Reflections on Redressing Racial Inequalities, When Teaching Race in the Sociology of Sport and Physical Education

In this chapter, Hobson and Whigham critically reflect upon their experiences as White academics teaching on race and racism within the discipline of the sociology of sport and PE. Their central concern is that they, as academics with White privilege, are an essential part of the problem, in that there is a significant lack of BAME academics teaching within their discipline, and within the academy more broadly (Arday, Being Black, male and academic: Navigating the white academy. In J. Arday & H. Mirza (Eds.), Dismantling race in higher education: Racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy (pp. 161–174). London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018; Gillborn, Racism and education: Coincidence or conspiracy? London: Routledge, 2008; NUS, NUS HerStory Month – Where are all the women? 2016). The chapter initially explores the structural Whiteness of teaching in HE, before discussing critical practices and pedagogies aimed at de-centring Whiteness. The chapter tentatively offer reflections and recommendations which may help other White academics to re-consider the extent to which their pedagogical practices effectively and equally empowers students of all ethnicities.