Theorizing Whiteness

Introduction

The concept of race has been a highly contested term, historically varying in the context of meaning and understanding. Social scientists recognized race to be socially constructed (DuBois 1968). People were placed in categories to identify them as either the same or different. Similar to class, the difference in placement into these categories was marked by ones socio-historical existence.

Every person 's life is shaped by race, in this case, the white race being that which was and still is dominant. The difference for whites is that they often do not even have to recognize their own whiteness in order to benefit from it. Seen as something beyond the confines of race, whiteness has been regarded as normal. However this study

According to (Dyer 1997), whites are overwhelmingly and disproportionately predominant, because of this and their placing, they seem to be placed beyond the concept that of race. Many of those who are white see themselves as just people who are part of the human race, and those with a darker shade being those who belong to a particular race. In understanding the aforementioned, one has to understand what white privilege entails.

The invincibility or visibility of whiteness can be seen almost in everyday encounter ' like the privilege whiteness carries, it is only visible to those who are conscious and invisible to white people. Colonialism and apartheid are no more, however South Africa still kneels at its exploitative feet thus many in the population remain marginalized, because of their race. Race was used to identify those who stood to benefit from the systems who were predominantly whites. Thus the making of whites stems from an exploitative past of dispossession and subjugation. Today whiteness or rather white people remain beneficiaries of the colonial and apartheid past occupying key positions of power. However not all whites are equal, there are those who are more privileged than others whites, but it does not mean that their whiteness does not put them at an advantage than other races. Whiteness

The year 1994 came with efforts of reconciliation for past injustices which had both blacks and whites fighting alongside one another giving birth to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. Thoughts of a being free and a better future for blacks seemed somewhat surreal and the idea of a rainbow nation was born and embraced. Two decades have since past and much hasn 't changed. The past two years have marked the birth of a new type of uprising of students, namely the Fees Must Fall, Rhodes Must Fall and recently Unsilence UFS to mention a few which to address the issues of reform in higher institutions which are predominantly white