New Books in Critical Theory Helen Morgan, "The Work of Whiteness: A Psychoanalytic Perspective" (Routledge, 2021)
Jul 6, 2022
Helen Morgan, a Jungian training analyst and author of 'The Work of Whiteness: A Psychoanalytic Perspective,' dives deep into the intricacies of race and identity. She discusses how 'whiteness' is a political construct that perpetuates systemic racism, especially within liberal families. Morgan critiques the colonial roots of Freud and Jung, suggesting a cultural complex to connect individual psyches with societal structures. The conversation also addresses the emotional struggles of guilt and the need for reparative actions in confronting historical injustices.
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Morgan's Journey to Whiteness
- Helen Morgan shares her journey starting in the 1990s working with a black patient which sparked her interest in race and whiteness.
- She realized she had unexamined whiteness and focused her book on exploring it psychoanalytically rather than speaking for people of color.
White Ignorance as Active Ignoring
- White ignorance acts as an active ignoring to maintain white privilege and hinder racial discussion.
- White institutions often avoid seriously addressing race despite periodic awareness and calls for change.
Race as Social Construct
- Race is a historically constructed, powerful social division harming all, not just black people.
- White people must understand their racialized position and not see critical race theory as an attack on them.
