Whiteness at the Abyss

‘Through a nuanced exploration of white anxiety, Hook critiques widely-accepted concepts—like “white fragility”—and reveals how racial temporality and fantasies shape whiteness in profound, troubling ways.’ —Jack Black, author of The Psychosis of Race ‘Derek Hook has given us an experiment exploring the contours of the “subjective destitution” that awaits the scrutiny of whiteness. Hook’s work suggests what a decolonial approach to whiteness entails—the undoing of both the pleasures and vulnerabilities of whiteness.’ —Daniel Gaztambide, author of Decolonizing Psychoanalytic Technique ‘Swiftly moving from theory and psychoanalysis to autobiography, Hook transforms personal position into political performance. The most original decolonial intervention possible today.’ —Patricia Gherovici, author of The Puerto Rican Syndrome ‘Blending rigorous theoretical writing with lived experience, Hook positions psychoanalysis as a crucial lens for decolonial thinking.’ —Ahmad Fuad Rahmat, author of Decolonization and Psychoanalysis ‘Whiteness’ is an omnipresent term within research on race and racism. This book differs from existing conceptualizations by adopting a psychoanalytic approach and by directing its attention to a particular socio-historical instantiation of whiteness—the investments, fantasies and fears apparent within (post)apartheid South African contexts. It foregrounds the notion of ‘white anxiety’, which is conceptualized not only via notions of psychical temporality, but with reference to the dystopian visions of the future, ideas of inter-generational guilt, and fantasies of demise. To posit an imagined ‘end to whiteness’ is not an uncontroversial gesture; the closing section of the book details the online attacks the author was subjected to. This compelling work will appeal to all those with an interest in psychoanalytic approaches to race and racism, and to anyone working in the areas of critical race and whiteness studies. Derek Hook is Professor of Psychology at Duquesne University, USA, and an Extraordinary Professor of Psychology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.