The phenomenon of whiteness has served as one of the core factors in promoting the oppression of diverse communities and their members for centuries. Though whiteness could also be seen as an inherent characteristic of people belonging to the Caucasian race, it also represented a conundrum of misguided ideas and beliefs about embers of other races and ethnic groups. By questioning the core premises of one’s beliefs and perceptions about others, one can ensure that one’s whiteness does not stand in the way of building relationships with members of other races and ethnicities.
Three insights can be made regarding White Supremacy as the inevitable outcome of pursuing whiteness. Firstly, whiteness is essentially tied to the concept of White Supremacy. Representing a movement that seeks to annihilate the rights of other cultures and races, the specified movement destroys the basis for cross-cultural collaboration. Addressing the problem of racial oppression, one will be able to subvert the ideas associated with White Supremacy and the relevant harmful movements.
When considering how White Supremacy influences health, one should note that it promotes White culture and the relevant ideas as a default, therefore marginalizing other groups. For instance, in a healthcare context, a White patent is typically seen as the default, whereas any other race or ethnicity is regarded as a deviation from the default (Coleman, 2019). As a result, a range of health issues by which other ethnic and racial groups are affected are dismissed.
To address the specified issue, one must introduce the principles of equity and multiculturalism in the healthcare environment. Namely, health experts must address health issues of racial and ethnic minorities, grounding their decisions in evidence-based practice as opposed to the ideas derived from interacting with the White population (Coleman, 2019). The proposed solution will inform the decision-making process, allowing healthcare organizations to meet patients’ needs accordingly.
While Whiteness also represents a physical attribute and, therefore, cannot be changed, challenging one’s cultural aspects of one’s whiteness will lead to dismantling the core oppression factors that it has created. Therefore, the notion of whiteness needs to be further subverted, with its legitimacy being questioned. With the specified changes taking place, opportunities for diversity and inclusivity can be pursued.
Reference
Coleman, D. E. (2019). Evidence-based nursing practice: The challenges of health care and cultural diversity. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 19(4), 330-338.