Rhetorical shields

In the context of racism, rhetorical shields are semantic moves or strategically managed propositions to safely state certain views.^[1] They commonly appear as nonracial utterances between racial statements.^[1]

Examples

"Rhetorical shields are just that: shields, pieces of armor to protect us when we want to avoid making mistakes when talking about race. They are face-saving techniques used when pushed on a slight undertone of racism to quickly move back to a position of neutrality."

― My Racial Journey, University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development.

Disclaimers

Disclaimers serve as a strategy to dismiss the racial nature of a story.^[1] Examples of such utterances are "I am not a racist, but..." and "Some of my best friends are black".^[1] They may be used to save face, such as in the statement "I didn't mean that because, as I told you, I am not a racist".^[1]

The phrase "yes and no" as a response to a question about an issue could also be used in such a manner.^[1] Here, people may try to portray themselves as ambivalent on a controversial issue, apparently taking or examining all sides, but take firm stand for one side of the issue in the end.^[1]

Another way to achieve this is through credentialing, which entails a discursive practice of listing characteristics that makes one not a racist.^[2]

Projection

Projection may serve as a strategy to escape from guilt or responsibility and affix blame elsewhere.^[1]

For example, people may blame other groups for segregating themselves to explain their lack of friends within that group.^[1] Another example is the expression of concern for how other people would feel.^[1] This is sometimes seen in the issue of affirmative action, where opponents may argue that minorities would feel bad and inferior due to preferential treatment, even though they themselves may be the recipients of preferential treatment.^[1]

Diminutives

Diminutives may be used as a strategy to lessen the impact of statements.^[1] This strategy could also be used to portray other people as too sensitive, as issues would be reduced to only a little thing.^[1]

For example, people may say that they are "a little bit" against affirmative action, even though they strongly oppose it.^[1]

Indirectness

Indirectness is employed as a protective way to approach certain topics.^[3]

For example, the question "Where are you from?" is often used as a substitute for "What is your race?" by people who are not comfortable to ask the latter outright.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo (2006). "The Style of Color Blindness: How to Talk Nasty about Minorities without Sounding Racist". Racism Without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States (2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-4685-1.
^ Rabii, Watoii (November 2022). "One of the Good Ones: Rhetorical Maneuvers of Whiteness". Critical Sociology. 48 (7–8): 1275–1291. doi:10.1177/08969205211046658.
^ ^a ^b Sims, Jennifer Patrice; Njaka, Chinelo L. (2020). ""Sometimes It's the First Thing People Ask": Daily Experiences of Mixedness in the US and UK". Mixed-race in the US and UK: comparing the past, present, and future (First ed.). Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78769-554-2.

[bse-rwr3-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo (2006). "The Style of Color Blindness: How to Talk Nasty about Minorities without Sounding Racist". Racism Without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States (2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-4685-1.

[2] Rabii, Watoii (November 2022). "One of the Good Ones: Rhetorical Maneuvers of Whiteness". Critical Sociology. 48 (7–8): 1275–1291. doi:10.1177/08969205211046658.

[somet-3] Sims, Jennifer Patrice; Njaka, Chinelo L. (2020). ""Sometimes It's the First Thing People Ask": Daily Experiences of Mixedness in the US and UK". Mixed-race in the US and UK: comparing the past, present, and future (First ed.). Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78769-554-2.

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