The Monstrous 'White Theory Boy

Symbolic Capital, Pedagogy and the Politics of Knowledge

Bibliographic Data

ID2643026
AuthorsSarah Burton (0000-0003-3077-6304, Goldsmiths University of London, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume20
Issue3
Pages167-177
Publication date2015-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Research Online (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1360-7804 • E-ISSN: 1360-7804
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.5153/sro.3746
OpenAlexW2292279154
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited17

This article presents a critical uncovering of the continued dominance of whiteness and maleness in processes and practices of knowledge formation. Tracking the figure of the 'white theory boy' or 'dead white man' across experiential accounts of theory, scholarship on canonicity, and pedagogical strategies, the article demonstrates his enduring authority in theoretical knowledge making and dissemination. Where this article moves somewhere different is its suggestion that a space of sympathy be extended to this hegemonic figure. Though the dominance of the 'white theory boy' undoubtedly perpetuates inequalities throughout social theoretic thought, it is necessary to locate a new method of tackling such ingrained problems. Though extending sympathy to the 'white theory boy' is perhaps initially counter-intuitive, my suggestion is that he does not hold the sort of monolithic power we might first assume. Bringing an intersectional analysis of gender, class, 'race' and ethnicity to bear on this figure, creates a space in which a more critical and fine-grained account of the relationship between power, knowledge, and social status can be uncovered. It is through extending this space of sympathy and mutual cooperation to 'white theory boys' that the practical and conceptual machinations of their power are further revealed. From here a more thorough dismantling of this power becomes possible

Critical race theory · Critical theory · Epistemology · Hegemony · Political science · Politics · Power structure · Racism · Scholarship · Social science · Social theory · Sociology · Sympathy · Anthropology · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Psychology

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