White Lives : The Interplay of 'Race', Class and Gender in Everyday Life

How are we to understand race at the beginning of the twenty-first century? How do concepts of "race" intersect with gender and class? White Lives reconsiders white identities through white experiences of race. Exploring race, alongside the issues of class and gender, Bridget Byrne analyzes the endurability and flexibility of racialized discourse in everyday life, whilst simultaneously arguing for a radical deconstruction of the notions of race these discourses create. Bryne focuses on the experience of white mother's and their young children, as a key site in the reproduction of class, race and gender subjectivities. Through this, she offers a unique perspective on both the experience of motherhood and on ideas of white identity. She adopts a broad perspective on this issue, looking at local and private examples but also considering national and public debates concerning race. This accessible book will appeal across disciplines, to students studying sociology, anthropology, race and ethnicity and cultural studies.

This revealing book explores the processes of racialization, class and gender, and examines how these processes play out in the everyday lives of white women living in London with young children. Bridget Byrne analyzes the flexibility of racialized discourse in everyday life, whilst simultaneously arguing for a radical deconstruction of the notions of race these discourses create.

Byrne focuses on the experience of white mothers and their children, as a key site in the reproduction of class, race and gender subjectivities, offering a compelling account of both the experience of motherhood and ideas of white identity.

Byrne's research is unique in its approach of exploring whiteness in the context of practices of mothering. She adopts a broad perspective, and her approach provides a suggestive framework for analyzing the racialization of everyday life. The book’s multi-layered analysis shifts expertly from intimate acts to those which engage with local and national discourses in more public spaces.

Reconsidering white identities through white experiences of race, White Lives encompasses many disciplines, making valuable reading for those studying sociology, anthropology, race and ethnicity, and cultural studies.

Winner of the BSA Philip Abrams Memorial Prize 2007

Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Dedications......Page 3 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 7 1. Knowing 'whiteness'......Page 8 2. Troubling 'Race'......Page 22 3. Talk, Tea and Tape Recorders......Page 35 4. Narrating the Self......Page 49 5. Seeing, Talking, Living ‘Race’......Page 79 6. In Search of a 'Good Mix': 'Race', Class and Practices of Mothering......Page 111 7. How English am I?......Page 145 8. Conclusion......Page 175 Notes......Page 183 Bibliography......Page 188 Appendix 1: Interviewees......Page 198 Appendix 2: Interview Questions......Page 201 Index......Page 203 Exploring the processes of racialization, class and gender, this book examines how these processes play out in the everyday lives of white women living in London with young children. It analyzes the flexibility of racialised discourse in everyday life, while arguing for a radical deconstruction of the notions of race these discourses create "White Lives reconsiders white identities through white experiences of race. Exploring race, alongside class and gender, Bridget Byrne analyses the flexibility of racialised discourse in everyday life, while simultaneously arguing for a radical deconstruction of the notions of race these discourses create."--BOOK JACKET. Exploring race alongside issues of class and gender, 'White Lives' analyzes the endurability and flexibility of racialised discourse in everyday life, while simultaneously arguing for a radical deconstruction of the notions of race these discourses create Knowing "whiteness" Troubling "race" Talk, tea, and tape recorders Narrating the self Seeing, talking, living "race" In search of a "good mix" : "race", class, and gender and practices of mothering How English am I? Conclusion.