Reviews for The Machinery of Whiteness: Studies in the Structure of Racialization

The average rating for The Machinery of Whiteness: Studies in the Structure of Racialization based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-01-10 00:00:00 John Holloman I love what Steve Martinot is doing with this book. I love that he comes out and says (and shows) the way that white supremacy is a fundamental organizing principle of US political and cultural institutions. His argument is (briefly) that impunity, paranoia, and white purity are key components to white racial identity and ideology. He illustrates the development of white racial identity and ideology through careful attention to law in the colonial era and into the present. His book is powerful. One thing that really irks me about it, though, is his employment of political science terms in atypical ways when there are other terms that he could use for the same purpose. As a political philosopher, he should understand why this is unacceptable. For example, sovereignty is something states have, not individuals. It would be perfectly appropriate for him to say autonomy or agency as opposed to sovereignty. However, he chooses to use the word sovereignty instead. I think this is problematic because of the confusion that it could cause for students. If there were good reasons for using terms in atypical way, and if he explained clearly why he chose to use them atypically, then it wouldn't bother me so much. However, he doesn't do that. And playing fast and loose with terms can lead to conceptual confusion that's unnecessary. But really, that's my only problem with this book. If I were going to teach this book, I would just have to be extra careful with my students to point out the language choices he made.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-05-17 00:00:00 Darlene Fromhart 305.8 M3864 2010