• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Graduate Theses, Dissertations and Projects
    • Queen's Graduate Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Graduate Theses, Dissertations and Projects
    • Queen's Graduate Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Breaking Down 'Race': A Radical Retheorization of Racial Formation Theory

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Crawford_Cheryl_L_200709_MA.pdf (722.0Kb)
    Date
    2007-09-18
    Author
    Crawford, Cheryl Lynn
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    This thesis is a retheorization of Omi's and Winant's (1986) racial formation theory,which addresses the implications, inconsistencies and limitations of the initial theory. It is argued that Omi's and Winant's theory is problematic insofar as it supports the notion of ‘race’ permanency despite being a social constructionist theory. Omi and Winant also largely ignore the naturalization of ‘race’ and ignore the role of ‘nature’ and science in knowledge production and the reproduction of ‘race’. This thesis proposes a radical extension of the theory that addresses these problems, calling itself a radical racial formation theory.

    In this extension, the debate over the ‘race’ concept and the conundrum that the

    ‘race’ theorist finds him/herself in is discussed. The role of sociologists in maintaining ‘race’ is considered. ‘Race’ is argued to be an emergent and formative feature of modernity supported by liberalism. It is argued that ‘race’ is often tied to ‘nature’ and made to seem as though both precede history. It is argued that both ‘nature’ and science need to be contested. The notion that all scientific aims are altruistic is challenged given the embeddedness of science in the social. The doctrine of essentialism is confronted

    along with the belief that essences present themselves as secure ‘knowledge’. The

    production of racial knowledge is central to this thesis as it is seen as one of the least

    critiqued arenas in which ‘race’ is reproduced. A radical racial formation theory is situated theoretically in the camps of the Frankfurt school's critical theory and Foucault's poststructuralism and a rapprochement between the two is called for. There is a discussion of the ‘present’ in Foucault's genealogical use, where it is argued that the present exists as a powerful moment where there can be a discontinuity with the present social formation and a break with the racial past. Finally, the Gramscian use of ‘hegemony’ is used to understand racial dominance. It is argued that whiteness presents itself as hegemonic in racial formation and counter-hegemonic possibilities are entertained.
    URI for this record
    http://hdl.handle.net/1974/686
    Collections
    • Queen's Graduate Theses and Dissertations
    • Department of Sociology Graduate Theses
    Request an alternative format
    If you require this document in an alternate, accessible format, please contact the Queen's Adaptive Technology Centre

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2015  DuraSpace
    Contact Us
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV
     

     

    Browse

    All of QSpaceCommunities & CollectionsPublished DatesAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypesThis CollectionPublished DatesAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypes

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage StatisticsView Google Analytics Statistics

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2015  DuraSpace
    Contact Us
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV