Hage’s “White Nation: Fantasies of White Supremacy in a
Multicultural Society” delves
into the intricate dynamics of racial and ethnic conflicts, dissecting how
these conflicts are navigated through the channels of state power. Departing
from a conventional exploration centered solely on official institutions,
discourses, and practices associated with governmentality, Hage directs
attention to the nuanced terrain of imaginary practices in self-constitution.
Within this framework, the imaginary life of citizens unfolds, shaped by
complicit arrangements and desires both to govern and be governed.
A distinctive facet of Hage's
analysis lies in the exploration of identity positionings encapsulated in the
act of worrying. This probing into the realm of worry unveils the intricate web
of affirming one's right to concern oneself with the nation, particularly its
racial and ethnic composition. Through the act of worrying, White Australians
reaffirm and re-empower themselves, asserting their moral guardianship over the
ethnic fabric and cultural trajectory of Australia. Hansonism, as articulated
by Hage, becomes a forceful manifestation of this vigorous assertion and
protection of the right to worry, constituting a national fantasy grounded in
expressions of anger over perceived loss of governmental control to Indigenous
populations and the multicultural industry.
In "White Nation,"
Hage constructs a genealogy of Whiteness in Australia, scrutinizing its
contemporary sense of crisis. The focus pivots away from examining how
multiculturalism is experienced by migrants and redirects attention to the
subjective formation and fantasy of the dominant white culture. The book adopts
the perspective of a migrant boy scrutinizing Whiteness, revealing an
undercurrent of anger and a Nietzschean desire to unveil the masks of
benevolent humanitarianism, not only among Hanson supporters but also within
the realm of multicultural supporters and anti-racists.
Hage's overarching aim is to
expose the sophisticated fantasy of White supremacy that lurks beneath the
veneer of those positioning themselves as "multiculturalist" and
"anti-racist." Multiculturalism, in this narrative, becomes a
mechanism that inadvertently serves to reconstitute the domain of white
nationalist practices. "White Nation" provides potent analyses of
contemporary culture, unraveling self-mystifying gestures of benevolence and
ethnic tolerance. Within this narrative, acceptance is portrayed as a bestowed
gift from a dominant white group, subtly asserting their power to be intolerant
even as they seemingly practice tolerance.
Multiculturalism, as
interpreted by Hage, signals the waning influence of Angloness as a form of
symbolic capital, ushering in a new national elite that constructs cultural
capital around a more cosmopolitan form of whiteness. The anger expressed by
Hanson supporters is not solely directed at Aborigines and migrants but also at
a perceived betrayal by a cosmopolitan white middle class that no longer
advocates assimilation. This new cultural elite establishes markers of cultural
capital by showcasing sophistication in appropriating and managing ethnic
diversity for the nation's well-being.
Hage's investigative approach
aims to transcend the prevalent discourse on racism, replete with moral avowals
of non-racism, that has dominated public debates and stifled a deeper analysis
of the nationalist dimension inherent in racism. His proposed solution involves
a shift from an emphasis on 'belief' to a focus on 'practices.' Rather than
viewing racism solely as a mental phenomenon, Hage contends that it is
intricately entwined with governmental practices governing others, encompassing
aspects such as culture, demographics, settlement patterns, and everyday
behavior. In this context, he grapples with the nuanced distinction between the
national and the racial, emphasizing the significance of spatial
considerations.
Hage's analytical perspective
navigates intricate distinctions between nationalist and racist practices. He
contends that expressions of concern about, for instance, an excessive presence
of Asians, are better understood as nationalist rather than racist practices.
Even when racial conceptions of territory are employed within these practices,
Hage argues that their essence is more aligned with nationalist ideals. He
contends that the prioritization of space over race allows for a novel
perspective on the motivations and shaping of such practices.
The theoretical advantage of
this shift in focus, according to Hage, lies in its ability to underscore the
governmental dimensions of racism, steering away from a moral critique that might
oversimplify the analysis. Hage asserts that accusations of racism constitute a
cultural practice intricately linked to efforts to forge new forms of
nationhood and belonging. These endeavors are attributed to an alternative
cosmopolitan middle class, characterized by policing fantasies centered on the
meticulous management of diversity rather than assimilationist repression.
While Hage's work introduces
novel perspectives, there are points of contention. Notably, his assertion that
the belief in a hierarchy of races or cultures is not, in itself, a motivating
ideology or imperative for action raises questions. This statement seems to
downplay the potential impact of such beliefs as actionable ideologies,
neglecting the power of racial ideology to shape emotions, desires, and
practices among racialized subjects. Hage's approach, which seeks to
subordinate racism to nationalism, has faced criticism for what some perceive
as an undertheorization of the relationship between mental classifications and
the practices in which they manifest.
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