Below is a list of eight of the 13 categories outlined in the museum literature, with some of their corresponding “aspects & assumptions of whiteness & white culture” in the U.S. (The full pamphlet can be accessed here).
Rugged Individualism:
- Self-reliance
- Independence & autonomy highly valued + rewarded
Family structure:
- The nuclear family: father, mother, 2.3 children is the ideal social unit
- Husband is breadwinner and head of household
- Wife is homemaker and subordinate to the husband
- Children should have own rooms, be independent
Emphasis on Scientific Method:
- Objective, rational linear thinking
- Cause and effect relationships
- Quantitative emphasis
Protestant Work Ethic
- Hard work is the key to success
- Work before play
- “If you didn’t meet your goals, you didn’t work hard enough”
Status, Power & Authority:
- Wealth = worth
- Respect authority
Time:
- Follow rigid time schedules
- Time viewed as a commodity
Aesthetics:
- Steak and potatoes; “bland is best”
- Man’s attractiveness based on economic status, power, intellect
Competition:
- Be #1
- Win at all costs
- Winner/loser dichotomy
- Must always “do something” about a situation
- Majority rules (when Whites have power)