Dead white males

Dead white males or Dead White European Males (DWEM) is a derisive term referring to the tradition of thought and that stresses the contributions of historic an  while ignoring other groups of people (individuals of non-European descent and women). This paradigm is closely associated with the of history and the  focus of  and.

Some of those most often included in this definition include, , and.

Other typical "dead white males" include: Specifically in the US:
 * Ancient (even those from Africa)
 * European explorers, conquistadors, and colonial administrators
 * European, , , , and
 * European and American authors (especially those in the traditional )
 * European s
 * US Civil War Generals
 * US Military Heroes
 * US Military Heroes

History and usage
The phrase "dead white males" (or "dead white men," "dead white guys" etc.) is a slang term used to criticize the emphasis on in  in s (especially those in the ), as the majority of figures previously considered significant in Western civilization were white males who are usually dead. Critics of the traditional curriculum argued that it enshrined a particular world view that valued older European history, for example, over more recent American achievements. Critics also implied that traditional curriculum was subconsciously and  by ignoring the achievements of women and minority groups. A form of history viewed in a similar way is the "" of history.

As a result of this DWEM focus, US high school curricula in recent years have tended to be more inclusive of contributions from people outside of the DWEM category. For example, a typical US high-school history curriculum might focus less on the contributions, decisions, and actions of DWM Generals such as, and instead give greater emphasis to leaders such as.

The term emerged in the late 1980s as an outgrowth of the vogue.

Critics of the term
The term DWEM is actually used by some defenders of the traditional curriculum, but they see the particular "dead white European males" in question as being legitimately more worthy of study than proposed rival figures. Defenders of traditional curricula generally support the accepted canon of English and European-language literature. They often characterize proposed curriculum changes as being motivated by political activism. They argue that to dismiss any thinker or writer solely because he is a DWEM is not a valid comment on the actual content. Additionally, they point out that the term is itself a of individuals.

Defenders of the term have argued that the term DWEM is not meant as a criticism of Plato, Aristotle, or other such "dead white" intellectuals. Instead, they state that it is a criticism of the academics who hold DWEM in high esteem while discounting the worth of contemporary intellectuals or non-white intellectuals. Some users of the term also presume that its critics are or.

It has also been pointed out that some authors who are widely accepted into the Western canon, such as the astronomer/mathematician and the theologian/philosopher, in fact lived in Africa and may not have been "white" at all. Such figures as the author (, etc) and the Russian poet  were both of mixed-race origin. Also, there have been canonized intellectuals such as who are labeled as DWEM, yet were heavily influenced by non-Western ideas such as.

Popular culture
The term has gained widespread enough currency that it can appear in mass-market media. For example, in the film , an African-American high-school English teacher performs a version of a  sonnet. Afterwards, he remarks that despite the fact that Shakespeare is merely a "dead white guy," he reassures the class that the playwright "knows his shit" and is still worth the attention. has made the same argument, in a more academic style; see his book .

Australian playwright also satirised this approach to education in his play Dead White Males. In the production, the ghost of Shakespeare is shot by a radical  lecturer.

In the Simpsons episode, "," Lisa's teacher Ms. Hoover calls her report exposing local hero Jebediah Springfield as a pirate, "nothing but dead white male-bashing from a thug."