Discourses of Denial

Canada prides itself on being a tolerant and inclusive culture, enriched by its official policies of multiculturalism, gender equality, and human rights. Lulled into complacency by these national maxims, the public is occasionally shocked by glaring acts of racist and sexist violence brought to their attention by the sensationalist media. But nobody pauses to consider the historical antecedents and root causes of these tragedies.

Discourses of Denial uncovers how racism, sexism, and violence interweave deep within the foundations of our society. Using examples from the lives of immigrant girls and women of colour, Yasmin Jiwani considers the way accepted definitions of race and gender shape and influence public consciousness. With a perspective both academic and activist, she exposes how media representations of violence serve the status quo and fail to tell the whole story about racialized and gendered inequalities.

In linking race, gender, and violence, Discourses of Denial makes an important contribution to our understanding of the complex and interconnected influences that shape the violence of contemporary social reality and that contour the lives of racialized women. This book is of particular relevance to readers interested in the intersection of race, gender, and violence in our increasingly mediated society.