REFLECTING ON WHITENESS AT WORK  

RATIONALE

What is the group all about?

We are seeing arguably unprecedended levels of hatred and racial hostility within all corners of society. This wave of racialised violence is bound to affect every institution and pose a number of psychological and physical risks. The group is all about creating a space where we can think and feel together about how this context may impact the institutions we inhabit by focusing on the workings of whiteness.

The ways it moves, the ways it shapes us and our institutions, the ways we shape it and the ways it impacts our wellbeing. Most experiences of racial trauma seen in the clinic concern organisational dysfunctions and institutional dynamics which leave people excluded, othered and wounded. It is not possible to address these injuries without understanding the context that creates them. And, thus without addressing organisational culture and group processes at work.

The space is therefore created here for us to reflect on how these modes of feeling, thinking, being and organising institutions create racialised harm. Hence, the group exists to fulfill three main functions, firstly, to encourage reflective practice around racialised violence, secondly, to create collective support and care opportunities. Finally, to facilitate access to guidance around the disruption of whiteness.

What do you mean by whiteness?

Whiteness is used here to refer to the operationalisation of the structure of white supremacy. That is to say, the system that is ‘constitutive of the epistemology of the West and as an invisible regime of power that secures hegemony through discourse and has material effects in everyday life’ (Moreton-Robinson, 2004, p 76). We could say in other words, whiteness delineates the mechanics which ensure white supremacy becomes embedded, normalised and inscribed within modes of feeling, thinking, acting in and on the world so as to maintain the illusion of white superiority.

What do you mean by ‘at work’?

We aim to frame ‘at work’ as follow.  ‘Firstly … we mean the location of the workings of whiteness… how whiteness impacts the workplace. That is to say how it affects work access, experiences and outcomes, whether through working environments, culture and/or institutional processes. A second and slightly different interpretation of at work may focus on the very processes of the phenomena and consequently the functioning of whiteness. While this reading is close to the first one, here it is precisely the mechanisms by which whiteness itself operates which would be under scrutiny (and it is very succinctly captured as a concept within a phrase popularised by DeRay McKesson, “watch whiteness work” (Kinouani and Asani, 2024).

Who is the group for?

Anyone with an interest in race, equality and justice at work can join the group. Membership is likely to be composed of community members and of certificate/foundation course students. For the latter group, membership is a requirement for the completion of the Certificate in Working With Racial Trauma Using The Foundation Of Group Analysis.

FORMAT AND LOCATION

When and where will the group take place? 

The group will meet exclusively ONLINE. The group will start on the first TUESDAY of every month starting on February 3rd 2026 from 20h15-21h30. The group will then meet every FIRST Tuesday of the month at the same time, until May 2027.

CONDUCTOR

Who is going to facilitate the group?

The conductor is expected to be Jacinta Kent.

DURATION

For how long will the group meet?

The group will meet 15 times

FEES

How much does it cost to take part?

The standard community fee is £45 (including VAT) per month/per group, payable monthly by direct debit (each group will last 1h15 minutes).

To join click here.

Certificate/Foundation students do not have to pay an additional fee to join the group, it is included in the course/top-up fees.

ALL Race Reflections ‘Development’ members may too join the group at no cost, for other members, the fee is fixed at £15 per session.

REGISTERING 

To sign up, click the link below.

To join the LAST few spaces on the Foundation Course in Group Analysis/Certificate in Working with Racial Trauma, click here or use the form below to to get in touch.