Masked Silence Sequences: Hearing Discrimination in the College Classroom

Abstract

This essay examines the ways that some college students bear the costs of silence-mediated racialized communication in everyday classroom activities. Specifically, White privilege is shown to enable racially laden communication that regenerates the social exclusion of American Indian students. Combining interpretive approaches from the ethnography of communication and critical Whiteness theories, this inquiry draws from data collected from 35 American Indian students in a western U.S. university. By introducing the concept of masked silence sequences and offering a definition for discriminatory silence, this study harnesses attention on the discursive strategies resulting in the perpetuated marginalization of a particular people of color. This study also offers the identification of potential loci wherein we as educators can collaborate to enact necessary redressive action and help construct more equitable and inclusive contexts for all students.