Race is today understood similarly to gender: as a social construct that individuals perform, a set of habits, norms, social practices etc. But while transgender identities are socially recognized, the idea of transraciality is more problematic. Apart from scandalous cases in the US like Rachel Dolezal or Michael Jackson, the topic is largely ignored and globally misunderstood. But as society is constantly getting more racially diverse, the thematic of transraciality is increasingly emerging in fiction literature. In this project I develop a critical discourse analysis based on seven contemporary Finnish novels, written by authors with various ethnic backgrounds. I explore how Whiteness can be performed by individuals racialized as non-white. This work addresses structures of power and domination and aims to contribute to inclusion and social justice. The project is affiliated with the Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN) at the University of Helsinki.

2024

2028