Observing whiteness in introductory physics: A case study

Within whiteness, the organization of social life is in terms of a center and margins that are based on dominance, control, and a transcendent figure that is consistently and structurally ascribed value over and above other figures. In this paper, we synthesize literature from Critical Whiteness Studies and Critical Race Theory to articulate analytic markers for whiteness, and use the markers to identify and analyze whiteness as it shows up in an introductory physics classroom interaction. We name mechanisms that facilitate the reproduction of whiteness in this local context, including a particular representation of energy, physics values, whiteboards, gendered social norms, and the structure of schooling. In naming whiteness and offering a set of analytic markers, our aim is to provide instructors and researchers with a tool for identifying whiteness in their own contexts. Alongside our discussion, which imagines new possibilities for physics teaching and learning, we hope our work contributes to Critical Whiteness Studies’ goal of dismantling whiteness.

Figure 1

Flowchart from Marya, “Health and Justice—The Path of Liberation Through Medicine,” published as a Medium article on 06/12/2020, accessed 06/26/2020 [55]. Reproduced with permission from the author. Many thanks to the Decolonizing Education Conference for making us aware of Dr. Marya’s work. Image description: A flowchart illustrating how multiple forms of oppression are related, and how these lead to multiple forms of harm. At the top is colonialism, which leads to capitalism and supremacism, which are themselves connected. These flow into white supremacy, patriarchy, and human supremacy, which fuel things like slavery, ecocide, and genocide, which all connect to trauma and then inflammation. Multiple forms of harm are connected back up to capitalism.

Figure 2

Energy-interaction diagram for heating a big bucket of water. Image description: At the top of the diagram is a horizontal arrow, marked “beginning” on the left and “end” on the right. Under “beginning” is the caption “liquid water, $x$ degrees C,” and under “end” is “liquid water, $x+1$ degrees C.” Underneath the arrow is a set of concentric circles, the outer one dashed with the heading “water in bucket,” and the inner one solid, with “temp $T$” in the middle, followed by an upward arrow labeled “$E_{\mathrm{thermal}}$”, followed by “$T_i=x$ degrees C,” and finally, “$T_f=x+1$ degrees C.” The diagram indicates with an arrow that heat is entering the outer concentric circle. At the very bottom of the diagram are the situation-specific equations for the First Law of Thermodynamics and heat capacity.

Figure 3

Drake stands up immediately after Iris assigns problems to his group. Image description: Drake (pseudonym) faces a whiteboard, standing, and is reaching for the marker. Paris is seated at the table, facing away from Drake. Gail is standing opposite Paris, standing up.

Figure 4

Drake writes “heating” above the horizontal line he’s drawn on the whiteboard. Image description: Drake stands facing the board with a whiteboard marker in his hand. He has started to draw the Energy Interaction Diagram. Paris faces away from the board, toward the table, and is looking down at the table. Gail faces the board and looks down at a notebook.

Figure 5

Paris and Gail increasingly turn their attention to the whiteboard as they sense make. Arrows indicate participants’ gaze. Image description: A series of images that analyze Drake’s, Paris’, and Gail’s gaze. In the first image, Drake is facing Paris and Gail and they are looking toward him and the board. In the second image, Drake looks at the board and Paris and Gail look at one another. In the next four images, Paris and Gail alternate between looking at one another and looking at the board, and Drake looks exclusively at the board. In the final three images, Paris and Gail’s attention is more stably on the board.

Figure 6

Drake raises his hand to share out for his team (top image). When he lowers his hand, Paris draws attention to him by pointing (bottom image). Image description: Two images: In the top image, Drake and Paris are seated at the table and Gail is taking a seat opposite them. Drake is raising his hand and Paris and gail are gazing down at the table. In the bottom image, Paris is pointing at Drake and Drake’s hand has lowered. Drake is gazing in the direction of the instructor. Gail is looking down at her notebook, which is on the table.

Figure 7

Gail moves inward to comment on the EID. Image description: A series of five images of Drake, Gail, and Paris standing at a whiteboard. Drake is directly in front of the Energy Interaction Diagram he has drawn, on the left side of the board. Over the series of images, Gail moves inward toward the diagram and then back, but does not move all the way back to where she was standing. Paris remains to the right.