When we first moved into this area we went to do some shopping at the local Waitrose and Hubbie commented that it was 'very white.' I remarked that the green and white decor signified freshness and cleanliness and he clarified by saying, "No, I meant the people. They're all white." I looked around. "Not everyone, the counter staff aren't."It wasn't a judgement, just an observation. One that I hadn't made. In the same way I didn't notice until someone pointed it out to me that my chosen profession was staffed almost exclusively by women who were white, blonde, 20-something and (in the old days) trustafarians. It wasn't an issue as it didn't stop me doing my job so I thought nothing of it.
Then at the weekend I was at a blogging conference, my third in the last 12 months. At the first one I was far too dazzled by it all that I barely noticed anyone else (well apart from the fact that the beautiful woman sitting next to me turned out to be Prof Tanya Byron). At the second I became aware that the majority of attendees were white women. This weekend I was there with a friend who is also not white and she noticed it too. At one point she joked that we had to attend different break out sessions to make sure that there was a fair representation and spread of ethnicity.
Before my remarks unleash a barrage of criticism I'd like to explain that I am a big fan of the blogging networks that hosted these conferences and I don't think it is their job to explain who attends. They aren't excluding anyone so it's up to those who are interested and who blog to come along. That's what I did. It was just very obvious to me that only a few non-white women were there and I'm wondering why.
Flowing from this is the question, is blogging mostly a white pastime ? I can't believe that it is. I blog about my son, my family, my life in general and occasionally I review stuff on my blog too. I rarely blog about my ethnicity, but it underlies my writing because it's who I am. It's also half of my son too and I want him to understand both sides of his heritage so occasionally I'll write about Diwali or what it's like when we go to visit family in India. My ethnicity doesn't define my writing, but informs it. I don't speak on behalf of anyone else or their experience just as a blogger who has 3 children doesn't speak for all parents of 3 children.
So do we have a secret underground movement of non-white bloggers who just can't or won't attend conferences for reasons of cost or timing (which can apply to everyone I know). And more importantly why does it matter ? It isn't just so that I can identify with more than half a dozen people in the crowd, honestly.
- Blogging is a democratic thing isn't it ? If you have access to the internet - and I know for some this is an issue - it's pretty much open to all. So is it about access or education ?
- Companies who clamber for product testers and brand ambassadors do know that parents of every ethnicity spend money and buy stuff for their families don't they ?
- I refuse to believe that in this day and age it isn't possible to find panellists that are representative of a wider experience. It seems that having a man on the panel is more representative than a black woman.
- It's important because a panel discussion about feminism descended into purile comments about jam and heels when we could have covered so many others such as FGM and education for girls. Issues that maybe don't personally affect anyone in that room, but affect all of us as people.
There was a session that talked about blogging changing the world. Well, I'm keen to know if the blogging world is inclusive to start with.
If you have any thoughts on this topic please do comment - I'd love to hear what you think.
One of the things that first attracted me to blogging was that the *real* author could be as visible or anonymous as s/he wanted. For the first few weeks I blogged under a gender-ambiguous pseudonym because I wasn't quite sure what I was letting myself in for. So, in theory at least, it doesn't much matter what your ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc is, unless you mention it (explicitly or otherwise).
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think it's fair to say that blogging is pretty white - and just as significantly, it's pretty middle-class. I worry that this is because it's a written medium and people from less privileged social groups worry that their capacity for language (as distinct from the stuff they want to communicate) isn't up to standard. This would certainly apply to many working-class people as well as many non-white people, especially recent migrants. Of course, many people outside the UK happily blog in non-standard English - maybe they don't feel they'll be judged so harshly.
I agree that much like wider society it's dominated by men and white men at that, but at a conference for women and / or mums it would seem really odd that only white women would self identify with that.
DeleteOut of (perverse) interest what was your pseudonym ? Was it kinky ?
That's a really interesting question! You are certainly right about the lack of diversity on the panels, which I hadn't really appreciated until you mention it.
ReplyDeleteWell it's not that I'm looking for lack of diversity, but it struck me as odd that this has happened at all the conferences I've been to.
DeleteI did mention it after the one in June, but I'm not sure what they will or won't do to address it next time.
I read a post written by a lovely lady who attended on Saturday and made the same observations. I must admit that I felt out of place too, not to do with colour, more to do with age, I felt very young there and as if I wasn't grown up enough to be there.
ReplyDeleteThat said though, one thing I will say is I don't think it's a reflection on blogging at all. I think it's a reflection on cost, I mean really it was bloody expensive for a day wasn't it, compared to other events starting with the letter B, esp if you paid the non early bird rate and weren't lucky enough to get a sponsor. And I'm guessing that someone with a healthy disposable income to accomadate such things would be your average older, more middle class, white woman (or man). Definitely something to think about, but I truly don't think blogging is a white past time. Fab past dude :)
I think it's just a bit obvious to me as I've been to three of them now and it strikes me as odd that so few women of any other ethnicity are there. There are some, but not many. Same applies to young women I'm sure.
DeleteThe expense is definitely an issue - I bought an early bird ticket, but it was a lot more than last year and I will have to seriously consider it in future if it keeps going up at this rate.
I'm not branded enough to get sponsored either :(
Thanks for reading xx
Having blogged for 3 years and having attended a few conferences, I think there is some diversity but not a huge amount. I've no idea how figures would add up compared to the general population, outside of parent blogging. I read that general blogging is 70% dominated by men, outside of parenting where women dominate. I think parent blogging was largely the preserve of white middle class women, but not exclusively an I can think of a number of bloggers who are black women or women from diverse backgrounds. The community has expanded rapidly in the last few years and so the women who blog and their backgrounds has broadened. It may be a number of factors that prevent attending conferences or blogging in the first place and I would be interested to know more, know why. Tech Savvy mums which aims to get mums on line (Prof Sue Black who set it up was as Blogfest) might be able to provide answers as to which mums aren't getting on line and why.
ReplyDeleteHi Gemma,
DeleteYes me and my pal are talking to Dr Sue Black and hope that if it's an issue of knowledge or access that her work will address some of that.
I have to say that some of the responses I've read suggest that the reluctance to attend may be down to an attitude of exclusion from the 'cliques' which I actively dislike too.
Thanks for popping by and commenting :)
Hiya, someone else I met on Saturday feels the same and posted her thoughts here - http://pramonrye.wordpress.com/posts/
ReplyDeleteThanks for this link - I was very interested to see it wasn't just me.
DeleteI attended a conference in June too and wrote a very similar post about it back then: http://chocolateisnottheonlyfruit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/im-in-room-of-500-oversharers-and-its.html
I was about to say the same as Older Single Mum. I didn't actually get to meet with Pram on Rye but I have tweeted with her since as she linked to me in her own post about Blogfest.
DeleteI also noticed that all the speakers seemed to be white as were the vast majority of attendees.
Yes me & Pram on Rye are in touch now and will be catching up over a cuppa.
DeleteI'm also talking to the nice folks at Mumsnet (& other networks too) about including more diverse panellists.
It was great tweet chatting with you on Sat btw :o)
I was also there on Saturday and I noticed exactly this and wondered why it was. It was definitely the most white of the 3 blogging conferences I've been to this year. I know lots of bloggers from many diverse walks of life, so I don't think blogging in itself is necessarily a white thing, but perhaps attendance at conferences is.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, conferences don't control who attends, but they do control who speaks. Were there even any non-white speakers on Saturday? I don't recall seeing any. Perhaps this is one area that future conferences from all networks can put some thought into.
Hi Joanne,
DeleteWe have had this conversation before haven't we ? I don't know if it's just not appealing to non-white women to attend, but certainly the speakers could be more diverse. It's not like there are no black writers or comedians is it ?
I'm trying with my pal Soraya to beat a path to the doors of those who can help encourage more participation.
Thank you for reading and commenting :)
I do know several bloggers of varying ethnicities other than white, but you are quite right in saying it is definitely a small minority. I have no idea why! As you say, the networks are welcoming, and there seems to be a diverse class mix, so I am not sure why it is overwhelmingly white. Anyone can set up a blog for free in 5 minutes flat, so it is not an access issue from that sense, so it must just be that fewer have come across it, or are interested in starting a blog. I am sure with the world of blogging exploding as it seems to be the balance will become more reflective of the ethnic balance of the country. Certainly the networks could consider reflecting more diversity in their panels, lets get you on one next year! xx
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's an issue of self-exclusion really.
ReplyDeleteAt my first conference I felt so out of place for many reasons, not just ethnicity. As in all areas there is a 'celebrity blogging' culture so that is one way to feel left out, then there is the whole 'glamorous bloggers' area and I'm neither. As someone else mentions the cliques can be off-putting, but I hope that the work that Dr Sue Black is doing will increase participation as access and ability increase. It may only take 5 mins to set up a blog, but if you don't have wifi or a computer at home it isn't that simple to keep writing.
As for being on a panel - I am trying Sonya I am trying !!
The campaign to get me on stage starts here (I have Jo Brand on my side already !)
Oh I ain't glamorous or in a clique either, let's start our own! I agree access to wifi etc helps, but there are huge numbers with access to those things who still aren't blogging. And yes, let's get you onstage, perhaps a session on how to widen the appeal of blogging to a wider demographic would be a good discussion for a conference!
DeleteCan we be the trendy knitwear clique ?
DeleteI guess you can give a person wifi, but you can't make them blog - if they don't have it at all they're unlikely to queue for the library internet just to write a post about the annoying man on the bus.
Well, I would, but that's just me :o)
I was there on Saturday and also noticed the white middle class demographic, which I find a real shame. Blogging is unique in that it gives everybody the chance to publish their voice, I'd really like this option taken up by everyone who would want to regardless of race, gender etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm not down on the white middle class - honestly - I'm married to a member of it after all.
DeleteAlso I think the audience reactions to the feminism debate suggest that blogging's not an entirely middle class activity.
I agree with Tim's comments that plenty of non-white bloggers exist, but they may not wish to participate - that's what interests me.
Thank you for popping by and commenting :o)
I am a woman who is non white and I blog.
ReplyDeleteI too have noticed the 'whiteness', again not a judgement, just an observation. When I started blogging I looked around a bit for blogs that were written by non-white or mixed raced parents. This was mostly because I'd recently moved out of London to a more rural area (yup - white!) and felt in the absence of a more diverse community it would be nice to read this type of blog. I really didn't find any that I felt I wanted to follow. And it is not like I blog about my experiences directly from this perspective either, so, who am I to talk.
Having said all this, though not from a middle-class background I guess I have become terribly middle-class and from this perspective I find I have plenty in common with many of the other parent bloggers.
No, I've never been to a conference and I can't see myself doing it anytime soon either - I don't know why, just shy I guess.
But, I tell you what I am gonna do Swazi, and that's follow your blog. So, there, I just diversified m'self up innit. - And that last comment signifies my N.London origin not my West Indian. That would be more like... well, I think you get the point.
welcome Foxy lady - I guess if you are blogging fairly anonymously why would anyone know what your ethnicity is ?
DeleteMy point is that part of the reason for going to a conference at all is to mingle and meet as blogging can be such a solitary pastime. If we meet others who are similar to us there is a familiarity whether that's down to skin colour or parenting twins or something else that bonds us.
I feel for you as I used to live in a town in Wiltshire where not only did everyone know everyone's business, but they also assumed I must work in the Indian restaurant as why else would I live there ? It wasn't offensive, just funny really.
Look forward to sharing more on here :o) xxx
Ha ha, I nearly made a Land Rover crash on one of my first sorties into the village. I was very proud. Although it could have been my outfit, I was trying to fit in by channeling Miss Marples via Margaret Rutherford.
DeleteI notice this at a lot of blogging events I go to, i am actually white but muslim so do stand out as a visible minority. I wouldn't say blogging is dominated by middle class though but presuming your talking about mumsnet blogfest, price was probably quite a factor in who would have attended that - it was so expensive! the reason i didnt go myself was price. I want to go next year though
ReplyDeleteI agree price is a big factor for many. I had to really think about it this year even with the early bird price. Going to both Mumsnet and Britmums was a bit of an investment for me. I am so keen I've already got my ticket for Britmums 2014.
DeleteI do hope you go next year - if you do we can meet and have a cuppa :o)
Its refreshing to read this post. I've been debating for a over a year to write such a post, but never did. I don't often attend blog events due to childcare but on the rare occasions when I do I'm usually the only woman of colour depending on the size of the event. I've also questioned to popularity of blogs that are written by non-white bloggers. It seems to be that we don't get enough publicity and I don't know if its due to our content or who we are. I'm still thinking on that but I have to day that I've made the decision to stop looking at rankings and what other people are doing and being true to me and what I feel needs to be said, even though, I didn't write a post on my thoughts of the issues you have raised.
ReplyDeleteThank you for asking the question and starting a what I hope to be a healthy debate :0)
Thanks for your comments. I agree it is a bit of a risk to even say anything as you don't want to be seen to be making a fuss.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that it's about content as I rarely refer to my ethnicity, but it is there and anyone who reads regularly will know I'm not white.
The issue of capability to attend and even to promote oneself is the one I think makes a big difference. I'm not all that keen to be a public figure so it's really about the writing for me and I find I learn so much from attending these events.
I've asked both Mumsnet and Britmums to engage with me on this issue to see if there are ways to encourage diversity in attendance, so fingers crossed :o)