We Are (Not) Here to Teach You: Talking Race and Racism on Tumblr
Date
2016
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Educational Studies
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Educational Studies
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en_US
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Abstract
Scholars have been increasingly optimistic regarding how young people of color push
back against mainstream racial discourses using social media tools. However, young
people on the micro-blogging site Tumblr who do so are heavily criticized by other
young people for engaging in ways seen as superficial, too emotional, and even hostile
towards white people. In my thesis, I look at over 50 race-themed blogs, supplemented
with interviews with blog moderators to see why their conversations are so
controversial. Ultimately, I argue that these race-themed blogs are, for people of color
primarily, community-oriented instructional spaces that critique damaging racial
narratives. Further, the conversational themes reflect a collective action mindset,
though youth are already taking action to transform this platform to support
communities of people of color.