“扮作白人”的争议与批判:当代美国黑白人学生间学业成就差异的新解释

The Controversy and Criticism of“Acting White”:A New Explanation of the Differences in Academic Achievement Between Black and White Students in Contemporary America

教育领域的种族差异是美国当代社会种族不平等的重要助推器,20世纪80年代开始,"扮作白人"的相关理论,围绕着当代美国黑白人学生之间的学业成就的差异进行了创新性的解释:他们认为,黑人学生在白人至上的美国社会面临着"扮作白人"的生存压力,而许多黑人学生在追求学业进步时,都经历过黑人同伴的"扮作白人指控",这种指控对他们的身心造成不良影响,是黑人学生学业成就表现不佳的主要原因。"扮作白人"理论在学界引起了巨大争论,一些学者认为,"扮作白人"更像是一种生存策略,是黑人学生在白人为主的社会所采取的不得已的应对之策。还有学者对"扮作白人指控"提出了质疑,他们认为部分取得学业成功的黑人学生并没有感知到"扮作白人指控"的存在。而更多的学者认为,将黑人学生学业失败归结于同伴的指责是将复杂问题简单化了,在美国白人霸权的意识形态主导的社会结构中,无论黑人"扮作白人"与否,他们中的大多数人都注定在学业上失败。近年来一种新的观点认为,黑白人学生的差异更像是阶级问题而不是种族问题,种族和阶级甚至性别经常是结合在一起起作用的。围绕着"扮作白人"的相关争论在过去三十多年间,一直是美国教育公平研究的重要议题之一,这一理论及其引发的争议不但是我们分析美国种族平等乃至社会公平的重要切入点,也对分析我国弱势群体的处境有重要启示。

Racial differences in the field of education are an important booster of racial inequality in contemporary American society.Since the 1980 s,the relevant theories of"acting white"have creatively explained the differences in academic achievements of black and white students in the contemporary American society.They believe that black students are facing the survival pressure of"acting white"in the white supremacy American society In pursuit of academic progress,black students have experienced the"accusation of acting white"by their black peers.This accusation has a negative impact on their physical and mental health,which is the main reason for the poor academic performance of black students.The theory of"acting white"has aroused great controversy in the academic circles.Some scholars believe that acting white is more like a survival strategy,which is the inevitable response taken by black students in the white dominated society.They point out that in the empirical research,some black students who have achieved academic success have not perceived the existence of the"accusation of acting white".However,more scholars believe that the failure of black students’academic performance is attributed to their peers is a simplification of complex problems.In the social structure dominated by the ideology of white hegemony in the United States,most of blaks students are doomed to fail in school,whether they"acting white"or not.In recent years,some scholars have pointed out that the differences between black and white students are more like class problems than race problems.Race and class,even gender,often work together.In the past 30 years,the debate about"atcing white"has been one of the important topics in the study of American educational equity.This theory and its controversies are not only the important starting point for us to analyze racial equality and social equity in America,but also have important enlightenment to analyze the situation of vulnerable groups in China.