Hitting the white ceiling: Structural racism and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university graduates

Plater, S; Mooney-Somers, J; Barclay, L; Boulton, J

Hitting the white ceiling: Structural racism and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university graduates

Plater, S Mooney-Somers, J Barclay, L

Boulton, J

Permalink

Publisher:: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Sociology, 2020, 56, (3), pp. 487-504
Issue Date:: 2020-09-01

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	1440783319859656.pdf	Published version	166.16 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Plater, S
dc.contributor.author	Mooney-Somers, J
dc.contributor.author	Barclay, L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9345-3468
dc.contributor.author	Boulton, J
dc.date.accessioned	2021-04-23T00:19:21Z
dc.date.available	2021-04-23T00:19:21Z
dc.date.issued	2020-09-01
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Sociology, 2020, 56, (3), pp. 487-504
dc.identifier.issn	1440-7833
dc.identifier.issn	1741-2978
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/148287
dc.description.abstract	This article reports on a study that explored what it means to be a mature-age Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university graduate in the context of age, life-stage, history, culture, socioeconomic status, race and place. Using narrative interview data and fieldwork observation, we focus on the graduates’ workplace experiences and take a case study approach to amplify their voices. We argue that the data challenges the ideological construct of Australia as a ‘post-racial’ society and illustrates how interrelated variants of structural racism function to sanction, silence and control educated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, divide communities into quasi-hierarchies, and sustain white power and privilege. We show how these variants are expressed as low expectations, shadeism, culturism and privilege protectionism, and argue that their enactment can erect an invisible barrier to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professional progression: a ‘white ceiling’ above which many graduates struggle to ascend.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Sociology
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/1440783319859656
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1606 Political Science, 1608 Sociology, 2002 Cultural Studies
dc.subject.classification	Sociology
dc.title	Hitting the white ceiling: Structural racism and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university graduates
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	56
utslib.for	1606 Political Science
utslib.for	1608 Sociology
utslib.for	2002 Cultural Studies
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-04-23T00:19:19Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	56
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

This article reports on a study that explored what it means to be a mature-age Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university graduate in the context of age, life-stage, history, culture, socioeconomic status, race and place. Using narrative interview data and fieldwork observation, we focus on the graduates’ workplace experiences and take a case study approach to amplify their voices. We argue that the data challenges the ideological construct of Australia as a ‘post-racial’ society and illustrates how interrelated variants of structural racism function to sanction, silence and control educated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, divide communities into quasi-hierarchies, and sustain white power and privilege. We show how these variants are expressed as low expectations, shadeism, culturism and privilege protectionism, and argue that their enactment can erect an invisible barrier to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professional progression: a ‘white ceiling’ above which many graduates struggle to ascend.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/148287