Study Guide: White Fragility - Robin DiAngelo (SuperSummary)

DiAngelo stresses that all White people play a role in perpetuating White supremacy—and that it is possible for them to change this if they are willing to examine how underlying assumptions influence their behavior. DiAngelo presents a sociological analysis of White people’s emotional responses to racism, which she terms “White fragility.”

White fragility is the result of socialized beliefs about race, racism, and White supremacy. When White people’s racial comfort is challenged, they feel a range of defensive emotions, which they externalize through negative actions and behaviors. To combat White fragility, White people must first become more aware of their internalized convictions, and then actively teach themselves to respond differently in the moment.

DiAngelo’s book rests on analysis that positions her ideas in a historical and social context. She frequently reminds readers that individual White people have been socialized into an overarching system of White supremacy. Further, she alludes to the morphing, adaptive nature of racism—a phenomenon that demands a constant analysis of new presentations of racism in social settings. The idea of interrogating White fragility is meant to help White people unlearn their implicit biases and work against White supremacy. 

This guide for “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 12 chapters, as well as several more in-depth sections of expert-written literary analysis. 

• Commentary on major characters
• 25 important quotes
• Essay topics
• How white resistance to thinking and talking about race leads to complicity in systemic racism and discomfort as a trigger.
• PASSIONAL Boutique & Sexploratorium's collection of learning tools and resources on relationship and family exists to enhance your connections and give meaning and context to your emotional ties.
• Robin DiAngelo is an American author, consultant, and facilitator working in the fields of critical discourse analysis and whiteness studies.
• Publisher: ‎ Independently published (January 31, 2020)
• Weight: ‎ 2.99 ounces
• Size: ‎ 6 x 0.12 x 9 inches
• Paperback: ‎ 50 pages

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