White fragility
An emotion regulation perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8725697 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brett Q Ford (0000-0002-7943-4447, corresponding author), Dorainne J Green (0000-0003-1026-3501), James J Gro (0000-0003-3624-3090), James J Gross |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 510-524 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Psychologist (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-066X • E-ISSN: 1935-990X |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1037/amp0000968 |
| PMID | 35130003 |
| OpenAlex | W4210848857 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 26 |
To address anti-Black Racism, systemic change across many domains in American life will be necessary. There are many barriers to change, however, and progress requires identifying these barriers and developing tools to overcome them. Given that White individuals disproportionately occupy "gatekeeping" positions of power, one key barrier to systemic change is rooted in White individuals' emotional (and emotion-regulatory) responses when considering their own role in racism (e.g., involvement in racist systems, biased actions). White people often experience such moments as a jeopardy to their valued goals and are consequently highly motivated to reduce the negative emotions that they feel by denying or avoiding the issue-a multifaceted response known as a White fragility response. When White individuals enact a White fragility response, they can further damage the well-being of Black members of their community and weaken their own motivation for systemic change. Given its stark costs, it is critical to understand White fragility responses. In this article, we argue that White fragility can be usefully viewed through the lens of emotion and emotion regulation theory. In particular, we describe the emotion and emotion regulation responses that characterize White fragility, summarize the wide-ranging consequences of White fragility responses, highlight more sustainable ways forward, and end by considering a broader fragility framework that acknowledges multiple dimensions of power. Although emotion regulation lies at the heart of White fragility, emotion regulation is also a tool that can be leveraged for greater justice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
Cognitive psychology · Fragility · Perspective (graphical · Political science · PsycINFO · Racism · Sociology · White (mutation · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Psychology · Gender Studies · Law · Social Psychology
White Resilience
Claiming victimhood as a response in discussions about privilege and advantaged group identity
Emotion Regulation Tactics
Effects of a white privilege framing and a test of moderators
Critical socialization in White families
The role of colorblind racism and white fragility in maintaining racist bullying in middle school
No more nice mentors
How can white parents raise anti‐racist children? Introducing the routes to effective anti‐racist parenting (Reap) model
Black Poverty Leads White Americans to Blame Racial Inequality on Black Americans Themselves
Who Should Learn About Race in School? Lay Theories About the Relevance of Lessons About Race to Students of Color and White Students
Application of the Enduring Legacy of the Integrative Model to Investigating White Adolescent Ethnic-Racial Identity Development
Examining Parenting and Anti‐Racism Among White Parents
Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Cisteria
Intergroup bias regulation strategies in non-Black Americans
Women evaluate ally men less positively and are less willing to work with them for gender equality when men deny their male privilege
White power on trial
Ethnic-racial identity among White adolescents
Investing in Black LGBTQ+ liberation as white people
Breaking the Silence
Feeling a little uneasy
Equating silence with violence
Testing message strategies that minimize White Americans’ backlash to racial equity information
Expressive Suppression in Response to Discrimination
Infusing antiracism into counselor education
Black women married to White men
Because of the Color of My Skin
| Unique citing works | 26 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 6,5 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 25 |