White Man face, order words and deviance detectors: a Deleuzoguattarian analysis of fundamental British values

Abstract

This article is a critical discussion of the requirement placed upon teachers by the United Kingdom (UK) government to promote fundamental British values. Using Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the White Man face, I argue that fundamental British values operate as a racial deviance detector whose purpose is to discipline, reform and reintegrate student and teacher subjects who do not conform to the norms of state sanctioned British identity fundamental British values define. To dismantle the British values policy assemblage, the article calls for experimental anti- racist educational alliances that question and reveal the power structures that give rise to the racial politics of the White Man face.