The Lived Experience of Whiteness

Whiteness pervades people’s interactions with self and others. It provides a framework that projects perceptions of who, what, where and when a person should be, do, act, associate, engage and emote. In this chapter, the lived experience of Whiteness will be explored, examining the literature on the phenomenon of understanding, and learning from people who may be treated differently for being them. The Lived Experience as a research approach and method can assist in making visible what is not experienced by those accepted as the “norm.” Additionally, such lived experience will be looked at through the lens of microaggressions, unpacking the impacts of this phenomenon, while postulating possible strategies and solutions to counteract these concerns. The lived experience of the author of this chapter, Dr. Jioji Ravulo, will be provided as a broader case study, examining the way Whiteness permeates and creates possible problems for people experiencing such forms of discrimination and misconceptions of who they are, where they are at and what they can achieve.