Running head: WHITE RACIAL CONSCIOUSNESS MODEL 1

White Racial Consciousness Model in Practice

Sophia Calhoun
Western Carolina University
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Introduction
In my current work as a University Studies Instructor for incoming college freshmen I

have the opportunity to begin conversations on societal realities that my students may never have

considered. One of my most challenging topics is that of race and racialized society. Many of my

students identify as White, and therefore may have never considered what that identity means for

themselves, the people around them, or society on the whole. By studying the White Racial

Consciousness Model, I have been able to recognize where my students are in their

understanding their identity, and ways in which I can move them forward to deeper levels of

understanding. In this essay I will summarize the components of the White Racial Consciousness

Model, and explain how its application has impacted my teaching style.

Description of Theory
Rowe, Bennett, and Atkinson developed the White Racial Consciousness Model

(WRCM) in 1994 as a method of describing one’s awareness of being White and what that

implies in relation to those who do not share White group membership (Patton, Renn, Guido, &

Quaye, 2016). The WRCM breaks White Consciousness into two categories: Unachieved White

Racial Consciousness, and Achieved White Racial Consciousness and each category is explained

further through varying attitude types, explained below.

Unachieved Racial Consciousness is broken into three attitude types (Patton, et. al., 2016):

Avoidant: This attitude type has a lack of conscious thought about their race or the racial

experiences of others.

Dependent: This attitude type relies on others to formulate their racial opinions. This attitude

persists until meaningful experience and reflection takes place.

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Dissonant: This attitude type is in a state of confusion both about being White and the racial

experiences of those that do not have a White identity. This attitude type may be open to

learning, but likely face a disconnection between previous beliefs on race and incoming

knowledge.

Achieved White Racial Consciousness is broken into four attitude types (Patton, et. al., 2016).

Dominative: This attitude type is one that is outwardly racist. It is ethnocentric, rooted in

stereotypes, and emphasizes racial superiority of those of White identity over all others. This

attitude may be passive (avoiding interactions with those that do not hold a White identity), or

active (using slurs, acting in violence, and promoting discrimination).

Conflictive: This attitude is seemingly opposed to obvious discriminatory practices and behavior,

but are also opposed to actions designed to end such discrimination. This attitude promotes

equality, but not equity along racial lines.

Reactive: This attitude types acknowledges and believes that inequities exist and that individuals

of color are who suffer most from such inequities. Those with a reactive attitude may or may not

choose to take action based upon beliefs.

Integrative: This attitude type is aware of the realities of living in a racialized society. This

attitude fosters genuine interactions with people of color which can lead to a process of social

action. The Integrative attitude is not a state of transcendence, but rather a process of learning

and action.

Movement between these attitude types includes moments of both dissonance and resolve. Rowe,

Bennet, and Atkinson assert that this model is not linear and is an ongoing process impacted by

personal lived experiences (Patton, et. al., 2016).

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Practical Application
For the purpose of this analysis, I will be focusing specifically upon my White-

identifying students, though it should be mentioned that I have several students that do not claim

White identities. As a University Studies Instructor for incoming college freshmen, I am

encountering students across all different levels of the WRCM. The majority of my students

were raised in rural areas of North Carolina and are now seeking an education at Western

Carolina University, an institution in rural North Carolina. Many of them have never been faced

with the reality of their White identities and what those identities mean. I was given the

challenge in this course of facilitating diversity lessons on a variety of topics including: race,

class, gender, ability, sexual orientation, etc., and the reception from my students has been

mixed. Many of these young adults have never considered ideas surrounding their privileges or

the disadvantages of others because of their race. Furthermore, the students that have considered

these topics, have often done so in a way that further serves to broaden oppression and

discriminatory practices.

Most of these students have moved into Achieved Racial Consciousness, but of those that

remain in Unachieved Racial Consciousness, I have found that most are of a Dependent attitude

type. Up until this point, these students have been told by others what to feel and believe about

race, and that is a place of comfort for them. If they simply take on the opinions that they are told

to have, then they do not have to shoulder the burden of education and dissonance. Stereotypes

and beliefs that were likely formed by parents or hometown peers are perpetuated at this stage in

their college careers, because students have not yet found that it is acceptable to challenge those

beliefs, whether they be negative or positive. I have also witnessed some taking on this

Dependent attitude in the form of accepting whatever I, as instructor, tell them consider. These
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students are at the stage of recognizing authority, and taking the word of authority as absolute

truth to avoid the discomfort of learning more.

As stated, the majority of these students have reached an Achieved Racial Consciousness

however, most of them are in the Dominative or Reactive attitude types. Due to the nature of

where they grew up, as well as the political climate in which they grew up in, those of a

Dominative attitude have racial opinions that have manifested in outright racism. In having

conversations about racial and societal oppressions, it is obvious that for many students, there is

a mental barrier in place which disallows them from thinking deeper about their privileges as

White-identifying individuals. Students displaying a Reactive attitude seem to be on the verge of

greater understanding and stepping into activism, yet they are hesitant to take that leap. With

each class discussion the students with a Reactive attitude seem to reflect deeper, and consider

further, the implications of their White identity on the lives of people of color.

As an instructor the WRCM serves as a guide for observing where my students are at in

their journey of understanding race, and helps me to navigate where they may go next. For my

students in an Unachieved Racial Consciousness, I understand that it is my job to start the

conversation about what White identity means, and help them to begin to explore that part of

themselves that they may previously not have considered. For my students with an Achieved

Racial Consciousness, but with different attitude types, I have to approach this discussion in

different ways. To push someone with a Dominative attitude to simply believe differently is

futile, and will likely result in further regression into this attitude. For my students displaying

this attitude type, I have begun the discussion, made it clear I had no agenda to change mindset,

and then allowed my students to reflect on those topics and talk about them in a safe space. For

my students with a Reactive attitude, I offer encouragement to learn more, and to explore their
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identities in deeper ways. I make an effort to be honest about discrimination on our campus and

in our community to drive the point in a personal way. By thinking deeper about these realities

around them, my students with a Reactive attitude may consider taking the step towards

activism.

Conclusion

Working as an instructor has given me the unique opportunity of working with students

that have not yet been challenged to consider what White identity can mean for both themselves,

those around them, and society on the whole. Through the WRCM I have been able to recognize

where students are at in their process of earning, and identify ways to help them move through

different levels of this model. In many ways, discussing racialized society can be one of the most

difficult conversations to have, however, once we are able to recognize different layers of

understanding, we can develop techniques to have these conversations in more effective and

meaningful ways.
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References

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., & Quaye, S. J. (2016). Student development in

college: Theory, research, and practice, (3rd Ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

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