Whiteness theory

Whiteness theory is a field under whiteness studies, that studies what white identity means in terms of social, political, racial, economic, culture, etc. Whiteness theory posits that if some Western societies make whiteness central to their respective national and cultural identities, their white populations may become blind to the privilege associated with White identity. The theory examines how that blindness may exclude, otherize and perhaps harm non-white individuals and segments of the population.

Whiteness theory is an offshoot of critical race theory that sees race as a social construct. It posits that practice of Whiteness are visible systems of whiteness that white people use to maintain power to benefit only white people. Critical Whiteness Theory positions Whiteness as the default of North American and European cultures, and as a result of this default, majority of white people are allegedly blind to the advantages and disadvantages of being White due to the dominant cultural and social processes created through the ongoing and historical performativity of whiteness. Stemming from the lack of cultural awareness, humanity, and empathy with racial others as a result of being White, Whiteness Theory looks at the social, power, and economic challenges that arise from disregard or denial of white privilege, and the use of strategies of whiteness to reassert white space, also known as white degeneracy.