Did that offend you? If so, kindly also denounce the University of Wisconsin: University faces backlash for ‘Problem of Whiteness’ course A university is facing a backlash for running a course entitled ‘The Problem of Whiteness’. Professor Damon Sajnani will teach the course, which is part of the African Cultural Studies programme at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The description of the course reads: ‘Have you ever wondered what it really means to be white? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably ‘no.’ But here is your chance! ‘In this class, we will ask what an ethical white identity entails, what it means to be #woke, and consider the journal Race Traitor’s motto, ‘treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity.” It has attracted a stream of criticism, with Republican legislator Dave Murphy calling on the university to cancel the course, CNN reported. He believes The Problem of Whiteness, which starts next term, will lead to racial division. In a statement, he said: ‘I am extremely concerned that UW-Madison finds it appropriate to teach a course called, ‘The Problem of Whiteness,’ with the premise that white people are racist. ‘If UW-Madison stands with this professor, I don’t know how the university can expect the taxpayers to stand with UW-Madison. ‘Even more troubling, the course is taught by a self-described ‘international radical’ professor whose views are a slap in the face to the taxpayers who are expected to pay for this garbage.’ However, the university has defended its decision and Professor Sajnani. It said: ‘We believe this course, which is one of thousands offered at our university, will benefit students who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of race issues. ‘The course is a challenge and response to racism of all kinds.’ Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke also criticised the course, tweeting: ‘This is racism against white people. ALL racism is wrong.’ http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/26/university-faces-backlash-for-problem-of-whiteness-course-6345221/
Hmmm... Very rarlely will I agree with you Dei but this naming of a public university course like that accomplishes nothing but adding fuel to the raging flame and it propagates a wrong message of being inherently wrong because of your skin color. Just stupid. That proffesor is trying to rustle jimmies or something. Anyways, why would anyone pay money to take these type of courses. God and I though engineering ethics was a pointless class.
So much fail in our society trying to discuss something, down to a simple thread title. So we're going to discuss the merits of a course by its title alone? Sounds like a good idea. Maybe the FDA should post labels on food based only on their titles. I wonder what "Twinkies" or "Wonderbread" should receive, in terms of cultural outrage and warning labels? Ironically, having heard "the problem of whiteness" before, I wager Dei would probably actually like this course and find himself nodding his head frequently. It is a cultural problem that we have all this identity politics running around but we don't have a way to talk about white people. That frustration is of course part of what brings you festering White Nationalism, the 2016 election, and some of the more offensive posts on this once-sane BBS. Right now, "white" just seems to mean "not of color," but white means lots of different things other than an absence. That is, I would assume, one of the central problems the professor is going to confront. But geez, can we at least get a syllabus or a reading list before we get outraged? I know it's very fashionable to get fuming angry over carefully curated snippets from higher education, but at least speak from a half-informed place. The reading list would tell you everything, if somebody actually cares about this course, (that students are free to not take, by the way, and that will be cancelled if students don't sign up for it). And if you want to make an analogy to the actual course title, OP, your thread title needs to be something like "The Problem with Color-ness." His course is not titled, "The Problem with White People." I know it's probably intentional, but you've typed something about an actual group of people, (with glee, probs), and he's typed something about a color and cultural idea.
The course description appears to be anti-racist, if anything. "Treason to whiteness" indicates that whiteness is a set of beliefs to which people can be loyal; otherwise, how could you commit treason against it? Likewise, "treason to blackness" or whatever color would imply that "blackness" is a set of beliefs that can be betrayed. If a person thinks there can be "treason" against any race, I would say that person has racist beliefs. I do not believe "treason" against any race is possible, because I do not think whiteness, blackness, etc. involves any laws or beliefs that one can betray. On this board, we have to make things extra plain: the course would be teaching that if you believe there is a thing called "whiteness," you need to learn how to betray your "whiteness" laws and beliefs.
Possibly both. Definitely a name designed to generate controversy, and very likely a very controversial class itself.
Why? The course wasn't called "The Problem with White People". I don't know what "The Problem of Whiteness" is supposed to mean -- I'd need to read an actual course description.
OP: I have to point out your thought error: "Problem of whiteness" and "problem with people of color" is apples and oranges. "Whiteness" is an idea; "people of color" are people. I don't know if you misunderstand this, or you are just looking to denigrate the majority of humans in the world again.
This is what a lot of those campus protests in the later '60s, particularly in sufficiently integrated campuses like Pac 10, were often about. In Ivy League schools where you've got genuinely inquisitive kids who will read and research the heck out of the assigned material, particularly History majors, it's probably decent practice attacking and articulating arguments on a different subject that could come up in political or crime journalism. In larger, more diverse public universities the enrollment can easily be overrun by people who identify a bit more with the topics and can turn it into a pep rally. But yeah, all these concepts can be explored in conventional social sciences or history courses without such a loaded theme.
Title didn't offend me. I became curious. "The problem with blackness/whiteness" academic course would be interesting. Would need to know what the course teaches, but I have to assume it's academic in nature. Folks that are offended without knowing the course, is offended because of a few words, not content. Too easily lose mind over words.
As a general comment, university professors live in one huge liberal echo chamber. Even Bieber-Bob is "requesting a syllabus" before he condemns!
Do you consider yourself anti intellectual or would you consider university professors dumb/naive? Follow up question: What is your take on Betsy DeVos as secretary of education?
Just as another liberal poster pointed out, the title is offensive. Nevermind the course contents, but the title already suggests a conclusion. For the record, you do not have a problem with a course being named "The Problem with Colored People" or "Color-ness" or "Blackness" if you prefer (although, in the context of the degree program it is associated with, should make it synonymous with people)?
I disagree. You can't separate white identity from people. Let me just make it clear, you're ok with a course titled, "The Problem with Blacks" or "Blackness"?
So what did we learn here... the OP (or whoever posted this earlier on the OPs Facebook stream) changed the course title to misrepresent the professor's intent with the course to cry wolf about how Universities are biased and racist against "whites". When called upon it (and the questions it raised about his integrity) he sidesteps and then tries to suggest the real title is somehow also biased and racist against whites. Of course ignoring calls for an examination of the course description or syllabus, which would provide more information about the actual course and professors intentions. The irony is then some someone else bites on the OPs bait, describing the "echo chamber" that the OP and other poster live in, er, I mean describing universities as being one big "echo chamber". If university professors have any biases, I suspect their biggest bias is against right wing extremists changing their course titles in order to make some inane and untrue political point ("white identity"? You have to be kidding!). So moving along, as usual, there is nothing here to see...
There is a difference between the problem with "blacks" and the problem with "blackness". I don't think the title of a course of "The problem with blackness" would be offensive at all. By the way Whiteness does not mean whites, it's an academic topic referring to a social construct and has been critiqued by many authors and professors for decades without apparently ever offending you or anyone else. Dei, you are showing us how the right is actually the party that is far more politically correct and intolerant of ideas or concepts. I suggest you stand for exchanging ideas and not reacting with so much hostility to a word without understanding its meaning or context. End this PC madness
"The Problem with Blacks" -- no. For the same reason I'd take issue with "The Problem with Whites". "The Problem with Blackness" -- I'd need more information on what the course is about. I think others have already explained the reason.
