Unmastering the Script: Education, Critical Race Theory, and the Struggle to Reconcile the Haitian Other in Dominican Identity

Unmastering the Script: The Struggle to Reconcile the Haitian Other in Dominican Identity examines how school curriculum-based representations of Dominican identity navigate black racial identity, its relatedness to Haiti, and the culturally entrenched pejorative image of the Haitian Other in Dominican society. Wigginton and Middleton argue that although many attempts at inclusion reflect a lessening of black denial, the materials often struggle to find a consistent and coherent narrative for the place of blackness within Dominican identity, particularly regarding the ways in which blackness continues to be meaningfully related to the otherness of Haitian racial identity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2019
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press

Unmastering the Script: The Struggle to Reconcile the Haitian Other in Dominican Identity delves into the intricate dynamics of school curriculum-based representations of Dominican identity, exploring the complex interplay between black racial identity, its connections to Haiti, and the deeply entrenched pejorative image of the Haitian Other within Dominican society. Wigginton and Middleton meticulously analyze how social science textbooks and historical biographies designed for young Dominicans reflect a gradual shift towards a clear and public inclusion of blackness in Dominican identity, aimed at renegotiating the country's longstanding antiblack racial master script.

The authors argue that while many of these attempts at inclusion signify a reduction in black denial, when considered as a whole, the materials often struggle to establish a consistent and coherent narrative for the place of blackness within Dominican identity, particularly in relation to the enduring connections between blackness and the otherness of Haitian racial identity.

Unmastering the Script adopts a multifaceted approach, treating the text materials as a case study in the reconstruction and unearthing of an African past. It supports the notion that this process is uneven, slow, and highly context-specific, acknowledging the complexities and nuances involved in unraveling the historical legacies of a nation. This work draws upon a diverse range of disciplines, including history, anthropology, education, and race studies, building upon a recent wave of Dominican scholarship that examines how contemporary perspectives on Dominican identity both acknowledge the existence of an African past and endeavor to appropriately weigh its significance.

The utilization of critical race theory as the framework provides a valuable lens for examining the past political and legal agendas of governing elites in the Dominican Republic. It also aids in unraveling the complex web of racial ideologies and power dynamics that have shaped the country's history and society. By delving into the historical and cultural complexities surrounding the Haitian Other, Unmastering the Script offers a profound exploration of Dominican identity and its relationship with Haiti, shedding light on the ongoing struggle to reconcile and redefine the nation's collective narrative.

Weight: 344g
Dimension: 160 x 235 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780817320317