikeohhh,andIamnot,youknowIhadJonesandSmith(bothBlackfaculty),andIdon’thaveanypreconceptionsofthem.”TheanswerToddprovideddidnotrelatedirectlytothequestionasked,butdidestablishthatToddwantedtoshareabondwherebyIwouldunderstandthathedidnotjudgeateacher’sraceorthatsomehowtheraceofhisteacherdoesnotenterhisconsciousness.Interestingly,Todddidnotfinishthestatement,indicatingthatImustalreadyunderstandwhathewassayingandthemeaningofhisresponse,thereforecreatingnonecessitytocontinuehisresponse. FinallySierraalsousedthephrase“youknow”toestablishjudgmentsaboutgroupsthatmustbesharedknowledgeamongWhitepeople.Sierraassertsthatherhometown“...isbecomingmorediverse,uhmm,therearetwomaximumsecurityprisons,and,youknowhowprisonpopulationsaremostlyBlack.”SierraassumesthatIwouldrecognizeprisonpopulationstobemostlyBlack,andthatthepopulationofprisonersiswhatestablisheshercommunityasdiverse.SierraisassertingthatherandIshareacommon(problematic)definitionofdiversity,andthedefinitionrestswithcommunitiesbeingdiversewheretherearelargecriminalelements,whichbyheraccountaremostlyBlack.Thisdefinitionismarkedlydifferentfrommyown,butthewayinwhichlanguageisusedtorepresentsharedaffinityisfascinatingandproblematicallatonce. InthefirstiterationsofdataanalysisIwasconcernedthatperhapstheuseof“youknow”wassimplyalanguagefiller.Iwascarefultoattendtothepossibilitythatparticipantsmayhaveusedthephraseasanon-significantmarkerofnervesoruncertaintywithansweringaparticularquestion.Whendocumentingthecasesofeachparticipantaslayersofdataanalysis,thephraseof“youknow”doesnotoverwhelmordominateanyoneparticipant’snarrative.Afterreviewingthedatamultipletimes,andcloselyexaminingtheoccurrenceof“youknow”withinthecontextoftheinterviewsacrossparticipantcases,apatternemerged.Participantsused“youknow”directlybefore,during,orafterdirectlyloadedlanguageand/ordescriptionsrelatingtoraceandcommonlyseenaslessthanpoliticallycorrectorpolite(Fairclough,2003). Criticaldiscourseanalysis(Fairclough,1985)ishelpfulasitsuggeststhatweshouldcarefullyattendtothetotalityofthedatasetandnotmerelyrelyonindividualinstantiationsper se.Whenlookingacrosscasesforthewholestudy,specific“local”(thosesaidbyanindividual)utterancesgivewaytolargermore“global”(acrossthewhole) ideas (Fairclough, 2003).Thephrase “youknow”becomes analyti-

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callyinterestingbecauseitsoccurrencesappearasatoolusedtoestablishaffinityandbondingbetweenWhiteparticipants.WegrewupinverydifferentclassandgeographicbackgroundsbutdosharetheappearanceofWhiteness.Consequently,theideathatknowledgebeingdiscussedcouldbeasharedvalueseemstoindicatearelativeconnectionpremisedonourrace.Whiteracialbonding,demonstratedthroughthelinguisticandparalinguisticmarkerspresentedabove,playsaroleinthemaintenanceofWhiteprivilegeandsubjugationofracialothers.Theuseof“youknow”ismuchmorethanasemanticmoveusedtoexpressbonding.

Discussion Whiteracialbondingasmanifestedinthenarrativesofparticipantsgivesthemboth“extra room”tomovearoundand throughdiscussionsof race,aswellasamechanismtoidentifyandcapitalizeonWhiteness’propertyvalue.Throughtheirlanguageactparticipants“…canrepresentorimagineinterconnectedwebs”throughwhichtheyshareperspectivecenteredinthebenefitofWhiteness(Fairclough,2003,p.23).Theextraroomcreatedthroughbondingallowsparticipantstomakeknownones’beliefswithoutreallyhavingtoarticulatethespecificsandsubstanceofbeliefs.Thesemanticmovesofracialbondingaddsaninterestingdynamictothelargercorpusofstudiesofcolor-blindracism,whichsuggestthatwhenparticipantsareaskedtotalkaboutracetheyuselanguagetominimize,engagein‘now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t’approaches,andnaturalizewhattheyseeasracialdifferences(seeBonilla-Silva,2001,2006,asexamples).Inthisstudy,liketheworkofBonilla-Silva(2001,2002,2006),conversationsaboutraceareomni-present.Thedatapresentedherehelpstoopenupanavenuetothinkthroughthenatureofhowpre-serviceteacherscometounderstandthemselves,particularlyifwe“...understandthedialecticalinternalizationofdiscourse”whichenactsthroughactionparticulartypesofdiscourse(Fairclough,2003,p.22).Fairclough(2003)providesanexamplerelevanttothisarticlewhenhesays“thewayateacherteachesisanenactmentofparticularrepresentations,particulardiscourses,ofteaching—maybeevendeveloped‘theories’ofteaching”thatcanbelocatedattheintersectionsofonesbeliefsanddiscourses”(p.22). Thedeploymentof a semanticmove like“youknow”demonstratesWhitepeoplefeelsafeinrevealingideasthattheybelievenon-Whitegroupsmayseeasproblematic.TothatextenttheWhiteteachersinthisstudywereabletoconstructwhattheybelievedwasaprotectionofthepropertyvalueattachedtowhitenessbydrawingbacktoHarris’(1995)originalideasaboutWhiteness’propertyfunction.Thearticulationof“youknow”onlymakessensegivenparticipants’perceivedaffinitytoafellowWhitewithsimilarcapital.Ifparticipantshadperceivedmetobenon-White,ornotvaluingWhiteness’propertyvalueasarace-traitor(Ignatiev,1995),itislikelytheirnarrativeresponsestoquestionswouldhavediscountedmyabilitytoshareinthesamepersonalpropertyaffirmedtoWhite. WhenconsideringthemeaningofWhiteracialbonding,anaturalconnectionexiststotheCRTtenetofwhitenessaspropertypresentedearlier.TheconceptofWhitenessaspropertysuggeststhatWhiteness,anabsolutewithacertainlevelof

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inalienability,carriesvaluestothosewhopossessit(Harris,1995).ThehighsenseofvalueattachedtoWhitenesspromotesWhiteness’propertyfunction.AkeyideabehindpropertyvaluebecomeshowWhitepeoplenegotiatethemaintenanceofsaidvalue,particularlygiventhattopossessWhitenessisalsobelievedbythosewhopossessittohaveanabsoluteandinherentgoodness(DeCuir&Dixson,2004). Harris(1995)assertsthatWhitepeoplecapitalizeonWhitenessforthepur-poses of socializing and enjoyment.White racial bonding among and betweenWhitepeoplehelpsWhitepeopletosolidifyandshareinthehighvalueplacedonthereputationoftheirWhiteness.ConsequentlyWhiteteachersinthisprocessdevelopandrefinemechanismsto(1)protecttheirWhitenessvalue,(2)todismisschildrenandfamilieswhodonotpossesssaidvalue,and(3)topromote,whetherconsciouslyornot, thepersistentgapsinachievementbetweenWhiteandnon-Whitestudents.OneofthefunctionsofWhiteness’propertyvalueisits“absoluterighttoexclude,”andwithintheeducationalsystemitistellingtothinkaboutthosewhohavebeenmostexcludedfromtheopportunitiesandpromiseofafreepubliceducation(Harris,1995,p.282). EarlierIpresentedthefollowingfourelementsorconsiderationsforWhitenessasproperty(Harris,1995):

1. Use and enjoyments:Whiteness, having certain privileges, is enjoyable forthosewhopossess itas theycanbenefitfromtheprivileges ineverydaywaysandinteractions.

2.An absolute right to exclude:Becauseoftherewards,useandenjoyments,andreputationofWhiteness,Whitepeopleuseanabsoluterighttoexclude‘others’whileincludingfellowWhitepeoplesoastomaintainthepowerandprivilegeassociatedwiththeotheraspects.

3.Disposition:WhitenesspresentsrewardsbasedoncertainbehaviorsassociatedwithWhiteness.

4.Reputation and status:GiventhenatureofthebenefitsandprivilegesofWhiteness,Whitenessnecessarilyhasareputationandstatusthatneedstobemaintained.

Inowreturntoeachoftheseelementstounderstandhowtheparticipants’useofthesemanticmove“youknow”communicatesWhiteracialbonding. ThefirstevidentcharacteristicistheuseandenjoymentofWhiteness.Ifpar-ticipants’Whitenesswasbad,overtandcovertprivilegeswouldnotbepossible.In establishingbonding,participants framedcontroversial orproblematic ideasthroughoutnuancedandimpliedmeansusing“youknow”toassistinthatprocess.ParticipantscreatedsomedistancefromirrationalWhiteracists,seenaspeoplewhojeopardizetheenjoymentofWhitenessthroughtheiroutwardracism.Whilebeingabletocommunicatetheirviewsparticipantsarestilllikelytoholdontotheideathattheyarenotracist.Thereisagreatneedtodistanceoneselffromanyoneoranythingthatmayultimatelythreatenvalue.TheuseandenjoymentofWhite-nesscanbereceivedwithoutbeingresponsibleforthenegativeaspectsofracism.Whiteracialbondingwasdemonstratedbyparticipants’willingnesstosharein

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thenatureofwhitenessandestablishbeliefsinthecomfortofbeingwithanotherWhite.Whatever aparticipant said consequently couldprotect theirWhitenessfromoutsidethreatssolongastheyestablishasharedmeaningthatisimpliedbutneverfully“said.” ThesecondevidentcharacteristicisWhitenessaspropertyvaluehastheabso-luterighttoexclude.TheWhiteracialbondingthatoccurredinthisstudyhasbeenpresentedtoshowhowbondingconnectsWhitepeopletofellowWhitepeople.Likeanyconcept,Iwouldarguethatthecounter-conceptisalsonecessarytofullyunderstandwhatisinplace.WhereasthebondingisinclusiveofWhitepeople,thebondingisanti-inclusiveofthosewhoarenotWhiteorwouldnotbeperceivedtosharetheknowledgeandprivilegeofWhiteness.IstronglybelievethathadInotbeenWhiteorhadIbeenperceivedasaracetraitor,theracialbondingexpressedinlanguagewouldhavebeenabsent.IbasedthisinmyexperiencesworkingasateachereducatorinpredominatelyWhitesettings.Havingco-taughtcourseswithfacultyofColorIhaveexperiencedstudentsactivelyseekingtospeakwithmeandnotwiththefacultymemberofColor.Similarly,IhaveworkedcollegiallywithfacultyofColoronresearchteamswhereinteractionsofWhiteparticipantsvariedsignificantlybetweenresearchersofColorandWhiteresearchers.Inbondingandclaimingaffinity,aWhitepersonnotonlybondswiththeotherWhiteperson,buts/hehelpsestablishthatanyonewhoisnotWhitewillnotbeincludedinthebondandconsequentlytheabsoluterighttoexcludeisexecuted. Thethirdevidentcharacteristiccentersontheparticipants’useofWhiteracialbondingtoestablishparticulartypesofbehaviorsconsistentacrossthenarratives.Inconsistentlyengagingintheactofracialbonding,participantsestablishedthenatureofdisposition.Thatis,theparticipantsunderstoodthebehaviorsofWhitenessthatconferrewardsandbenefits.Further,participantsuseddiscourseinmodelingthecoherentbehaviorsofWhiteness,andattemptedtoconfirmsharedmeaningofthosedispositionsthroughthebondingmoveof“youknow.” ThefourthandfinalevidentcharacteristicisthereputationandstatusofWhite-ness.Racialbonding,asatypeofsemanticmove,helpsmaintainthereputationandstatusofWhitenessbecauseitcanonlybesharedwithotherpeoplewhoareperceivedtobelikeeachother.WhitenesswouldnotbenefitfromasituationthatmightdamageWhiteness.Thedanger,ofcourse,isthatWhitenessisnotuniversal.Infact,participants’perceptionthattheyarebondingmaybeapoorassumption(aswasthecasebetweenthemandme)dependentonwhoparticipantsaresharingtheirthoughtswithandwhatthatperson’sorientationandbeliefsmaybe. TheconversationofhowWhiteracialbondingisdemonstrativeofWhiteness’propertyvalueisfarmorethanatheoreticalconversation.InunderstandinghowthesemanticmovewasusedbyparticipantstorepresentthevalueofWhitenesswealsohaveawindowintothewayinwhichWhitepeopleusetheirprivilegedpositiontoshapetheirepistemologicalstandpointandunderstandingsofothers.Ifweunderstandpropertyasintellectualmaterial,asLadson-BillingsandTate(1995)havesuggested,teachers’decisionsabouthowtoapproachtheircraftwillinherently

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privilegethepropertyandpropertyvaluethattheypossess.Consequently,thereexistsapossessiveinvestmentandinterestinWhitenesstoprotectthenatureoftheintellectualmaterialsthatformhowWhitepeople,andinthiscaseWhiteteachers,seetheworld.TheviewofselfandothersdirectlyaffectshowWhiteteachersshapetheircraftandhowtheyvaluestudentswhoeitherpossessordonotpossesstheirsimilarpropertyvalueexpressedinrace. ThedeploymentofWhiteracialbondinghereissuggestiveoftheneedteachershavetomaintainthevalueoftheirWhiteness.Thesemanticmoveisinfactadefen-siveface-protectingposturebywhichthecorevalueofWhitenesscanbedefended(Brown&Levinson,1987).Theliteraturesuggests thatWhitepeopledrawfrom“stockstories”(Delgado,1993)servingasmasternarratives.ThesemasternarrativessocializeWhitepeopletothemeaningofWhitenessattheverysametimethattheyexcludethosenotpossessingWhiteness.Thoseexcludedaretoooftenstudentsandfamilies inurbancommunitieswithoutaccess to theprivileges (socio-economic,political,historical,andsocial)ofWhiteness.ConsequentlymasternarrativesareatypeofammunitioninthedeploymentofsemanticmovessuchasWhiteracialbond-ing.Teachereducatorslikemyselfmustdomoretochallengeorbringawarenesstopre-serviceteachers’attentionbeforetheyleaveourprograms. It is likely that these teacherswouldnot admitor acknowledge the roleofWhiteracialbonding,ascallingattentiontosuchapproachesnecessarilyopenstheopportunityforWhiteness’valuetobeweakened.Withoutmorespecificattentionpaidtothenarratives,pedagogicaltechniques,practices,andapproachesareabletodevelopparalleltotheseproblematicracialbeliefs,significantlyimpactingthetypesandopportunitiesofinstructionstudentsreceive.Whiletheindividualteachershaveresponsibilitytogrowingwiththeirownbeliefs,teachereducationprogramsbearresponsibilitytoworkwithstudentsandensurethatapre-serviceteacherenteringtheclassroomhasdevelopedacriticalsenseoftheirownidentityandprivilege.Asasimpleexample,ifIcallastudenta“free-and-reducedlunchstudent,”whatevervaluesIattachtothatsocio-economicmarkerimpacthowImightapproachteachingthestudent.Becausediscoursemakessenseofactionsandactionsshapethediscourse(Fairclough,2003),teachereducatorshavearesponsibilitytohelpcandidateslinkthoughttoactionbacktothought.I,alongwithacolleague(seeFasching-Varner,2012),haverecentlysuggestedthatwhatresultsfromthiscycleofbeliefsandpedagogyis“freeandreducedteaching,”preventinganauthenticengagementwithculturallyrelevant(Ladson-Billings,1994)pedagogicalapproaches.

Conclusion Giventhedemographicspresentedearlier, theteachingforcehasremainedWhiteandfemaleovertimeandthereisnothingthatwouldsuggestthatdemo-graphicrealityisshiftingorchanging.Similarly,thepopulationofpublicschoolstudents,particularlyinurbanareas,hascontinuedtobemorecomplexandvariedsinceBrown v. Board of Education.DemographicssuggestchildrenofColorarelikelytocontinuebeingtaughtbypredominatelyWhiteteachers,andWhiteteach-

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erswillcontinuebeingtheprimaryschoolingsocializerforstudentsofallracialbackgrounds.Thesedemographicshighlightwhathasalreadybeendiscussedasteacher/studentracialmismatch.Itisimperativethatteachereducatorsmakesenseofthenarrativesofpre-serviceteachersandhowsuchnarrativesmightbeusefultodisruptWhiteness in thepredominantlyWhitepre-service teaching force.2 Ibelieve,consequently,thataconcertedeffortneedstobemadetohelpteachersbreakthroughsocializationcyclesinordertoprovidemoreculturallyresponsive,congruent, and effective pedagogies (Fasching-Varner, 2008; Ladson-Billings,1994).Whiteteachers,furthermore,candevelopabetterunderstandingofhowtoproductivelyandmeaningfullyworkwithstudentswhoaredifferentfromthemonlywhentheycanacknowledgetheirownlimitationswithraceandbeopentounderstandingtheprivilegedmechanismstheyusetodiscussrace(Fasching-Varner,2006,2008,2012). Teacherdecisionsaboutwheretowork,howtoteach,andwhat/howtosocial-izechildrenarenottheoreticalconsiderations.Theseconsiderationsarenaturallymotivated,albeitoftentimessubconsciously,byvariousintersectionsof identityandexperiencesintheteachers’ownlives.Thinkingabouttheroleofateacher’sidentity,andinparticularateacher’sracialidentity,isnotsolelytobenefitstudentsfromhistoricallyunderrepresentedgroups.70%ofWhitestudentsarelikelytohaveaK-12schoolexperiencewithlessthan5%oftheirpeersbeingofadifferentrace(Fry,2007).ThisdatumsuggeststhatWhitepeople,too,arelearningfromtheirprimarilyWhiteteachersimportantmessagesaboutwhatitmeanstobeWhitewithinthecurrentschoolsystem.WhiteeducatorsteachWhitechildrenmuchabouttheexperienceofbeingWhite,furtheringcyclesofprivilegeandmarginalization,astheyteachthesemessagestostudentsofColor.

Note 1In1986approximately76%ofteacherspossessed10ormoreyearsofexperiencewithonly16%possessing6-9yearsand8%possessingfiveorlessyearsofexperience.By2011nearly26%ofteacherspossessedlessthanfiveyearsofteaching,with16%possessingsix-to-nineyearsand56%possessing10ormoreyears. 2Takemyowninstitutionandprogramforexample.OverthepasttwoyearsinaMasterofArtsinteachingprogramleadingtoinitialcertificationIhavetaught67studentsallofwhomwerefemale,withoneAfricanAmericanstudent,andthreeAsianAmericanstudents,representinga94%WhitestudentbodyandwithonlytheoneAfrican-Americanstudent(1.5%)comingfromwhatwemightidentifyasunderrepresentedpopulationinhighereducation.

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