Critical Whiteness in higher education: reflecting on power and taking action

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) often celebrate diversity through internationalization strategies, intercultural activities, and equity initiatives. While these efforts are important, Critical Whiteness invites us to ask a deeper question: Who defines the norms, values, and standards that shape university life? Rather than focusing solely on individual prejudice, Critical Whiteness examines how institutional cultures, policies, and knowledge systems can reproduce racial inequalities even within organizations that see themselves as inclusive. (Sleeter 2017.)

Critical Whiteness and power sharing in a university context were discussed during the Ulysseus European University Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) at University of Münster in Germany in November 2025. In this article, I reflect on these topics with my two decades of experience from work within international affairs in higher education.

Whiteness, discrimination and racism in Finland

While discrimination is clearly prohibited in Finland according to the Finnish Non-discrimination Act (2014), legal approach in defining and combatting racism is not adequate, as there are problems with showing and admitting the racist motives and intention. Why would anyone admit to racist intention in their crime, knowing the culpability?

Furthermore, racist crimes, such as discrimination, harassment or racial violence, are only one form of racism. Micro aggressions are inappropriate actions and comments, which can be regarded as racist, even though the person themself did not intend it to be racist (Rastas 2007). The use of stereotypes or negative images in media, art, and culture to depict racial groups can also be problematic. Racism can also be expressed through language and interpersonal interactions, for example racist jokes, hate speech or exclusionary behaviour. According to DiAngelo (2019), racism is embedded in institutions and societal systems that disadvantage racial groups, for example, racial disparities in the police, education, healthcare, housing or employment, due to long-standing systemic biases.

Ahmad (2020) has studied and found racist discrimination in the Finnish job market. Job applicants with African and Middle Eastern names received much less invitations to job interviews than applicants with Finnish names, even though their education and work experience was identical. Additionally, in recent years, there have been several racist attacks and incidents in Finland, for example racially motivated violent crimes in Oulu or the racist abuse sent to Daniela Owusu, her relatives, and the organisers of the religious festival after Owusu won a public vote to portray the Lucia saint in a ceremony at Helsinki Cathedral (Yle 16.12.2024; 19.6.2024).

Higher education employees belonging to ethnic minorities consider their career advancement prospects substantially worse than those of the majority population and perceive their employment relationships as less secure. Furthermore, efforts by Finnish higher education institutions to promote equality, equity, and diversity have been more limited than those undertaken in countries such as Sweden and Norway. (Zacheus, Mäkinen & Lyons 2024)

However, some actions have been taken by higher education institutions, for example Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences has introduced its Safer Space approach, an intervention model and harassment contact persons. The Safer Space approach is a central element of Haaga-Helia’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. By linking pedagogical practices, student welfare, organizational responsibility, and human resources, it facilitates a holistic approach to DEI and promotes the incorporation of student perspective in institutional development.

Haaga-Helia provides training to staff on equity and diversity awareness. The principles of Safer Space are taken into account in pedagogical interaction. Many staff members are interested in DEI and Critical Whiteness topics. After my participation in the BIP on Critical Whiteness and power sharing in a university context, a group of lecturers asked me to deliver a staff training for them about the same topics.

Whiteness as an institutional norm

Critical Whiteness does not suggest that racism is primarily about individual intentions. Instead, it focuses on whiteness as a system of norms and assumptions that often remain invisible because they are treated as neutral or universal. (McIntosh 1990.)

In higher education, whiteness norms may shape ideas about academic excellence, professionalism, legitimate knowledge, leadership, and sense of belonging. HEI staff in all positions may have unconscious biases and prejudice against certain groups of students. As a result, universities may unintentionally privilege some perspectives and experiences while marginalizing others.

Systems of inequality are sustained through interconnected structures of power rather than isolated acts of discrimination. Race, gender, class, nationality, and other social positions intersect to shape how people experience opportunities and barriers within institutions (Hill Collins 2017). This intersectional perspective is essential for creating more equitable educational environments.

The importance of institutional reflection

Many higher education institutions focus on increasing representation among students and staff, but representation alone does not necessarily change institutional culture. As Ahmed (2017) argues, diversity does not automatically lead to inclusion when existing power relations remain intact. People may be present within an institution without having equal influence over its priorities, practices, or decision-making processes (Ahmed 2017).

This distinction is particularly important in higher education, where dominant academic traditions often continue to shape curricula, research agendas, leadership, and definitions of excellence. Universities therefore need to move beyond viewing diversity as a demographic goal, towards understanding inclusion as a question of power and participation. (Hill Collins 2017.)

Critical Whiteness encourages HEIs to reflect on how institutional cultures are created and maintained. Questions such as whose knowledge is considered authoritative, whose experiences are represented in curricula, who reaches leadership positions, and who feels a sense of belonging reveal important dimensions of institutional power. (Koglek 2024.)

This reflection is not intended to assign blame. Rather, it helps institutions identify how long-standing practices may unintentionally reproduce inequities and how they might be redesigned to create more equitable learning and working environments.

Three calls to action for HEIs

I have used the M365 Copilot language model to ideate the following three calls to action intended to guide HEIs to reflect on their practices through Critical Whiteness thinking.

Decolonize knowledge and curricula

Review curricula, course contents, reading materials, and teaching practices to ensure that diverse perspectives and knowledge traditions are represented. The aim is to challenge structures of domination, including racism, oppression, and colonial ways of thinking. (Koglek 2024.)

• Educators should educate themselves about racism, anti-racist practice, decolonisation, and anti-oppressive practice.
• Course content should include diverse voices and perspectives rather than reproducing dominant (e.g. Western or European) viewpoints. Teachers should critically examine why they select particular readings, theories, and authors.
• Students’ lived experiences should be recognised as valuable sources of knowledge rather than treating academic knowledge as the only legitimate form of expertise.
• Teaching and pedagogy should challenge curricular biases that reinforce racism, sexism, and other systems of domination.

Decolonising the curriculum is an ongoing process of critically examining power, privilege, knowledge production, and representation in teaching, while ensuring that diverse experiences and perspectives are genuinely included in learning rather than marginalised.

Create meaningful participation and power-sharing

Move beyond diversity and gender statistics and investigate how power is distributed across recruitment, leadership, curriculum design, research activities, and student support. Anti-racist work begins with understanding how institutional systems operate.

Representation is great, but not enough. Inclusion should involve genuine influence over decision-making processes. Students and staff from marginalized backgrounds should participate not only as consultees but also as partners in decision-making and shaping institutional priorities. (Ahmed 2017)

Strengthen accountability and embed critical reflection into everyday academic practice

Critical Whiteness should not be treated as a one-time training exercise. Continuous reflection on privilege, belonging, and power should be integrated into teaching, leadership, research, and professional development.

Higher education institutions need transparent mechanisms for reporting discrimination and inequities. They need to be monitoring practices and evaluating progress. Commitments to equity must be supported by measurable actions and institutional responsibility, supported by the top leadership.

For example, the Equality and non-discrimination plan at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (2024) is an active, regularly renewed plan, which includes concrete objectives and measures to be taken. A few surveys support the plan and its goals, and different stakeholders, including students, are involved in developing the plan.

Haaga-Helia’s Safer Space approach, the intervention model and harassment contact persons positions, are results of long-standing work and efforts towards becoming a discrimination-free university. The work continues. Staff and students are continuously being trained about the safer space principles.

Conclusion

Critical Whiteness challenges universities to move beyond celebrating diversity, towards examining the institutional structures that shape opportunities, recognition, participation, and belonging. Anti-racist transformation requires more than increasing representation or offering occasional diversity training. It requires universities to critically reflect on how power operates through their policies, cultures, curricula, leadership structures, and everyday practices. (Hill Collins 2017; Koglek 2024.)

The reflection is often uncomfortable because it asks institutions and educators to question practices that have long been regarded as neutral, objective, or simply part of academic tradition. Yet Critical Whiteness is not about assigning guilt or blame. Rather, it provides a framework for understanding how historical inequalities continue to influence present-day institutions and how these institutions can become more equitable.

For HEIs, this means recognizing that inclusion is fundamentally a question of power. Who is heard, who is believed, who is represented, whose knowledge is taught, and who participates in decision-making are indicators of how power is distributed within the institution. Lasting change therefore requires a shift from symbolic commitments to actual structural transformation.

At their best, universities are places where assumptions are questioned, knowledge is continuously re-examined, and social progress is imagined and debated. If higher education is to remain true to its own ideals, it must be willing to apply the same critical inquiry to itself.

By embracing power-sharing, accountability, critical self-reflection, and institutional responsibility, universities can move closer to becoming learning communities where diversity is genuinely valued, supported, and empowered. In this sense, anti-racism needs to be integral to the pursuit of academic excellence, social justice, and democratic participation in higher education.

Picture: Haaga-Helia