Whistling Vivaldi: Chapter 11 Summary & Analysis

Since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, there’s been a lot of talk about America becoming a “post-racial” society. In Whistling Vivaldi, Steele has tried to advance a more nuanced argument. Even if Americans abandon all racial prejudices overnight, they’d still have to deal with identity contingencies—the fear of being perceived as racist, and the fear of confirming other people’s prejudices. The unfortunate reality is that identity threats continue to influence people’s behavior, whether they’re aware of it or not.

Perhaps the most important thing Steele has discovered during the course of his career is that even the threat of being negatively stereotyped can change a person’s behavior in important ways—even behaviors such as track competitions, or taking a math test, that seem to have nothing to do with race or gender. People who formulate policy need to understand that it’s not enough to eliminate prejudice itself—people also need to feel safe from the risk of “identity predicaments,” or there will continue to be an achievement gap.

In all, Steele hopes that Whistling Vivaldi can be an optimistic book. He’s detailed a variety of techniques, including critical feedback, narrative formation, and fostering intergroup conversation, that contribute to the weakening of identity threats, and seem to lead to greater success for minorities.

The irony is that, even though Obama’s election was widely hailed as a sign of the advent of post-racial America, Obama spoke about his race often (Steele says), and celebrated his heritage. Obama talked about his white mother and his black father, and about how he has family members “of every race and every hue.” By speaking about his own racial experience, Obama inspired many people—including millions of people who didn’t share his racial makeup. Obama also signaled that race isn’t an “unalterable essence.” Rather, race—and identity in general—is fluid, and it’s “activated by [its] situational relevance.” Identity shouldn’t be ignored or suppressed—rather, people should celebrate their identities and use them to understand other people’s identities. Steele hopes that Whistling Vivaldi can impart a similarly hopeful, optimistic message about the future of identity in America.