Campus Political Activities courtesy of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva | James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology | Duke University

It’s not the rotten apples: The Role of White Normativity, Racial Habituation, and RWF in Maintaining Racial Domination

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. On racial matters, most of us believe the devil is the racist, prejudiced individuals who discriminate against people of color. In this lecture, Professor Bonilla-Silva will argue that the devil has pulled a new trick: convincing the world that racism is all about the “rotten apples.” He will argue that racial domination fundamentally depends on the actions and inactions of RWF (regular white folks). To account for this new take on racism, he will explain how  “white normativity” rather than the actions of the big, bad wolves shape the racial polity. And white normativity is enacted by RWF manufactured through the process of “racial habituation.” He will explain these new terms to enlarge and slightly amend his original theorization in “Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation.” Professor Bonilla-Silva will conclude outlining how his theoretical amendments can help improve both our analyses as well as our political efforts combatting racism.

The Illinois Department of Sociology’s annual Florian Znaniecki Lecture was launched in 2007, with the twin purposes of remembering Znaniecki’s scholarly legacy and bringing distinguished sociologists to Illinois to interact with Znaniecki’s home department. The annual lecture takes place on the spring semester reading day in early May, and its invited high-profile speakers over the years include four American Sociological Association presidents and other influential scholars. The lecture aims to highlight speakers with significant sociological contributions to the broad areas of research that Znaniecki is known for—culture, theory, methodology, and immigration/migration studies.