Mobility among South Carolina Coastal Lawmakers during Reconstruction
Event Type
Presentation
Location
EHFA 136
Start Date
5-3-2020 9:00 AM
End Date
5-3-2020 10:20 AM
Description
This paper is part of a much larger project that examines the social, economic, educational, occupational and geographic mobility of the Black Elite. While the larger project is broad ranging and includes individuals from various regions and fields, this paper focuses on the lawmakers who represented the coastal states of South Carolina, the Gullah Geechee region during the Reconstruction period; specifically, the legislators of the 48th South Carolina General Assembly. Through the use of archival records, this paper compares various factors of mobility measured by sociologists. Kerbo (1991) writes that most studies of social mobility are based on [White] employed men. Patterns of mobility for Blacks and women do not follow the same trend. This paper, by focusing on an elite group – lawmakers – will expand the sociological literature because of the ability to compare Black and White men who share the same occupation and live in the same geographic region. The paper hypothesizes that White lawmakers and their descendants will achieve greater social, economic, educational and occupational mobility compared to Black lawmakers who it is expected will have high levels of geographic mobility as a group on average. Secondly, the paper maintains that the Black lawmakers and their descendants move out of the region, to the northern or western United States, their patterns of mobility are similar to their White counterparts.
Recommended Citation
McLetchie, Alison, "Mobility among South Carolina Coastal Lawmakers during Reconstruction" (2020). International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Conference. 4.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/iggad/2020/reconstruction/4
Mobility among South Carolina Coastal Lawmakers during Reconstruction
EHFA 136
This paper is part of a much larger project that examines the social, economic, educational, occupational and geographic mobility of the Black Elite. While the larger project is broad ranging and includes individuals from various regions and fields, this paper focuses on the lawmakers who represented the coastal states of South Carolina, the Gullah Geechee region during the Reconstruction period; specifically, the legislators of the 48th South Carolina General Assembly. Through the use of archival records, this paper compares various factors of mobility measured by sociologists. Kerbo (1991) writes that most studies of social mobility are based on [White] employed men. Patterns of mobility for Blacks and women do not follow the same trend. This paper, by focusing on an elite group – lawmakers – will expand the sociological literature because of the ability to compare Black and White men who share the same occupation and live in the same geographic region. The paper hypothesizes that White lawmakers and their descendants will achieve greater social, economic, educational and occupational mobility compared to Black lawmakers who it is expected will have high levels of geographic mobility as a group on average. Secondly, the paper maintains that the Black lawmakers and their descendants move out of the region, to the northern or western United States, their patterns of mobility are similar to their White counterparts.
Comments
Theme: Reconstruction/Making Culture; Moderator: Becky Childs, Coastal Carolina University