Abstract
In defining and evaluating social justice awareness, skills and advocacy, a critical element is examining White privilege. The purpose of this study was to explore conceptions of White privilege with White school psychology graduate students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 White school psychology graduate students. A phenomenological approach was used to uncover how individuals reflected on questions regarding White privilege. Analysis of 13 verbatim transcripts resulted in the extraction of 205 significant statements,15 themes, and 44 subthemes. A framework was derived to summarize how these participants conceptualized White privilege. The themes were: Defining White privilege; White privilege is freedom from thinking about race; White privilege related to government, law and policy; White privilege is greater unearned benefits; White privilege is having your society normed to your experiences; Learning about experiences of people of color helps one to understand their White privilege; Discussing or speaking up about White privilege is challenging; Discussing White privilege is easier with a non-judgmental White person; White privilege requires recognizing blind spots and bias; White privilege elicits emotions; White privilege requires taking action; Causes of White privilege; White privilege in the context of schools; White privilege in graduate school; and Aversive alternative views. Supporting quotes from the students interviewed were used to illustrate these themes. Trainers may draw on these examples that illustrate students’ range of feelings, challenges, and benefits in this development process of exploring White privilege relevant to effective practice. Implications and recommendations are highlighted for trainers of school psychologists.
